Low soil temperature inhibits the effect of high nutrient supply on photosynthetic response to elevated carbon dioxide concentration in white birch seedlings

Abstract

To investigate the interactive effects of soil temperature (Tsoil) and nutrient availability on the response of photosynthesis to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]), white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) seedlings were exposed to ambient (360 μmol mol-1) or elevated (720 μmol mol-1) [CO2], three Tsoil (5, 15 and 25 °C initially, increased to 7, 17 and 27 °C, respectively, 1 month later) and three nutrient regimes (4/1.8/3.3, 80/35/66 and 160/70/132 mg l -1 N/P/K) for 3 months in environment-controlled greenhouses. Elevated [CO2] increased net photosynthetic rate (An), instantaneous water-use efficiency (IWUE), internal to ambient carbon dioxide concentration ratio (Ci/Ca), triose phosphate utilization (TPU) and photosynthetic linear electron transport to carboxylation (Jc), and it decreased actual photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (ΔF/Fm'), the fraction of total linear electron transport partitioned to oxygenation (Jo/JT) and leaf N concentration. The low Tsoil suppressed An, transpiration rate (E), TPU, ΔF/Fm′ and Jc, but it increased Jo/JT. The low nutrient treatment reduced An, IWUE, maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco, light-saturated electron transport rate, TPU, ΔF/Fm′, Jc and leaf N concentration, but increased Ci/Ca. There were two-factor interactions for Ci/Ca, TPU and leaf N concentration, and a significant effect of CO2 × Tsoil × nutrient regime on An, IWUE and Jc. The stimulations of An and IWUE by elevated [CO2] were limited to seedlings grown under the intermediate and high nutrient regimes at the intermediate and high Tsoil. For Jc, the [CO2] effect was significant only at intermediate Tsoil + high nutrient availability. No significant [CO2] effects were observed under the low Tsoil at any nutrient level. Our results support this study's hypothesis that low Tsoil would reduce the positive effect of high nutrient supply on the response of An to elevated [CO2].