Flowering phenology in a species-rich temperate grassland is sensitive to warming but not elevated CO2

New Phytol. 2008;178(4):815-822. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02419.x. Epub 2008 Mar 11.

Abstract

* Flowering is a critical stage in plant life cycles, and changes might alter processes at the species, community and ecosystem levels. Therefore, likely flowering-time responses to global change drivers are needed for predictions of global change impacts on natural and managed ecosystems. * Here, the impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) (550 micromol mol(-1)) and warming (+2 masculineC) is reported on flowering times in a native, species-rich, temperate grassland in Tasmania, Australia in both 2004 and 2005. * Elevated [CO2] did not affect average time of first flowering in either year, only affecting three out of 23 species. Warming reduced time to first flowering by an average of 19.1 d in 2004, acting on most species, but did not significantly alter flowering time in 2005, which might be related to the timing of rainfall. Elevated [CO2] and warming treatments did not interact on flowering time. * These results show elevated [CO2] did not alter average flowering time or duration in this grassland; neither did it alter the response to warming. Therefore, flowering phenology appears insensitive to increasing [CO2] in this ecosystem, although the response to warming varies between years but can be strong.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Australia
  • Carbon Dioxide / pharmacology*
  • Climate
  • Ecosystem*
  • Flowers / drug effects*
  • Flowers / physiology*
  • Hot Temperature*
  • Poaceae / drug effects*
  • Poaceae / physiology*
  • Rain
  • Species Specificity
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Carbon Dioxide