Abstract: To determine whether globally increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations can affect carbon partitioning between nonstructural and structural carbon pools in agroforestry plantations, Populus nigra was grown in ambient air (about 370 μmol mol1 CO2) and in air with elevated CO2 concentrations (about 550 μmol mol1 CO2) using free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technology. FACE was maintained for 5 years. After three growing seasons, the plantation was coppiced and one half of each experimental plot was fertilized with nitrogen. Carbon concentrations and stocks were measured in secondary sprouts in seasons of active growth and dormancy during 2 years after coppicing. Although FACE, N fertilization and season had significant tissue-specific effects on carbon partitioning to the fractions of structural carbon, soluble sugars and starch as well as to residual soluble carbon, the overall magnitude of these shifts was small. The major effect of FACE and N fertilization was on cell wall biomass production, resulting in about 30% increased above ground stocks of both mobile and immobile carbon pools compared with fertilized trees under ambient CO2. Relative C partitioning between mobile and immobile C pools was not significantly affected by FACE or N fertilization. These data demonstrate high metabolic flexibility of P. nigra to maintain C-homeostasis under changing environmental conditions and illustrate that nonstructural carbon compounds can be utilized more rapidly for structural growth under elevated atmospheric [CO2] in fertilized agroforestry systems. Thus, structural biomass production on abandoned agricultural land may contribute to achieving the goals of the Kyoto protocol.

Abstract: Populus × euramericana, P. alba, and P. nigra clones were exposed to ambient or elevated (about 550 ppm) CO2 concentrations under field conditions (FACE) in central Italy. After three growing seasons, the plantation was coppiced. FACE was continued and in addition, one-half of each experimental plot was fertilised with nitrogen. Growth and anatomical wood properties were analysed in secondary sprouts. In the three poplar clones, most of the growth and anatomical traits showed no uniform response pattern to elevated [CO2] or N-fertilisation. In cross-sections of young poplar stems, tension wood amounted to 2–10% of the total area and was not affected by elevated CO2. In P. nigra, N-fertilisation caused an about twofold increase in tension wood, but not in the other clones. The formation of tension wood was not related to diameter or height growth of the shoots. In P. × euramericana N-fertilisation resulted in significant reductions in fibre lengths. In all three genotypes, N-fertilisation caused significant decreases in cell wall thickness. In P. × euramericana and P. alba elevated [CO2] also caused decreases in wall thickness, but less pronounced than nitrogen. In P. nigra and P. × euramericana elevated [CO2] induced increases in vessel diameters. These results show that elevated [CO2] and N-fertilisation affect wood structural development in a clone specific manner. However, the combination of these environmental factors resulted in overall losses in cell wall area of 5–12% in all three clones suggesting that in future climate scenarios negative effects on wood quality are to be anticipated if increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration were accompanied by increased N availability.