Does elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations affect wood decomposition?

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that wood tissues generated under elevated atmospheric [CO2] have lower quality and subsequent reduced decomposition rates. Chemical composition and subsequent field decompositi on rates were studied for beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) twigs grown under ambi ent and elevated [CO2] in open top chambers. Elevated [CO2] significantly a ffected the chemical composition of beech twigs, which had 38% lower N and 12% lower lignin concentrations than twigs grown under ambient [CO2]. The s trong decrease in N concentration resulted in a significant increase in the C/N and lignin/N ratios of the beech wood grown at elevated [CO2]. However , the elevated [CO2] treatment did not reduce the decomposition rates of tw igs, neither were the dynamics of N and lignin in the decomposing beech woo d affected by the [CO2] treatment, despite initial changes in N and lignin concentrations between the ambient and elevated [CO2] beech wood.