Influence of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration on plant and soil lipids
O 4.1 in Klimaforschung
02.04.2009, 16:00-16:15, H8
Lipids are major components of plant and soil organic matter. Lipidic compounds have several functions within plants including protection, storage, and signalling. In soils plant derived lipids partially yield potential to be preserved for several centuries or even millennia. Numerous environmental factors have been described to influence plant lipid composition like nutrient and light availability, or exposition of plant tissues. However, observations are scarce if plant lipid composition is modified under elevated CO2 concentrations, which can be expected during the next decades. In order to fill this gap we analysed plant tissues and soil of several distinct free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments. First results from a grassland site showed an increase in the amount of lipids especially in soils related to FACE, whereas the amount of plant lipids remained almost constant. This was associated by a changing composition of fatty acids and alcohols, while alkanes remained unchanged. New results from other FACE experiments indicate a decreasing amount of lipids especially in leaves, while other tissues were not modified. Moreover, selected plants like mature oak and beech trees were characterized by a significant depletion of leaf lipids. On a molecular level the fatty acid composition of plants was influenced under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration. Depending on the plant species and experimental design results indicate either an increase or a decrease in unsaturated fatty acids, which are important components within the food chain indicating the further need of research on this topic.
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