CARBON BALANCE AND WATER-USE EFFICIENCY OF FREQUENTLY CUT LOLIUM-PERENNE L SWARDS AT ELEVATED CARBON-DIOXIDE

The impact of doubled atmospheric [CO2] on the carbon balance of regul arly cut Lolium perenne L. swards was studied for two years under semi -field conditions in the Wageningen Rhizolab. CO2 and H2O vapour excha nge rates of the swards were measured continuously for two years in tr ansparent enclosures. The light utilization efficiencies of the swards ranged between 1.5 g CO2 MJ(-1) global radiation (high light, ambient [CO2]) and 2.8 g CO2 MJ(-1) (low light, doubled [CO2]). The above-gro und net primary productivity (NPP) in the enclosures was greater by 29 % in 1994 and 43% in 1995 in the doubled [CO2] treatments, but only 20 % and 25% more carbon was recovered in the periodical cuts. Thus, NPP increased significantly more than did the harvested aboveground biomas s. The positive [CO2] effect on net carbon assimilation is therefore a ssociated with a preferential allocation of extra carbon to the roots and soil. In addition to higher canopy photosynthesis and leaf elongat ion rates, a small part of the positive [CO2] effects on NPP could be attributed to a decrease of the specific respiration of the shoots. On a canopy basis however, respiration was equal or slightly higher at d oubled [CO2] due to the higher amount of standing biomass. Comparison of NPP and carbon recovered in different harvests showed that allocati on to roots and soil was highest in spring, it was low in early summer and increased again in late summer and autumn. The total gross amount of carbon partitioned to the roots and soil during the two year perio d was 57% more at doubled [CO2]. The total amount of carbon that was s equestered in the soil after subtraction of the respiratory losses was 458 g m(-2) and 779 g m(-2) in the ambient and doubled [CO2] treatmen ts, respectively. The average water use efficiency (WUE) of the swards was increased by a factor 1.5 at doubled [CO2]. Both WUE and its posi tive interaction with [CO2] varied between years and were positively c orrelated with global irradiance. At doubled [CO2], the higher WUE was fully compensated for by a higher leaf area index. Therefore, total t ranspiration on a canopy basis was equal for the ambient and the doubl ed [CO2] concentrations in both years.