Interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO2, mycorrhization and drought on long‐distance transport of reduced sulphur in young pedunculate oak trees (Quercus robur L.)

Abstract

Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) was germinated and grown under nutrient non‐limiting conditions for a total of 10–15 weeks at ambient CO2 concentration and 1100 μmol mol–1 CO2 either in the presence or the absence of the mycorrhizal fungus Laccaria laccata. Half of the oak trees of these treatments were exposed to drought during final growth by suspending the water supply for 21 d. Mycorrhization and elevated atmospheric CO2 each enhanced total plant biomass per tree. Whereas additional biomass accumulation of trees grown under elevated CO2 was mainly attributed to increased growth of lateral roots, mycorrhization promoted shoot growth. Water deficiency reduced biomass accumulation without affecting relative water content, but this effect was more pronounced in mycorrhizal as compared to non‐mycorrhizal trees. Elevated CO2 partially prevented the development of drought stress, as indicated by leaf water potential, but did not counteract the negative effects of water deficiency on growth during the time studied. Enhanced biomass accumulation requires adaption in protein synthesis and, as a consequence, enhanced allocation of reduced sulphur produced in the leaves to growing tissues. Therefore, allocation of reduced sulphur from oak leaves was studied by flap‐feeding radiolabelled GSH, the main long‐distance transport form of reduced sulphur, to mature oak leaves. Export of radiolabel proceeded almost exclusively in basipetal direction to the roots. The rate of export of radioactivity out of the fed leaves was significantly enhanced under elevated CO2, irrespective of mycorrhization. A higher proportion of the exported GSH was transported to the roots than to basipetal stem sections under elevated CO2 as compared to ambient CO2. Mycorrhization did not affect 35S export out of the fed leaves, but the distribution of radiolabel between stem and roots was altered in preference of the stem. Trees exposed to drought did not show appreciable export of the 35S radioactivity fed to the leaves when grown under ambient CO2. Apparently, drought inhibited basipetal transport of reduced sulphur at the level of phloem loading and/or phloem transport. Elevated CO2 seemed to counteract this effect of drought stress to some extent, since higher leaf water potentials and improved 35S export out of the fed leaves was observed in oak trees exposed to drought and elevated CO2 as compared to trees exposed to drought and ambient CO2.