Long-term effects of elevated carbon dioxide concentration and provenance on four clones of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). I. Plant growth, allocation and ontogeny

摘要

Four clones of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) from two provenances, at 53.2degree CN (Skidegate a and Skidegate b) and at 41.3degree CN (North Bend a and North Bend b), were grown near Edinburgh (55.5degree CN), UK, for three growing seasons in ambient (～350μmol mol-1) and elevated (～700μmol mol-1) CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) under conditions of non-limiting water and nutrient supply. Bud phenology was not affected by elevated [CO2] in the second growing season, but in the third year, the duration of shoot extensiongrowth in three of the four clones (North Bend clones and Skidegate a) was significantly shortened, because of the suppression of lammas growth. Saplings in elevated [CO2] had significantly greater dry masses of all components than saplings in ambient [CO2]. However, comparison of relative component dry masses between plants of similar size showed no effect of [CO2] treatment on plant allometric relationships. This finding, and the observed suppression of lammas growth by high [CO2] during the third growing season suggests that the main effect of increasing [CO2] is to accelerate sapling development. Clonal provenance did not affect dry mass production in ambient [CO2]. However, in elevated [CO2] the more southerly clones significantly out-performed the more northerly clones when grown at a latitude close to the latitudinal provenance of the Skidegate clones. As atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration rises, such changes in the relative performance of genotypes may be exploited for economic gain through appropriate selection of provenances for forest plantings.