Carbon and water fluxes in a calcareous grassland under elevated CO2

1. As part of a long-term study of the effects of elevated CO2 on biodiversity and ecosystem function in a calcareous grassland, we measured ecosystem carbon dioxide and water-vapour fluxes over 24-h periods during the 1994 and 1995 growing seasons. Data were used to derive CO2 and H2O gas-exchange response functions to quantum flux density (QFD). 2. The relative increase in net ecosystem CO2 flux (NEC) owing to CO2 enrichment increased as QFD rose. Daytime NEC at high QFD under elevated CO2 increased by 25% to 60%, with the greatest increases in the spring and after mowing in June when above-ground biomass was lowest. There was much less stimulation of NEC in early June and again in October when the canopy was fully developed. Night-time NEC was not significantly altered under elevated CO2. 3. Short-term reversal of CO2 concentrations between treatments after two seasons of CO2 exposure provided evidence for a 50% downward adjustment of NEC expressed per unit above-ground plant dry weight. However, when expressed on a land area basis, this difference disappeared because of a c. 20% increase in above-ground biomass under elevated CO2. 4. Ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) was not significantly altered by elevated CO2 when averaged over all measurement dates and positions. However, ET was reduced 3-18% at high QFD in plots at the top of the slope at our study site. In summary, CO2 enrichment resulted in a large stimulation of ecosystem CO2 capture, especially during periods of a large demand of carbon in relationship to its supply, and resulted in a relatively small and variable effect on ecosystem water consumption.