PHOTOSYNTHETICA

Photosynthetica 2012, 50(1):24-34 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-011-0063-6

Multi-objective environment chamber system for studying plant responses to climate change

X. Zhou^1,*, Z. M. Ge^1,2, S. Kellomäki¹, K. Y. Wang^1,2, H. Peltola¹, P. J. Martikainen³, M. Lemettinen⁴, A. Hassinen⁴, R. Ikonen⁴

¹ School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

² Key Laboratory of Urbanization and Ecological Restoration, East China Normal University, Shanghai, P.R. China

³ Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

⁴ Mekrijärvi Research Station, University of Eastern Finland, Ilomantsi, Finland

This paper describes the technical information and performance of a new multi-objective chamber system enabling the control of environmental variables (e.g., temperature, CO₂, air humidity, wind speed, and UV-B radiation) for understanding plant responses to climate change. Over a whole growing season, four different climate scenarios were evenly programmed into the system's 16 chambers as ambient environment (AMB), elevated temperature (ET), elevated CO₂ concentration (EC) and elevated temperature and CO₂ concentration (ETC). Simultaneously, the chamber effects were assessed regarding the physiological responses and growth of a boreal perennial grass (reed canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea L.). During the growing season, the chamber system provided a wide variety of climatic conditions for air temperature (T _a), relative humidity (RH) and CO₂ concentration (C _a) in the AMB chambers following outside conditions. The target temperature (+3.5°C) was achieved to a good degree in the ET and ETC chambers, being on average 3.3°C and 3.7°C higher than ambient conditions, respectively. The target concentration of CO₂ (700 ppm) was also well achieved in the EC and ETC chambers, being on average 704 ppm and 703 ppm, respectively. The stable airflow condition inside all of the chambers provided a homogeneous distribution of gases and temperature. The decreases in RH and increases in vapour pressure deficit (VPD) in the elevated temperature chambers were also maintained at a low level. Chamber effects were observed, with some physiological and growth parameters of plants being significantly lower in the AMB chambers, compared to outside conditions. The plant growth was negatively affected by the reduced radiation inside the chambers.

Keywords: autocontrolled environment chamber; boreal grass; chamber effect; climate change

Received: September 2, 2010; Accepted: August 2, 2011; Published: March 1, 2012Show citation