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Combined effects of elevated CO2 and soil drought on carbon and nitrogen allocation of the desert shrub Caragana intermedia

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Abstract

Impacts of either elevated CO2 or drought stress on plant growth have been studied extensively, but interactive effects of these on plant carbon and nitrogen allocation is inadequately understood yet. In this study the response of the dominant desert shrub, Caragana intermedia Kuanget H.c.Fu, to the interaction of elevated CO2 (700 ± 20 μmol mol−1) and soil drought were determined in two large environmental growth chambers (18 m2). Elevated CO2 increased the allocation of biomass and carbon into roots and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N) as well as the leaf soluble sugar content, but decreased the allocation of biomass and carbon into leaves, leaf nitrogen and leaf soluble protein concentrations. Elevated CO2 significantly decreased the partitioning of nitrogen into leaves, but increased that into roots, especially under soil drought. Elevated CO2 significantly decreased the carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) in leaves, but increased them in roots, and the ratio of Δ values between root and leaf, indicating an increased allocation into below-ground parts. It is concluded that stimulation of plant growth by CO2 enrichment may be negated under soil drought, and under the future environment, elevated CO2 may partially offset the negative effects of enhanced drought by regulating the partitioning of carbon and nitrogen.

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Acknowledgements

This study was jointly financed by National Basic Research Program of China (2006CB400502), Knowledge Innovation Programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KSCX2-SW-133), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (30470338). We would like to thank Dr. Lianmin Wang and Dr. Chunwang Xiao for the greater helps in the experiment. Dr. Tibor Kalapos and the reviewers were greatly appreciated for the constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, People’s Republic of China

    Zhenzhu Xu, Guangsheng Zhou & Yuhui Wang

  2. Institute of Atmospheric Environment, China Meteorological Administration, Shenyang, 110016, People’s Republic of China

    Zhenzhu Xu & Guangsheng Zhou

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  1. Zhenzhu Xu
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  2. Guangsheng Zhou
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  3. Yuhui Wang
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Correspondence to Guangsheng Zhou.

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Xu, Z., Zhou, G. & Wang, Y. Combined effects of elevated CO2 and soil drought on carbon and nitrogen allocation of the desert shrub Caragana intermedia . Plant Soil 301, 87–97 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9424-0

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