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Ectomycorrhizal Colonization, Biomass, and Production in a Regenerating Scrub Oak Forest in Response to Elevated CO2

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Abstract

The effects of CO2 elevation on the dynamics of fine root (FR) mass and ectomycorrhizal (EM) mass and colonization were studied in situ in a Florida scrub oak system over four years of postfire regeneration. Soil cores were taken at five dates and sorted to assess the standing crop of ectomycorrhizal and fine roots. We used ingrowth bags to estimate the effects of elevated CO2 on production of EM roots and fine roots. Elevated CO2 tended to increase EM colonization frequency but did not affect EM mass nor FR mass in soil cores (standing mass). However, elevated CO2 strongly increased EM mass and FR mass in ingrowth bags (production), but it did not affect the EM colonization frequency therein. An increase in belowground production with unchanged biomass indicates that elevated CO2 may stimulate root turnover. The CO2-stimulated increase of belowground production was initially larger than that of aboveground production. The oaks may allocate a larger portion of resources to root/mycorrhizal production in this system in elevated rather than ambient CO2.

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Acknowledgements

Sally Box, Graham Hymus, and Dave Johnson were instrumental in site maintenance and sample collection. Nancy Johnson, Kitty Gehring, and Samantha Chapman provided helpful advice. This study was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institute, and the U.S. Department of Energy. We thank the National Aeronautical and Space Administration and the John F. Kennedy Space Center for on site assistance and cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Merriam Powell Center for Environmental Research, Northern Arizona University, Box 5640, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA

    J. Adam Langley, Paul Dijkstra & Bruce A. Hungate

  2. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, P.O.Box 28, Edgewater, Maryland 21037, USA

    Paul Dijkstra & Bert G. Drake

Authors
  1. J. Adam Langley
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  2. Paul Dijkstra
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  3. Bert G. Drake
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  4. Bruce A. Hungate
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Correspondence to J. Adam Langley.

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Langley, J., Dijkstra, P., Drake, B. et al. Ectomycorrhizal Colonization, Biomass, and Production in a Regenerating Scrub Oak Forest in Response to Elevated CO2 . Ecosystems 6, 424–430 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00021509

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00021509

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