A Field Study of the Effects of Elevated CO sub(2) and Plant Species Diversity on Ecosystem-Level Gas Exchange in a Planted Calcareous Grassland

In a calcareous grassland dominated by Bromus erectus, the effects of different species diversity levels and carbon dioxide exposures were investigated in terms of ecosystem-level gas exchange. The study was conducted in the foothills of the Swiss Jura Mountains, where three diversity treatments, of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global change biology 1999-01, Vol.5 (1), p.95-105
Main Authors: Stocker, R, Koerner, Ch, Schmid, B, Niklaus, P A, Leadley, P W
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In a calcareous grassland dominated by Bromus erectus, the effects of different species diversity levels and carbon dioxide exposures were investigated in terms of ecosystem-level gas exchange. The study was conducted in the foothills of the Swiss Jura Mountains, where three diversity treatments, of five, 12, and 32 species, respectively, were established in 1993. In 1994, control plots, ambient CO sub(2) plots, and elevated CO sub(2) plots were established in a randomized complete block design. Results are presented for net ecosystem C flux, ecosystem and soil CO sub(2) efflux, C balance, and evapotranspiration. The data show that declining species diversity decreased ecosystem CO sub(2) assimilation significantly in the first year, but there were no such effects in the second experimental year.
ISSN:1354-1013
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2486.1998.00198.x