Does interspecific competition alter effects of early season ozone exposure on plants from wet grasslands? Results of a three-year experiment in open-top chambers.
Chronic effects of ozone on wet grassland species early in the growing season might be altered by interspecific competition. Individual plants of Holcus lanatus, Lychnis flos-cuculi, Molinia caerulea and Plantago lanceolata were grown in monocultures and in mixed cultures with Agrostis capillaris. Mesocosms were exposed to charcoal-filtered air plus 25 nl l(-1) ozone (CF+25), non-filtered air (NF), non-filtered air plus 25 nl l(-1) ozone (NF+25) and non-filtered air plus 50 nl l(-1) ozone (NF+50) early in the growing seasons of 2000 through 2002. Ozone-enhanced senescence and visible foliar injury were recorded on some of the target plants in the first year only. Ozone effects on biomass production were minimal and plant response to ozone did not differ between monocultures and mixed cultures. After three years, above-ground biomass of the plants in mixed culture compared to monocultures was three times greater for H. lanatus and two to four times smaller for the other species.
Tonneijck
A E G
AE
Wageningen University and Research Center, Plant Research International, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. fred.tonneijck@wur.nl
Franzaring
J
J
Brouwer
G
G
Metselaar
K
K
Dueck
Th A
TA
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018533:Biomass; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D063245:Plant Development; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects*; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity
D000393:Air Pollutants; D010126:Ozone