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Elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentration is expected to increase leaf CO 2 assimilation rates, thus promoting plant growth and increasing leaf area. It also decreases stomatal conductance, allowing water savings, which have been hypothesized to drive large-scale greening, in particular in arid and semiarid climates. However, the increase in leaf area could reduce the benefits of elevated CO 2 concentration through soil water depletion. The net effect of elevated CO 2 on leaf- and canopy-level gas exchange remains uncertain. To address this question, we compare the outcomes of a heuristic model based on the Partitioning of Equilibrium Transpiration and Assimilation (PETA) hypothesis and three model variants based on stomatal optimization theory. Predicted relative changes in leaf- and canopy-level gas exchange rates are used as a metric of plant responses to changes in atmospheric CO 2 concentration. Both model approaches predict reductions in leaf-level transpiration rate due to decreased stomatal conductance under elevated CO 2 , but negligible (PETA) or no (optimization) changes in canopy-level transpiration due to the compensatory effect of increased leaf area. Leaf- and canopy-level CO 2 assimilation is predicted to increase, with an amplification of the CO 2 fertilization effect at the canopy level due to the enhanced leaf area. The expected increase in vapour pressure deficit (VPD) under warmer conditions is generally predicted to decrease the sensitivity of gas exchange to atmospheric CO 2 concentration in both models. The consistent predictions by different models that canopy-level transpiration varies little under elevated CO 2 due to combined stomatal conductance reduction and leaf area increase highlight the coordination of physiological and morphological characteristics in vegetation to maximize resource use (here water) under altered climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration is expected to increase leaf CO2 assimilation rates, thus promoting plant growth and increasing leaf area. It also decreases stomatal conductance, allowing water savings that have been hypothesized to drive large-scale greening, in particular in arid and semiarid climates. However, the increase in leaf area could reduce the ameliorating effect of elevated CO2 concentration on soil water depletion. The net effect of elevated CO2 on leaf- and canopy-level gas exchange thus remains unclear. To address this question, a heuristic model based on the Partitioning of Equilibrium Transpiration and Assimilation (PETA) hypothesis and a model based on stomatal optimization theory are used and their outcomes compared. Predicted relative changes in leaf- and canopy-level gas exchange rates are used as a metric of responses to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Both models predict reductions of leaf-level transpiration rate due to decreased stomatal conductance under elevated CO2, but negligible (PETA) or no (optimization) changes in canopy-level transpiration due to the compensatory effect of increased leaf area. Leaf-and canopy-level CO2 assimilation are predicted to increase, with an amplification of the CO2 fertilization effect at the canopy-level due to the enhanced leaf area. The expected increase in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) under warmer conditions is predicted to decrease the sensitivity of gas exchange to atmospheric CO2 concentration in both models except at growth temperatures lower than the photosynthetic thermal optimum. The consistent predictions by different models that canopy-level transpiration varies little under elevated CO2 due to combined stomatal conductance reduction and leaf area increase highlights the coordination of physiological and morphological characteristics in vegetation to maximize resource use (here water) under altered atmospheric conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop yield is reduced by heat and water stress and even more when these conditions co-occur. Yet, compound effects of air temperature and water availability on crop heat stress are poorly quantified. Existing crop models, by relying at least partially on empirical functions, cannot account for the feedbacks of plant traits and response to heat and water stress on canopy temperature. We developed a fully mechanistic model, coupling crop energy and water balances, to determine canopy temperature as a function of plant traits, stochastic environmental conditions, and irrigation applications. While general, the model was parameterized for wheat. Canopy temperature largely followed air temperature under well-watered conditions. But, when soil water potential was more negative than -0.14 MPa , further reductions in soil water availability led to a rapid rise in canopy temperature – up to 10 ∘ C warmer than air at soil water potential of -0.62 MPa. More intermittent precipitation led to higher canopy temperatures and longer periods of potentially damaging crop canopy temperatures. Irrigation applications aimed at keeping crops under well-watered conditions could reduce canopy temperature but in most cases were unable to maintain it below the threshold temperature for potential heat damage; the benefits of irrigation in terms of reduction of canopy temperature decreased as average air temperature increased. Hence, irrigation is only a partial solution to adapt to warmer and drier climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil drying and wetting cycles promote carbon (C) release through large heterotrophic respiration pulses at rewetting, known as the "Birch" effect. Empirical evidence shows that drier conditions before rewetting and larger changes in soil moisture at rewetting cause larger respiration pulses. Because soil moisture varies in response to rainfall, these respiration pulses also depend on the random timing and intensity of precipitation. In addition to rewetting pulses, heterotrophic respiration continues during soil drying, eventually ceasing when soils are too dry to sustain microbial activity. The importance of respiration pulses in contributing to the overall soil heterotrophic respiration flux has been demonstrated empirically, but no theoretical investigation has so far evaluated how the relative contribution of these pulses may change along climatic gradients or as precipitation regimes shift in a given location. To fill this gap, we start by assuming that heterotrophic respiration rates during soil drying and pulses at rewetting can be treated as random variables dependent on soil moisture fluctuations, and we develop a stochastic model for soil heterotrophic respiration rates that analytically links the statistical properties of respiration to those of precipitation. Model results show that both the mean rewetting pulse respiration and the mean respiration during drying increase with increasing mean precipitation. However, the contribution of respiration pulses to the total heterotrophic respiration increases with decreasing precipitation frequency and to a lesser degree with decreasing precipitation depth, leading to an overall higher contribution of respiration pulses under future more intermittent and intense precipitation. Specifically, higher rainfall intermittency at constant total rainfall can increase the contribution of respiration pulses up to ∼10 % or 20 % of the total heterotrophic respiration in mineral and organic soils, respectively. Moreover, the variability of both components of soil heterotrophic respiration is also predicted to increase under these conditions. Therefore, with future more intermittent precipitation, respiration pulses and the associated nutrient release will intensify and become more variable, contributing more to soil biogeochemical cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil drying and wetting cycles promote carbon (C) release through large heterotrophic respiration pulses at rewetting, known as Birch effect. Empirical evidence shows that drier conditions before rewetting and larger changes in soil moisture at rewetting cause larger respiration pulses. Because soil moisture varies in response to rainfall, also these respiration pulses depend on the random timing and intensity of precipitation. In addition to rewetting pulses, heterotrophic respiration continues during soil drying, eventually ceasing when soils are too dry to sustain microbial activity. The importance of respiration pulses in contributing to the overall soil respiration flux has been demonstrated empirically, but no theoretical investigation has so far evaluated how the relative contribution of these pulses may change along climatic gradients or as precipitation regimes shift in a given location. To fill this gap, we start by assuming that rewetting pulses and respiration rates during soil drying can be treated as random variables dependent on soil moisture fluctuations, and develop a stochastic model for soil heterotrophic respiration rates that analytically links the statistical properties of respiration to those of precipitation. Model results show that both the mean rewetting pulse respiration and the mean respiration during drying increase with increasing mean precipitation. However, the contribution of respiration pulses to the total heterotrophic respiration increases with decreasing precipitation frequency and to a lesser degree with decreasing precipitation depth, leading to an overall higher contribution of respiration pulses under future more intermittent and intense precipitation. Moreover, the variability of both components of soil respiration is also predicted to increase under these conditions. Therefore, our results suggest that with future more intermittent precipitation, respiration pulses and the associated nutrient release will intensify and become more variable, contributing more to soil biogeochemical cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant spring phenology has evolved to respond to seasonal variation of temperature. Bud break must occur early enough for the plant to take full advantage of days conducive to carbon fixation, but also late enough to limit the likelihood of damage from late frost events. The timing of spring leaf phenology is thus the result of a productivity-risk of damage trade off. But what level of risk is accepted by the plants? And can these accepted levels of risks be explained by plant functional types and climatic features (e.g., extent of temperature fluctuations and rate of spring temperature increase)? To answer these questions, data on bud break dates relative to tree species with a wide latitudinal range from the Pan European Phenology Database PEP725 are combined with meteorological data from the EObs dataset. Different measures of risk of late frost damage at the time of bud break are considered, based on available species-specific critical temperatures for lethal damage. Emerging patterns of these risk levels are explained, with reference to climatic and plant features. The obtained classification of species based on their acceptable risk of late frost damage is compared to those based on other aspects of plant strategies (early vs. late successional; fast vs. slow growing). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]