Temperature responses of growth and wood anatomy in European beech saplings grown in different carbon dioxide concentrations.

Effects of temperature on growth and wood anatomy were studied in young European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) grown in 7-l pots for 2.5 years in field-phytotron chambers supplied with an ambient (approximately 400 micromol mol-1) or elevated (approximately 700 micromol mol-1) carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]).

Evapotranspiration of beech stands and transpiration of beech leaves subject to atmospheric CO(2) enrichment.

Beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) show reduced stomatal conductance and increased leaf area index in response to increased atmospheric CO(2) concentration. To determine whether the reduction in stomatal conductance results in lower stand evapotranspiration, we compared transpiration on a leaf-area basis and stand evapotranspiration on a ground-area basis in young European beech trees growing in greenhouses at ambient (360 +/- 34 micro mol mol(-1)) and elevated (698 +/- 10 micro mol mol(-1)) CO(2) concentrations.