Journal
CHEMOSPHERE
Volume 81, Issue 6, Pages 725-731Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.07.047
Keywords
CO2 enrichment; Salinity; Chlorophyll fluorescence; Relative growth rate; Photosystem II; Spartina maritima
Categories
Funding
- Spanish Environmental Ministry [042/2007]
- Seville University Glasshouse General Service for collaboration
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Future climatic scenarios combine increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and rising sea levels. Spartina maritima is a C-4 halophyte that is an important pioneer and ecosystem engineer in salt marshes of the Atlantic coast of southern Europe. A glasshouse experiment investigated the combined effects on its growth and photosynthetic apparatus of approximately doubling CO2 concentration (from 380 to 700 mu mol mol(-1)) at a range of salinity (0, 171 and 510 mM NaCl). We measured relative growth rates, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, photosynthetic pigment concentrations, and total ash, Na+, K2+, Ca2+ and N concentrations. Elevated CO2 stimulated growth of S. maritima by c. 65% at all external salinities; this growth enhancement was associated with greater net photosynthetic rate (A) and improved leaf water relations. A increased despite a drop in stomatal conductance in response to 700 mu mol mol(-1) CO2. CO2 and salinity had a marked overall effect on the photochemical (PSII) apparatus and the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments. Phi(PSII) values at midday decreased significantly with external salinity in plants grown at 380 mu mol mol(-1) CO2; and F-v/F-m and Phi(PSII) values were higher at 700 mu mol mol(-1) CO2 in presence of NaCl. Plant nutrient concentrations declined under elevated CO2, which can be ascribed to the dilution effect caused by an increase in biomass. The results suggest that the productivity S. maritima and the ecosystem services it provides will increase in likely future climatic scenarios. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available