Canopy CO2 enrichment permits tracing the fate of recently assimilated carbon in a mature deciduous forest.
How rapidly newly assimilated carbon (C) is invested into recalcitrant structures of forests, and how closely C pools and fluxes are tied to photosynthesis, is largely unknown. A crane and a purpose-built free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) system permitted us to label the canopy of a mature deciduous forest with 13C-depleted CO2 for 4 yr and continuously trace the flow of recent C through the forest without disturbance. Potted C4 grasses in the canopy ('isometers') served as a reference for the C-isotope input signal. After four growing seasons, leaves were completely labelled, while newly formed wood (tree rings) still contained 9% old C. Distinct labels were found in fine roots (38%) and sporocarps of mycorrhizal fungi (62%). Soil particles attached to fine roots contained 9% new C, whereas no measurable signal was detected in bulk soil. Soil-air CO2 consisted of 35% new C, indicating that considerable amounts of assimilates were rapidly returned back to the atmosphere. These data illustrate a relatively slow dilution of old mobile C pools in trees, but a pronounced allocation of very recent assimilates to C pools of short residence times.
Keel
Sonja G
SG
Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
Siegwolf
Rolf T W
RT
Körner
Christian
C
D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D014197:Trees / Q000378:metabolism*; D014934:Wood
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon