Experimental vs. Modeled Water Use in Mature Norway Spruce (Picea abies) Exposed to Elevated CO₂

Abstract

Rising levels of atmospheric CO₂ have often been reported to reduce plant water use. Such behavior is also predicted by standard equations relating photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and atmospheric CO₂ concentration, which form the core of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). Here, we provide first results from a free air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) experiment with naturally growing, mature (35 m) Picea abies (L.) (Norway spruce) and compare them to simulations by the DGVM LPJ-GUESS. We monitored sap flow, stem water deficit, stomatal conductance, leaf water potential, and soil moisture in five 35-40 m tall CO₂-treated (550 ppm) trees over two seasons. Using LPJ-GUESS, we simulated this experiment using climate data from a nearby weather station. While the model predicted a stable reduction of transpiration of between 9% and 18% (at concentrations of 550-700 ppm atmospheric CO₂), the combined evidence from various methods characterizing water use in our experimental trees suggest no changes in response to future CO₂ concentrations. The discrepancy between the modeled and the experimental results may be a scaling issue: while dynamic vegetation models correctly predict leaf-level responses, they may not sufficiently account for the processes involved at the canopy and ecosystem scale, which could offset the first-order stomatal response.