ISSN:
1573-1561
Keywords:
Elevated CO2
;
glucosinolates
;
crucifers
;
plant defense
;
carbon/nutrient balance hypothesis
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
Abstract The carbon/nutrient balance hypothesis has recently been interpreted to predict that plants grown under elevated CO2 environments will allocate excess carbon to defense, resulting in an increase in carbon-based secondary compounds. A related prediction is that, because plant growth will be increasingly nitrogen-limited under elevated CO2 environments, plants will allocate less nitrogen to defense, resulting in decreased levels of nitrogen-containing secondary compounds. We present the first evidence of decreased investment in nitrogen-containing secondary compounds for a plant grown under elevated CO2. We also present evidence that plant response is species-specific and is not correlated with changes in leaf nitrogen content or leaf carbon–nitrogen ratio. When three crucifers were grown at 724 ± 8 ppm CO2, total foliar glucosinolate content decreased significantly for mustard, but not for radish or turnip. Glucosinolate content of the second and fourth youngest mustard leaves decreased by 45% and 31%, respectively. In contrast, no significant change in total glucosinolate content was observed in turnip or radish leaves, despite significant decreases in leaf nitrogen content. Total glucosinolate content differed significantly among leaves of different age; however, the trend differed among species. For both mustard and turnip, glucosinolate content was significantly higher in older leaves, while the opposite was true for radish. No significant CO2 × leaf age interaction was observed, suggesting that intraplant patterns of allocation to defense will not change for these species. Changes in nitrogen allocation strategy are likely to be species-specific as plants experience increasing atmospheric CO2 levels. The ecological consequences of CO2-induced changes in plant defensive investment remain to be investigated.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006667.81616.18
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