Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #207649
Title: Elevated CO2 alters plant & microbial communities in the shortgrass steppe

Author
item MORGAN, JACK
item KANDELER, E - UNIV OF HOHENHEIM
item LECAIN, DANIEL
item MOSIER, ARVIN - UNIV OF FLORIDA
item KING, JENNIFER - UNIV OF MINNESOTA
item PARTON, WILLIAM - COLORADO STATE UNIV
item RUDOLPH, S - UNIV OF HOHENHEIM
item TSCHERKO, D - UNIV OF HOHENHEIM
item MILCHUNAS, DANIEL - COLORADO STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: Shortgrass Steppe Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/11/2007
Publication Date: 1/11/2007
Citation: Morgan, J.A., Kandeler, E., Milchunas, D.G., Lecain, D.R., Mosier, A.R., King, J.Y., Parton, W.J., Rudolph, S., Tscherko, D. 2007. Elevated CO2 alters plant & microbial communities in the shortgrass steppe. Shortgrass Steppe Symposium, January 2007, Ft. Collins, CO.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations [CO2] in Open Top Chambers (OTC) installed over native Colorado shortgrass steppe increased the productivity of C3 grasses from 1997-1999, and progressively increased plant cover of Artemisia frigida, fringed sage, a common shrub of North American and Asian native grasslands. Changes in the abundance of fungal phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) extracted from soils in the final two years of the experiment indicated a shift in the microbial community towards more fungal dominance. The results suggest that rising atmospheric [CO2] has the potential to cause substantive changes in grasslands due to both plant and microbial community responses.