@In situ photosynthetic freezing tolerance for plants exposed to a global warming manipulation in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA
New Phytologist, (2004)Abstract
This research tested the hypothesis that experimental infrared warming will reduce photosynthesis for the evergreen shrub Artemisia tridentata and the subalpine, herbaceous Erythronium grandiflorum exposed to an in situ experimental freezing event during the spring snowmelt period. Photosynthetic tolerance of freezing was measured for plants growing under infrared (IR) warming at 3050 m in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA. In situ freezing was imposed using cold nitrogen gas (from a pressurized container of liquid nitrogen) passed through a heat exchanger placed on top of stems and leaves. Plant water potential, photosynthetic CO2 assimilation, and stomatal conductance to water vapor were higher for both species on IR-warmed compared with control plots. For A. tridentata, IR warming caused enhanced tolerance of in situ freezing temperatures. There was no difference in freezing tolerance for E. grandiflorum on control vs IR plots. These results suggest that some species will not be negatively affected by freezing, whereas others may exhibit enhanced tolerance of subzero air temperatures, under a future warmer climate in which snowmelt occurs earlier in the year.