Coordinated responses of plant hydraulic architecture with the reduction of stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 concentration.

Stomatal conductance (gs) generally decreases under elevated CO2 concentration (eCO2) and its sensitivity varies widely among species, yet the underlying mechanisms for these observed patterns are not totally clear. Understanding these underlying mechanisms, however, is critical for addressing problems regarding plant-environment interactions in a changing climate. We examined gs, water transport efficiency of different components along the whole-plant hydraulic system and allometric scaling in seedlings of six tree species grown under ambient and eCO2 treatments (400 and 600 ppm, respectively).

Extreme events as shaping physiology, ecology, and evolution of plants: toward a unified definition and evaluation of their consequences.

Here we consider how extreme events, particularly climatic and biotic, affect the physiology, development, ecology and evolution of organisms, focusing on plants. The marked effects on organisms are of increasing interest for ecological prediction, given the natural and anthropogenic changes in spectra of extreme events being induced by global change. Yet there is currently a paucity of knowledge or even a common world-view of how extreme events shape individuals, communities and ecosystems.

Mechanisms of competition: thermal inhibition of tree seedling growth by grass.

The relative importance of thermal interference and competition for below-ground resources in the inhibition of tree seedling growth by grass was determined under field conditions. Snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) seedlings were grown in bare soil or soil covered with either live grass or straw. Covering soil with straw produced thermal conditions in soil and air that were indistinguishable from those associated with live grass.

Root system adjustments: regulation of plant nutrient uptake and growth responses to elevated CO.

Nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) often limit plant growth rate and production in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Limited availability of these nutrients is also a major factor influencing long-term plant and ecosystem responses to rising atmospheric CO levels, i.e.

Nonrecirculating hydroponic system suitable for uptake studies at very low nutrient concentrations.

We describe the mechanical, electronic, hydraulic, and structural design of a nonrecirculating hydroponic system. The system is particularly suited to studies at very low nutrient concentrations, for which on-line concentration monitoring methods either do not exist or are costly and limited to monitoring relatively few individual plants. Solutions are mixed automatically to chosen concentrations, which can be set differently for every pump fed from a master supply of deionized water and nutrient concentrates.