CO2 effects on the water budget of grassland microcosm communities

Experimental grassland ecosystems, in microcosms 0.2 m in diameter and with a 0.95 m soil column, varied in their responses to elevated partial pressure of CO2 (pCO(2)) and altered moisture inputs. Ecosystems on moderately fertile sandstone soil and with a typical mix of moderately fast-growing sandstone species, responded to elevated pCO(2) with decreases in mid-season evapotranspiration of nearly 50%. This pattern reversed at the end of the growing season, and sandstone ecosystems under elevated pCO(2) continued active transpiration farther into the summer drought. The sandstone ecosystems appeared to convert mid-season water conservation into increased late-season growth. Effects of increased pCO(2) on ecosystem evapotranspiration were much smaller in ecosystems with very infertile serpentine soil and a diverse mixture of slow-growing serpentine species.