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Many temperate grasses are both hyper‐accumulators of silicon (Si) and hosts of Epichloë fungal endophytes, functional traits which may alleviate environmental stresses such as herbivore attack. Si accumulation and endophyte infection may operate synergistically, but this has not been tested in a field setting, nor in the context of changing environmental conditions. Predicted increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations can affect both Si accumulation and endophyte function, but these have not been studied in combination.We investigated how elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2), Si supplementation, endophyte‐presence and insect herbivory impacted plant growth, stoichiometry (C, N, P and Si), leaf gas exchange (rates of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rates) and endophyte production of anti‐herbivore defences (alkaloids) of an important pasture grass (tall fescue; Lolium arundinaceum) in the field.eCO2 and Si supplementation increased shoot biomass (+52% and +31%, respectively), whereas herbivory reduced shoot biomass by at least 35% and induced Si accumulation by 24%. Shoot Si concentrations, in contrast, decreased by 17%–21% under eCO2. Si supplementation and herbivory reduced shoot C concentrations. eCO2 reduced shoot N concentrations which led to increased shoot C:N ratios. Overall, shoot P concentrations were 26% lower in endophytic plants compared to non‐endophytic plants, potentially due to decreased mass flow (i.e. observed reductions in stomatal conductance and transpiration). Alkaloid production was not discernibly affected by any experimental treatment. The negative impacts of endophytes on P uptake were particularly strong under eCO2.We show that eCO2 and insect herbivory reduce and promote Si accumulation, respectively, incorporating some field conditions for the first time. This indicates that these drivers operate in a more realistic ecological context than previously demonstrated. Reduced uptake of P in endophytic plants may adversely affect plant productivity in the future, particularly if increased demand for P due to improved plant growth under eCO2 cannot be met. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dryland salinity is caused by rising saline water tables, the result of relatively recent landscape-scale clearance of deep-rooted vegetation. One obvious solution to this problem is the reintroduction of deep-rooted vegetation into these landscapes, most likely non-deciduous trees. Ideally, continually-transpiring deep-rooted trees would remove moisture from throughout the soil profile, increasing the capacity of the soil to store water, thus lowering water tables by effectively reducing the number of rainfall events that contribute to groundwater recharge. In this study, we examined how water use by a Eucalyptus sideroxylon A. Cunn. ex Woolls plantation, growing in a salinity-prone landscape, varied in response to rainfall events across four years of sap flux monitoring. Responses of the plantation were observed across multiple seasons, from above average to well below average rainfall. We observed that the plantation forest, while capable of continuous water use during drought, was also quite responsive to rainfall events. During the driest periods, during which shallow soil moisture was reduced to a stable minimum, the forest continued using water at around 1 mm/day. Generally we observed increases in forest water use following only 5 mm of rainfall, in contrast to 20 mm for neighbouring native vegetation. We compared a range of plausible empirical models for describing forest water use responses to rainfall. The best model demonstrated that rainfall size, post-rainfall PET and the interaction between rainfall size and antecedent soil moisture made significant contributions to variation in forest water use across rainfall events. Interestingly, the model showed that all else equal, higher antecedent soil moisture tended to reduce potential increases in forest water use in response to rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants, notably the Poaceae, often accumulate large amounts of silicon (Si) from the soil. Si has multiple functional roles, particularly for alleviating abiotic and biotic stresses (e.g., defence against herbivores). Recent evidence suggests that environmental change, including temperature changes, can diminish Si accumulation which could affect functions such as herbivore defence.Using a field warming experiment, we grew a pasture grass (Phalaris aquatica) that was either supplemented or untreated with Si (+Si and −Si, respectively) under ambient and elevated (+2.8°C above ambient) air temperatures. We quantified soil water, plant growth rates, Si accumulation, leaf biomechanical properties and in situ relative growth rates of a herbivorous global insect pest (Helicoverpa armigera).Si supplementation promoted shoot and root biomass by c. 48% and 61%, respectively under ambient temperatures, but these gains were not apparent under warmed conditions.Warmer temperatures reduced Si uptake by −Si plants by c. 17%, potentially due to the lower levels of soil water content in warmed plots. Si supplementation, however, increased Si accumulation in leaves by c. 24% in warmed plots restoring Si levels to those seen under ambient temperatures.Si supplementation enhanced biomechanical properties in the leaves, but this was only statistically significant under ambient temperatures; leaves of +Si plants required 42% more force to fracture and were 30% tougher at the midrib than leaves of −Si plants. The relative growth rates of H. armigera declined by 56% when feeding on +Si plants under ambient temperatures, and while Si supplementation caused a trend towards declining herbivore growth rates under warmer conditions, this was not statistically significant.We conclude that climate warming may mitigate the beneficial effects of Si on Phalaris aquatica in the short term, potentially by reducing Si uptake. While Si uptake can be restored with Si supplementation, Si‐enhanced biomechanical defences against a global pest may not be fully restored under warmer temperatures. A plain language summary is available for this article. Plain Language Summary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Optimal stomatal theory predicts that stomata operate to maximise photosynthesis (Anet) and minimise transpirational water loss to achieve optimal intrinsic water‐use efficiency (iWUE). We tested whether this theory can predict stomatal responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2), and whether it can capture differences in responsiveness among woody plant functional types (PFTs).We conducted a meta‐analysis of tree studies of the effect of eCO2 on iWUE and its components Anet and stomatal conductance (gs). We compared three PFTs, using the unified stomatal optimisation (USO) model to account for confounding effects of leaf–air vapour pressure difference (D). We expected smaller gs, but greater Anet, responses to eCO2 in gymnosperms compared with angiosperm PFTs.We found that iWUE increased in proportion to increasing eCO2 in all PFTs, and that increases in Anet had stronger effects than reductions in gs. The USO model correctly captured stomatal behaviour with eCO2 across most datasets. The chief difference among PFTs was a lower stomatal slope parameter (g1) for the gymnosperm, compared with angiosperm, species.Land surface models can use the USO model to describe stomatal behaviour under changing atmospheric CO2 conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the relationship between reductions in stomatal conductance (gs) and leaf water transport during dehydration is key to understanding plant drought responses. While numerous studies have analysed the hydraulic function of woody species, minimal research has been conducted on grasses. Here, we sought to characterize hydraulic vulnerability in five widely‐occurring pasture grasses (including both C3 and C4 grasses) and determine whether reductions in gs and leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) during dehydration could be attributed to xylem embolism. Using the optical vulnerability (OV) technique, we found that all species were highly resistant to xylem embolism when compared to other herbaceous angiosperms, with 50% xylem embolism (PX50) occurring at xylem pressures ranging from −4.4 to −6.1 MPa. We observed similar reductions in gs and Kleaf under mild water stress for all species, occurring well before PX50. The onset of xylem embolism (PX12) occurred consistently after stomatal closure and 90% reduction of Kleaf. Our results suggest that factors other than xylem embolism are responsible for the majority of reductions in gs and Kleaf during drought and reductions in the productivity of pasture species under moderate drought may not be driven by embolism. Summary Statement: Pasture grasses are highly resistant to xylem cavitation, with cavitation occurring consistently after significant reductions in stomatal conductance (gs) and leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf). Our results suggest that factors other than xylem cavitation are responsible for reductions in gs and Kleaf during moderate drought with cavitation only occurring under extreme drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mistletoes are important co-contributors to tree mortality globally, particularly during droughts. In Australia, mistletoe distributions are expanding in temperate woodlands, while their hosts have experienced unprecedented heat and drought stress in recent years. We investigated whether the excessive water use of mistletoes increased the probability of xylem emboli in a mature woodland during the recent record drought that was compounded by multiple heatwaves. We continuously recorded transpiration (⁠|$T_{SLA}$|⁠) of infected and uninfected branches from two eucalypt species over two summers, monitored stem and leaf water potentials (⁠|$\Psi $|⁠) and used hydraulic vulnerability curves to estimate percent loss in conductivity (PLC) for each species. Variations in weather (vapor pressure deficit, photosynthetically active radiation, soil water content), host species and % mistletoe foliage explained 78% of hourly |$T_{SLA}$|⁠. While mistletoe acted as an uncontrollable sink for water in the host even during typical summer days, daily |$T_{SLA}$| increased up to 4-fold in infected branches on hot days, highlighting the previously overlooked importance of temperature stress in amplifying water loss in mistletoes. The increased water use of mistletoes resulted in significantly decreased host |$\Psi _{\rm{leaf}}$| and |$\Psi _{\rm{trunk}}$|⁠. It further translated to an estimated increase of up to 11% PLC for infected hosts, confirming greater hydraulic dysfunction of infected trees that place them at higher risk of hydraulic failure. However, uninfected branches of Eucalyptus fibrosa F.Muell. had much tighter controls on water loss than uninfected branches of Eucalyptus moluccana Roxb. which shifted the risk of hydraulic failure towards an increased risk of carbon starvation for E. fibrosa. The contrasting mechanistic responses to heat and drought stress between both co-occurring species demonstrates the complexity of host–parasite interactions and highlights the challenge in predicting species-specific responses to biotic agents in a warmer and drier climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising atmospheric [CO2] (Ca) generally enhances tree growth if nutrients are not limiting. However, reduced water availability and elevated evaporative demand may offset such fertilization. Trees with access to deep soil water may be able to mitigate such stresses and respond more positively to Ca. Here, we sought to evaluate how increased vapor pressure deficit and reduced precipitation are likely to modify the impact of elevated Ca (eCa) on tree productivity in an Australian Eucalyptus saligna Sm. plantation with access to deep soil water. We parameterized a forest growth simulation model (GOTILWA+) using data from two field experiments on E. saligna: a 2‐year whole‐tree chamber experiment with factorial Ca (ambient =380, elevated =620 μmol mol−1) and watering treatments, and a 10‐year stand‐scale irrigation experiment. Model evaluation showed that GOTILWA+ can capture the responses of canopy C uptake to (1) rising vapor pressure deficit (D) under both Ca treatments; (2) alterations in tree water uptake from shallow and deep soil layers during soil dry‐down; and (3) the impact of irrigation on tree growth. Simulations suggest that increasing Ca up to 700 μmol mol−1 alone would result in a 33% increase in annual gross primary production (GPP) and a 62% increase in biomass over 10 years. However, a combined 48% increase in D and a 20% reduction in precipitation would halve these values. Our simulations identify high D conditions as a key limiting factor for GPP. They also suggest that rising Ca will compensate for increasing aridity limitations in E. saligna trees with access to deep soil water under non‐nutrient limiting conditions, thereby reducing the negative impacts of global warming upon this eucalypt species. Simulation models not accounting for water sources available to deep‐rooting trees are likely to overestimate aridity impacts on forest productivity and C stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems integrity and services are threatened by anthropogenic global changes. Mitigating and adapting to these changes require knowledge of ecosystem functioning in the expected novel environments, informed in large part through experimentation and modelling. This paper describes 13 advanced controlled environment facilities for experimental ecosystem studies, herein termed ecotrons, open to the international community. Ecotrons enable simulation of a wide range of natural environmental conditions in replicated and independent experimental units while measuring various ecosystem processes. This capacity to realistically control ecosystem environments is used to emulate a variety of climatic scenarios and soil conditions, in natural sunlight or through broad‐spectrum lighting. The use of large ecosystem samples, intact or reconstructed, minimizes border effects and increases biological and physical complexity. Measurements of concentrations of greenhouse trace gases as well as their net exchange between the ecosystem and the atmosphere are performed in most ecotrons, often quasi continuously. The flow of matter is often tracked with the use of stable isotope tracers of carbon and other elements. Equipment is available for measurements of soil water status as well as root and canopy growth. The experiments ran so far emphasize the diversity of the hosted research. Half of them concern global changes, often with a manipulation of more than one driver. About a quarter deal with the impact of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning and one quarter with ecosystem or plant physiology. We discuss how the methodology for environmental simulation and process measurements, especially in soil, can be improved and stress the need to establish stronger links with modelling in future projects. These developments will enable further improvements in mechanistic understanding and predictive capacity of ecotron research which will play, in complementarity with field experimentation and monitoring, a crucial role in exploring the ecosystem consequences of environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Thermoregulation of leaf temperature (Tleaf) may foster metabolic homeostasis in plants, but the degree to which Tleaf is moderated, and under what environmental contexts, is a topic of debate. Isotopic studies inferred the temperature of photosynthetic carbon assimilation to be a constant value of c. 20°C; by contrast, leaf biophysical theory suggests a strong dependence of Tleaf on environmental drivers. Can this apparent disparity be reconciled?We continuously measured Tleaf and whole‐crown net CO2 uptake for Eucalyptus parramattensis trees growing in field conditions in whole‐tree chambers under ambient and +3°C warming conditions, and calculated assimilation‐weighted leaf temperature (TL‐AW) across 265 d, varying in air temperature (Tair) from −1 to 45°C. We compared these data to TL‐AW derived from wood cellulose δ18O.Tleaf exhibited substantial variation driven by Tair, light intensity, and vapor pressure deficit, and Tleaf was strongly linearly correlated with Tair with a slope of c. 1.0. TL‐AW values calculated from cellulose δ18O vs crown fluxes were remarkably consistent; both varied seasonally and in response to the warming treatment, tracking variation in Tair.The leaves studied here were nearly poikilothermic, with no evidence of thermoregulation of Tleaf towards a homeostatic value. Importantly, this work supports the use of cellulose δ18O to infer TL‐AW, but does not support the concept of strong homeothermic regulation of Tleaf See also the Commentary on this article by Cavaleri, 228: 1455–1457. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant respiration can acclimate to changing environmental conditions and vary between species as well as biome types, although belowground respiration responses to ongoing climate warming are not well understood. Understanding the thermal acclimation capacity of root respiration (R root) in relation to increasing temperatures is therefore critical in elucidating a key uncertainty in plant function in response to warming. However, the degree of temperature acclimation of R root in rainforest trees and how root chemical and morphological traits are related to acclimation is unknown. Here we investigated the extent to which respiration of fine roots (≤2 mm) of four tropical and four warm-temperate rainforest tree seedlings differed in response to warmer growth temperatures (control and +6 °C), including temperature sensitivity (Q 10) and the degree of acclimation of R root. Regardless of biome type, we found no consistent pattern in the short-term temperature responses of R root to elevated growth temperature: a significant reduction in the temperature response of R root to +6 °C treatment was only observed for a tropical species, Cryptocarya mackinnoniana , whereas the other seven species had either some stimulation or no alteration. Across species, R root was positively correlated with root tissue nitrogen concentration (mg g−1), while Q 10 was positively correlated with root tissue density (g cm−3). Warming increased root tissue density by 20.8% but did not alter root nitrogen across species. We conclude that thermal acclimation capacity of R root to warming is species-specific and suggest that root tissue density is a useful predictor of R root and its thermal responses in rainforest tree seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Autotrophic respiration is a major driver of the global C cycle and may contribute a positive climate warming feedback through increased atmospheric concentrations of CO2. The extent of this feedback depends on plants' ability to acclimate respiration to maintain a constant carbon use efficiency (CUE).We quantified respiratory partitioning of gross primary production (GPP) and CUE of field‐grown trees in a long‐term warming experiment (+3°C). We delivered a 13C–CO2 pulse to whole tree crowns and chased that pulse in the respiration of leaves, whole crowns, roots, and soil. We also measured the isotopic composition of soil microbial biomass and the respiration rates of leaves and whole crowns.We documented homeostatic respiratory acclimation of foliar and whole‐crown respiration rates; the trees adjusted to experimental warming such that leaf‐level respiration rates were not increased. Experimental warming had no detectable impact on respiratory partitioning or mean residence times. Of the 13C label acquired by the trees, aboveground respiration consumed 10%, belowground respiration consumed 40%, and the remaining 50% was retained.Experimental warming of +3°C did not alter respiratory partitioning at the scale of entire trees, suggesting that complete acclimation of respiration to warming is likely to dampen a positive climate warming feedback. See also the Commentary on this article by Ryan & Asao, 222: 1167–1170. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The allocation of carbon (C) is an important component of tree physiology that influences growth and ecosystem C storage. Allocation is challenging to measure, and its sensitivity to environmental changes such as warming and altered water availability is uncertain.We exposed young Eucalyptus tereticornis trees to +3°C warming and elimination of summer precipitation in the field using whole‐tree chambers. We calculated C allocation terms using detailed measurements of growth and continuous whole‐crown CO2 and water exchange measurements.Trees grew from small saplings to nearly 9 m height during this 15‐month experiment. Warming accelerated growth and leaf area development, and it increased the partitioning of gross primary production (GPP) to aboveground respiration and growth while decreasing partitioning below ground. Eliminating summer precipitation reduced C gain and growth but did not impact GPP partitioning. Trees utilized deep soil water and avoided strongly negative water potentials.Warming increased growth respiration, but maintenance respiration acclimated homeostatically. The increasing growth in the warmed treatment resulted in higher rates of respiration, even with complete acclimation of maintenance respiration. Warming‐induced stimulations of tree growth likely involve increased C allocation above ground, particularly to leaf area development, whereas reduced water availability may not stimulate allocation to roots. See also the Commentary on this article by Ryan & Asao, 222: 1167–1170. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Animal mutualisms, which involve beneficial interactions between individuals of different species, are common in nature. Insect–insect mutualism, for example, is widely regarded as a keystone ecological interaction. Some mutualisms are anticipated to be modified by climate change, but the focus has largely been on plant–microbe and plant–animal mutualisms rather than those between animals. Ant–aphid mutualisms, whereby ants tend aphids to harvest their honeydew excretions and, in return, provide protection for the aphids, are widespread. The mutualism is heavily influenced by the quality and quantity of honeydew produced by aphids, which is directly affected by host plant quality. As predicted increases in concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (eCO2) are widely reported to affect plant nutritional chemistry, this may also alter honeydew quality and hence the nature of ant–aphid mutualisms. Using glasshouse chambers and field‐based open‐top chambers, we determined the effect of eCO2 on the growth and nutritional quality (foliar amino acids) of lucerne (Medicago sativa). We determined how cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora) populations and honeydew production were impacted when feeding on such plants and how this affected the tending behaviour of ants (Iridomyrmex sp.). eCO2 stimulated plant growth but decreased concentrations of foliar amino acids by 29% and 14% on aphid‐infested plants and aphid‐free plants, respectively. Despite the deterioration in host plant quality under eCO2, aphids maintained performance and populations were unchanged by eCO2. Aphids induced higher concentrations of amino acids (glutamine, asparagine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid) important for endosymbiont‐mediated synthesis of essential amino acids. Aphids feeding under eCO2 also produced over three times more honeydew than aphids feeding under ambient CO2, suggesting they were imbibing more phloem sap at eCO2. The frequency of ant tending of aphids more than doubled in response to eCO2. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the effects of atmospheric change on an ant–aphid mutualism. In particular, these results highlight how impending changes to concentrations of atmospheric CO2 may alter mutualistic behaviour between animals. These could include positive impacts, as reported here, shifts from mutualism to antagonism, partner switches and mutualism abandonment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heatwaves are likely to increase in frequency and intensity with climate change, which may impair tree function and forest C uptake. However, we have little information regarding the impact of extreme heatwaves on the physiological performance of large trees in the field. Here, we grew Eucalyptus parramattensis trees for 1 year with experimental warming (+3°C) in a field setting, until they were greater than 6 m tall. We withheld irrigation for 1 month to dry the surface soils and then implemented an extreme heatwave treatment of 4 consecutive days with air temperatures exceeding 43°C, while monitoring whole-canopy exchange of CO2 and H2O, leaf temperatures, leaf thermal tolerance, and leaf and branch hydraulic status. The heatwave reduced midday canopy photosynthesis to near zero but transpiration persisted, maintaining canopy cooling. A standard photosynthetic model was unable to capture the observed decoupling between photosynthesis and transpiration at high temperatures, suggesting that climate models may underestimate a moderating feedback of vegetation on heatwave intensity. The heatwave also triggered a rapid increase in leaf thermal tolerance, such that leaf temperatures observed during the heatwave were maintained within the thermal limits of leaf function. All responses were equivalent for trees with a prior history of ambient and warmed (+3°C) temperatures, indicating that climate warming conferred no added tolerance of heatwaves expected in the future. This coordinated physiological response utilizing latent cooling and adjustment of thermal thresholds has implications for tree tolerance of future climate extremes as well as model predictions of future heatwave intensity at landscape and global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the contrasting short-term temperature dependences of gross primary production (GPP) and autotrophic respiration, the fraction of GPP respired by trees is predicted to increase with warming, providing a positive feedback to climate change. However, physiological acclimation may dampen or eliminate this response., We measured the fluxes of aboveground respiration ( Ra), GPP and their ratio ( Ra/GPP) in large, field-grown Eucalyptus tereticornis trees exposed to ambient or warmed air temperatures (+3°C). We report continuous measurements of whole-canopy CO2 exchange, direct temperature response curves of leaf and canopy respiration, leaf and branch wood respiration, and diurnal photosynthetic measurements., Warming reduced photosynthesis, whereas physiological acclimation prevented a coincident increase in Ra. Ambient and warmed trees had a common nonlinear relationship between the fraction of GPP that was respired above ground ( Ra/GPP) and the mean daily temperature. Thus, warming significantly increased Ra/GPP by moving plants to higher positions on the shared Ra/GPP vs daily temperature relationship, but this effect was modest and only notable during hot conditions., Despite the physiological acclimation of autotrophic respiration to warming, increases in temperature and the frequency of heat waves may modestly increase tree Ra/GPP, contributing to a positive feedback between climate warming and atmospheric CO2 accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucalyptus species are grown widely outside of their native ranges in plantations on all vegetated continents of the world. We predicted that such a plantation species would show high potential for acclimation of photosynthetic traits across a wide range of growth conditions, including elevated [ CO2] and climate warming. To test this prediction, we planted temperate Eucalyptus globulus Labill. seedlings in climate-controlled chambers in the field located >700 km closer to the equator than the nearest natural occurrence of this species. Trees were grown in a complete factorial combination of elevated CO2 concentration ( eC; ambient [ CO2] +240 ppm) and air warming treatments ( eT; ambient +3 °C) for 15 months until they reached ca. 10 m height. There was little acclimation of photosynthetic capacity to eC and hence the CO2-induced photosynthetic enhancement was large (ca. 50%) in this treatment during summer. The warming treatment significantly increased rates of both carboxylation capacity ( Vcmax) and electron transport ( Jmax) (measured at a common temperature of 25 °C) during winter, but decreased them significantly by 20-30% in summer. The photosynthetic CO2 compensation point in the absence of dark respiration ( Γ*) was relatively less sensitive to temperature in this temperate eucalypt species than for warm-season tobacco. The temperature optima for photosynthesis and Jmax significantly changed by about 6 °C between winter and summer, but without further adjustment from early to late summer. These results suggest that there is an upper limit for the photosynthetic capacity of E. globulus ssp. globulus outside its native range to acclimate to growth temperatures above 25 °C. Limitations to temperature acclimation of photosynthesis in summer may be one factor that defines climate zones where E. globulus plantation productivity can be sustained under anticipated global environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the circadian clock in controlling the metabolism of entire trees has seldom been considered. We tested whether the clock influences nocturnal whole-tree water use., Whole-tree chambers allowed the control of environmental variables (temperature, relative humidity). Night-time stomatal conductance ( gs) and sap flow ( Q) were monitored in 6- to 8-m-tall Eucalyptus globulus trees during nights when environmental variables were kept constant, and also when conditions varied with time. Artificial neural networks were used to quantify the relative importance of circadian regulation of gs and Q., Under a constant environment, gs and Q declined from 0 to 6 h after dusk, but increased from 6 to 12 h after dusk. While the initial decline could be attributed to multiple processes, the subsequent increase is most consistent with circadian regulation of gs and Q., We conclude that endogenous regulation of gs is an important driver of night-time Q under natural environmental variability. The proportion of nocturnal Q variation associated with circadian regulation (23-56%) was comparable to that attributed to vapor pressure deficit variation (25-58%). This study contributes to our understanding of the linkages between molecular and cellular processes related to circadian regulation, and whole-tree processes related to ecosystem gas exchange in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models of vegetation function are widely used to predict the effects of climate change on carbon, water and nutrient cycles of terrestrial ecosystems, and their feedbacks to climate. Stomatal conductance, the process that governs plant water use and carbon uptake, is fundamental to such models. In this paper, we reconcile two long-standing theories of stomatal conductance. The empirical approach, which is most commonly used in vegetation models, is phenomenological, based on experimental observations of stomatal behaviour in response to environmental conditions. The optimal approach is based on the theoretical argument that stomata should act to minimize the amount of water used per unit carbon gained. We reconcile these two approaches by showing that the theory of optimal stomatal conductance can be used to derive a model of stomatal conductance that is closely analogous to the empirical models. Consequently, we obtain a unified stomatal model which has a similar form to existing empirical models, but which now provides a theoretical interpretation for model parameter values. The key model parameter, g, is predicted to increase with growth temperature and with the marginal water cost of carbon gain. The new model is fitted to a range of datasets ranging from tropical to boreal trees. The parameter g is shown to vary with growth temperature, as predicted, and also with plant functional type. The model is shown to correctly capture responses of stomatal conductance to changing atmospheric CO, and thus can be used to test for stomatal acclimation to elevated CO. The reconciliation of the optimal and empirical approaches to modelling stomatal conductance is important for global change biology because it provides a simple theoretical framework for analyzing, and simulating, the coupling between carbon and water cycles under environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impacts of atmospheric [CO] and drought on leaf respiration ( R) and its response to changes in temperature is critical to improve predictions of plant carbon-exchange with the atmosphere, especially at higher temperatures. We quantified the effects of [CO]-enrichment (+240 ppm) on seasonal shifts in the diel temperature response of R during a moderate summer drought in Eucalyptus saligna growing in whole-tree chambers in SE Australia. Seasonal temperature acclimation of R was marked, as illustrated by: (1) a downward shift in daily temperature response curves of R in summer (relative to spring); (2)≈60% lower R measured at 20C ( R) in summer compared with spring; and (3) homeostasis over 12 months of R measured at prevailing nighttime temperatures. R, measured during the day, was on average 30-40% higher under elevated [CO] compared with ambient [CO] across both watered and droughted trees. Drought reduced R by≈30% in both [CO] treatments resulting in additive treatment effects. Although [CO] had no effect on seasonal acclimation, summer drought exacerbated the seasonal downward shift in temperature response curves of R. Overall, these results highlight the importance of seasonal acclimation of leaf R in trees grown under ambient- and elevated [CO] as well as under moderate drought. Hence, respiration rates may be overestimated if seasonal changes in temperature and drought are not considered when predicting future rates of forest net CO exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Reconciling the optimal and empirical approaches to modelling stomatal conductance" that was published in the 2011 issue is presented.