The fate of photosynthetically‐fixed carbon in Lolium perenne grassland as modified by elevated CO2 and sward management

Abstract

Prediction of the impact of climate change requires the response of carbon (C) flow in plant-soil systems to increased CO(2) to be understood. A mechanism by which grassland C sequestration might be altered was investigated by pulse-labelling Lolium perenne swards, which had been subject to CO(2) enrichment and two levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization for 10 yr, with (14)CO(2). Over a 6-d period 40-80% of the (14)C pulse was exported from mature leaves, 1-2% remained in roots, 2-7% was lost as below-ground respiration, 0.1% was recovered in soil solution, and 0.2-1.5% in soil. Swards under elevated CO(2) with the lower N supply fixed more (14)C than swards grown in ambient CO(2), exported more fixed (14)C below ground and respired less than their high-N counterparts. Sward cutting reduced root (14)C, but plants in elevated CO(2) still retained 80% more (14)C below ground than those in ambient CO(2). The potential for below-ground C sequestration in grasslands is enhanced under elevated CO(2), but any increase is likely to be small and dependent upon grassland management.