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Effects Of Elevated Co2 And Defoliation On Grasses: A Comparative Ecosystem Approach, Brian J. Wilsey, James S. Coleman, Samuel J. Mcnaughton

Brian J. Wilsey

Three plant species from each of three grassland ecosystems were grown under elevated (700 mL/m3) and ambient (350 mL/m3) CO2 and were defoliated or left undefoliated to test whether species response to elevated CO2 and grazing is related to evolutionary grazing history or to mode of photosynthesis. The three ecosystems represented a tropical grassland dominated by C4 species (the Serengeti of Africa), a temperate grassland dominated by a mixture of C3 and C4 species (Flooding Pampa of South America), and a northern temperate grassland dominated by C3 species (Yellowstone National Park of North America). Plants were grown in growth chambers …