Higher carbon dioxide, lack of nitrogen limit plant growthApril 13, 2006Stunted plants may not soak up excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere Earth's plant life will not be able to "store" excess carbon from rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels as well as scientists once thought because plants likely cannot get enough nutrients, such as nitrogen, when there are higher levels of carbon dioxide, according to scientists publishing in this week's issue of the journal Nature. That, in turn, is likely to dampen the ability of plants to offset increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. "We found that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may rise even faster than anticipated, because ecosystems likely will not store as much carbon as had been predicted," said Peter Reich of the University of Minnesota, lead author of the study, which was conducted at the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Cedar Creek Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in Minn.
"As a result, soils will be unable to sustain plant growth over time [as atmospheric carbon dioxide continues to increase]," said plant ecologist David Ellsworth of the University of Michigan. Estimating the role of terrestrial ecosystems as current and future sinks-or storage places-for excess carbon dioxide hinges on an ability to understand the complex interaction between atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen in soils, the scientists believe. The six-year study, the longest of its kind, sheds light on the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and plant productivity. In the experiment, scientists grew 16 different grassland plants in 296 field plots. The plots were exposed to both ambient and elevated carbon dioxide levels, and varying levels of nitrogen. The study was designed to document plants' ability to grow and flourish in nitrogen-depleted soil, which, scientists believe, will become more common as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise. Said Henry Gholz, director of NSF's LTER program, "Results from this research echo those of other studies of nitrogen's importance to trees and agricultural crops. In the future, the effects of rising carbon dioxide on plants may become common throughout the world." The Minn. study, with its range of species, provides a broad test of carbon dioxide and nitrogen interactions, said Reich. Previous studies have been done with a single or a few plant species. The Cedar Creek LTER is one of 26 such LTER sites supported by NSF. National Science Foundation | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Related Plant Growth News Articles Green Roofs Differ in Building Cooling, Water Handling Capabilities The first study to compare the performance of different types of green roofs has been completed by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and suggests that buyers shouldn't assume these roofs are created equal. Saharan dust storms sustain life in Atlantic Ocean Research at the University of Liverpool has found how Saharan dust storms help sustain life over extensive regions of the North Atlantic Ocean. Drought tolerance in potatoes Climate change is expected to exacerbate drought events throughout the world, resulting in large-scale ecosystem alteration and failure of drought-sensitive crops. Silicon's effect on sunflowers studied Vibrant, showy sunflowers are revered worldwide for their beauty and versatility. While many varieties of sunflower are grown specifically for their nutritional benefits, ornamental sunflowers have become standards for commercial growers and everyday gardeners. Brown Scientists Say Biodiversity Is Crucial to Ecosystem Productivity In the first experiment involving a natural environment, scientists at Brown University have shown that richer plant diversity significantly enhances an ecosystem's productivity. Systems biology approach identifies nutrient regulation of biological clock in plants Using a systems biological analysis of genome-scale data from the model plant Arabidopsis, an international team of researchers identified that the master gene controlling the biological clock is sensitive to nutrient status. Increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere linked to decreased soil organic matter A recent study at the University of Illinois created a bit of a mystery for soil scientist Michelle Wander - increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was expected to increase plant growth, increase plant biomass and ultimately beef up the organic matter in the soil -- but it didn't. Newly defined signaling pathway could mean better biofuel sources A newly defined biochemical pathway in plants may provide the scientific tools to design plants that will yield larger quantities of alternative transportation fuels than currently can be produced, according to Purdue University researchers. Mechanisms of plant-fungi symbiosis characterized by DOE Joint Genome Institute Plants gained their ancestral toehold on dry land with considerable help from their fungal friends. Now, millennia later, that partnership is being exploited as a strategy to bolster biomass production for next generation biofuels. Killer freeze of '07 illustrates paradoxes of warming climate A destructive spring freeze that chilled the eastern United States almost a year ago illustrates the threat a warming climate poses to plants and crops, according to a paper just published in the journal BioScience. The study was led by a team from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. More Plant Growth News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||