Meta-analysis of the responses of tree and herb to elevated CO₂ in Brazil

Author(s)

da Silva Fortirer, Janaina ; Grandis, Adriana ; Pagliuso, Debora ; de Toledo Castanho, Camila ; Buckeridge, Marcos Silveira

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 13, n. 1, p. 14-pg., 2023-09-22.

Abstract

The CO2 concentration has increased in the atmosphere due to fossil fuel consumption, deforestation, and land-use changes. Brazil represents one of the primary sources of food on the planet and is also the world's largest tropical rainforest, one of the hot spots of biodiversity in the world. In this work, a meta-analysis was conducted to compare several CO2 Brazilian experiments displaying the diversity of plant responses according to life habits, such as trees (79% natives and 21% cultivated) and herbs (33% natives and 67% cultivated). We found that trees and herbs display different responses. The young trees tend to allocate carbon from increased photosynthetic rates and lower respiration in the dark-to organ development, increasing leaves, roots, and stem biomasses. In addition, more starch is accumulated in the young trees, denoting a fine control of carbon metabolism through carbohydrate storage. Herbs increased drastically in water use efficiency, controlled by stomatal conductance, with more soluble sugars, probably with a transient accumulation of carbon primarily stored in seeds as a response to elevated CO2. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/13936-0 - The role of xyloglucan in the cell wall architecture determination in sugarcane
• Grantee: Adriana Grandis
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 14/50884-5 - INCT 2014: National Institute of Science and Technology of Bioethanol
• Grantee: Marcos Silveira Buckeridge
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 20/15230-5 - Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation - RCG2I
• Grantee: Julio Romano Meneghini
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program