Short- versus long-term effects of elevated CO2 on night-time respiration of needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Abstract

Dark respiration rate in the night (R(D)) was measured in five-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees grown for two years under ambient (AC) and elevated (AC + 400 μmol mol-1 = EC) CO2 concentrations in open top chambers. Two needle age classes (i.e., current-year and one-year-old) were measured at AC and EC in both AC- and EC-grown pines. Additionally different chemical characteristics were determined on the needles, such as nitrogen (N), carbon (C), starch, and soluble sugar concentrations as well as specific leaf area. The direct, short-term and indirect, long-term effects of EC on R(D) for the two needle age classes were examined. R(D) was expressed on a per needle area, needle mass, N, C, and C/N bases. Direct effects were only pronounced in the AC treatment where inhibition of R(D) was found at EC in both current- and one-year-old needles. Indirect effects were only significant in one-year-old needles where a decrease was found in the EC grown trees as compared with AC ones when R(D) was expressed per unit needle mass, C, or C/N. R(D) per unit needle area and needle N were not sensitive to long-term EC, in any needle age class. Long-term EC treatment also influenced the response of the two needle age classes. One-year-old needles from the EC treatment had significantly lower R(D) than current-year needles, but no such response was observed in the AC treatment. Our experiment re-emphasised the importance of expressing R(D) on different bases for a correct interpretation of the responses to EC. Moreover, we showed that different needle age classes can respond differently to a CO2 enrichment.