Institute of Botany
Sect. Plant Ecology
| Title | CO₂ enrichment reduces the relative contribution of latex and latex-related hydrocarbons to biomass in Euphorbia lathyris |
| Author/s | Dieter A. Häring, Christian Körner |
| Year | 2004 |
| Journal | Plant Cell and Environment 27:209-217 |
| Abstract | The hypothesis that plants grown under elevated CO₂ allocate more carbon to the production of latex and C-rich secondary compounds whereas nutrient addition counteracts this effect was tested. Two similar experiments were conducted in two different experimental facilities. In both facilities seedlings of Euphorbia lathyris were exposed to factorial combinations of two CO₂ concentrations and two levels of nutrient availability for 2 months. The CO₂ treatments and growth conditions differed substantially between these two experiments but treatment responses to elevated CO₂ and fertilizer addition were remarkably similar, underlining the robustness of our findings. Elevated CO₂ increased biomass to a greater extent in fertilized than in unfertilized plants and reduced the leaf biomass fraction by accelerating leaf senescence. Concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) increased in elevated CO₂. However, this apparent carbon surplus did not feed into the whole plant latex pool. The latex harvest per leaf (-25%) and the concentration of latex-related hydrocarbons (-20%) even decreased under elevated CO₂ (both experiments P<0.05). Fertilization reduced NSC concentrations (-25%) but neither affected latex yield per leaf nor the concentration of latex-related hydrocarbons. It is concluded that latex and related hydrocarbons in CO₂-enriched plants are a negligible sink for excess carbon irrespective of nutrient status and thus, vigour of growth. |
| Keywords | carbohydrates · carbon limitation · elevated CO₂ · nutrition · growth analysis · secondary metabolism · terpenoids |
| Contact | Christian Körner: email | webpage | list of publications |