Description: Das Projekt "Why are climbing plants so invasive? - an experimental and biomechanical approach to study enhanced growth and competitiveness of climbing plants in the context of CO2 enrichment." wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Zürich, Institut für Pflanzenbiologie durchgeführt. Our current understanding of the ecology of lianas and their role in natural ecosystems falls well behind that of most of other plant groups. This gap in current knowledge has potentially serious consequences because (1) climbing plants are known to show significantly enhanced growth under CO2 enrichment (2) many climbing plant species are serious invasive elements in both tropical and temperate ecosystems and cultivated areas and (3) recent censuses of tropical lianas suggest that recent changes in climbing plant growth dynamics might be actually changing vegetation communities in the tropics. These issues therefore beg for detailed studies on the effects of CO2 enrichment on invasive climbing plants. The main aim of this study was to analyse the effects of elevated CO2 concentration on the development, biomass and mechanical properties of two selected invasive climbing species (Ipomoea triloba, Momordica charantia) and an agricultural C4 host plant (Sorghum bicolor) with a new approach on the interface of biophysics and ecophysiology. We investigated a) the effect of elevated CO2 on sorghum without climbers, b) the effect of elevated CO2 on developmental traits of the two invasive species and c) the effect of elevated CO2 on the interaction and crop/climbing plant competition with the effects on growth and yield. Sorghum bicolor plants were grown with two invasive climbing species under ambient (380 ppm) and elevated CO2 (750 ppm) in glasshouse conditions. The results are summarized in three main articles in preparation: First, Sorghum grown alone showed significant differences in biomass allocation between ambinet and elevated CO2, particularly between vegetative and reproductive components and a significant decrease in yield under elevated CO2. In terms of mechanical architecture sorghum plants grown without climbers showed no change in the stiffness of the leaf sheath at elevated CO2 despite increases in vegetative biomass. Second, both liana species showed changes in mechanical, morphological and photosynthetic traits under elevated CO2 resulting in enhanced growth (length + branching). Third, the results from the crop/climbing plant competition experiment demonstrated that the sorghum host plants are more affected under elevated CO2 than ambient CO2 leading to a weakened mechanical architecture and a decrease in panicle biomass and stem carbohydrate production. The results of this study provide fundamental knowledge for the effects of climate change on weed/crop competition and liana growth. Elevated CO2 can potentially increase the invasive climber threat for crops in future which should be taken in account for agricultural management.
Types:
SupportProgram
Origin: /Bund/UBA/UFORDAT
Tags: Hirse ? Baumstamm ? Ökophysiologie ? Pflanzenökologie ? Vegetation ? Zürich ? Kohlendioxidkonzentration ? Biophysik ? Botanik ? Kohlenhydrat ? Ökologie ? Unkraut ? Main ? Invasive Arten ? Architektur ? Ernte ? Kohlendioxid ? Laubblatt ? Tropisches Ökosystem ? Pflanzenart ? Wirtspflanze ? Agrarmanagement ? Wettbewerbsfähigkeit ? Ackerland ? Studie ? Tropengebiet ? Ökosystemforschung ? Biologische Invasion ? Evolution ? Klimafolgen ? Landwirtschaftliche Biomasse ? Naturhaushalt ? Anreicherung ? Biomasse ? Umweltveränderung ? Klimawandel ? Landwirtschaft ? CO2 elevation ? Kletterpflanze ? Wachstum [biologisch] ? Wechselwirkung ? biomechanics ? Art [Spezies] ? climbing plants ? invasive plants ? weed competition ? Ökosystem der gemäßigten Zone ?
License: cc-by-nc-nd/4.0
Language: Deutsch
Time ranges: 2009-05-01 - 2010-10-31
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