Increase in leaf mass per area benefits plant growth at elevated CO2 concentration.
An increase in leaf mass per area (MLA) of plants grown at elevated [CO2] is often accompanied by accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates, and has been considered to be a response resulting from source-sink imbalance. We hypothesized that the increase in MLA benefits plants by increasing the net assimilation rate through maintaining a high leaf nitrogen content per area (NLA). To test this hypothesis, Polygonum cuspidatum was grown at ambient (370 micro mol mol-1) and elevated (700 micro mol mol-1) [CO2] with three levels of N supply. Elevated [CO2] significantly increased MLA with smaller effects on NLA and leaf mass ratio (fLM). The effect of change in MLA on plant growth was investigated by the sensitivity analysis: MLA values observed at ambient and elevated [CO2] were substituted into a steady-state growth model to calculate the relative growth rate (R). At ambient [CO2], substitution of a high MLA (observed at elevated [CO2]) did not increase R, compared with R for a low MLA (observed at ambient [CO2]), whereas at elevated [CO2] the high MLA always increased R compared with R at the low MLA. These results suggest that the increase in MLA contributes to growth enhancement under elevated [CO2]. The optimal combination of fLM and MLA to maximize R was determined for different [CO2] and N availabilities. The optimal fLM was nearly constant, while the optimal MLA increased at elevated [CO2], and decreased at higher N availabilities. The changes in fLM of actual plants may compensate for the limited plasticity of MLA.
Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
Shinjiro
S
Ishizaki
Kouki
K
Hikosaka
Tadaki
T
Hirose
D000465:Algorithms; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development*; D028502:Polygonum / Q000254:growth & development*
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009584:Nitrogen