Flowering time and elevated atmospheric CO2

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02196.x

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Wiley InterScience

New Phytologist

Volume 176 Issue 2, Pages 243 - 255

Published Online: 23 Aug 2007

Published on behalf of the New Phytologist Trust

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Tansley review

Flowering time and elevated atmospheric CO₂

Clint J. Springer and Joy K. Ward

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA

Author for correspondence: Clint J. Springer
Tel: +1 785 8645229
Fax: +1 785 8645860
Email: clint.springer@sju.edu

KEYWORDS

carbon metabolism • global change • plant development

New Phytologist (2007) 176: 243–255

ABSTRACT

	Summary	243
I.	Introduction	244
II.	Effects of elevated [CO₂] on flowering time	245
III.	Mechanisms for altered flowering time in response to elevated [CO₂]	250
IV.	Conclusion	252
	Acknowledgements	253
	References	253

Summary

Flowering is a critical milestone in the life cycle of plants, and changes in the timing of flowering may alter processes at the species, community and ecosystem levels. Therefore understanding flowering-time responses to global change drivers, such as elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, [CO₂], is necessary to predict the impacts of global change on natural and agricultural ecosystems. Here we summarize the results of 60 studies reporting flowering-time responses (defined as the time to first visible flower) of both crop and wild species at elevated [CO₂]. These studies suggest that elevated [CO₂] will influence flowering time in the future. In addition, interactions between elevated [CO₂] and other global change factors may further complicate our ability to predict changes in flowering time. One approach to overcoming this problem is to elucidate the primary mechanisms that control flowering-time responses to elevated [CO₂]. Unfortunately, the mechanisms controlling these responses are not known. However, past work has indicated that carbon metabolism exerts partial control on flowering time, and therefore may be involved in elevated [CO₂]-induced changes in flowering time. This review also indicates the need for more studies addressing the effects of global change drivers on developmental processes in plants.

Received: 15 May 2007 Accepted: 25 June 2007

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)

10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02196.x About DOI