Elevated temperature and CO2 affect responses of European aspen (Populus tremula) to soil pyrene contamination

Abstract

High northern latitudes are climatic sensitive areas, and are also regions to which polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) easily transport and accumulate with potential risk to natural ecosystems. However, the effect of PAHs on northern woody plant growth and defense under climate change is very little studied. Here, we conducted a unique experiment in greenhouses to investigate sex-related responses of the dioecious Populus tremula to pyrene (50mgkg^-1) and residue of pyrene in soils under ambient and elevated temperature (+1.8°C on average) and CO₂ (740ppm). Pyrene decreased stem biomass and leaf area by 9% and 6%, respectively under ambient conditions, and the reduction of leaf area was more severe under elevated temperature (38%), elevated CO₂ (37%), and combined T+CO₂ (42%). Other growth parameters were unchanged by pyrene. Pyrene did not affect the concentration of leaf total phenolics under ambient conditions, but increased it by 16%, 1%, and 20% compared to controls under elevated temperature, elevated CO₂, and T+CO₂, respectively. Pyrene had only minor sex-specific effects on plant growth and phenolics. The concentration of residual pyrene in pyrene-spiked soils was higher under elevated CO₂ than under ambient, elevated temperature, and combined T+CO₂. The results suggest that both sexes of P. tremula have the capacity to regulate growth and metabolism to adjust to the stress of the tested pyrene contamination under elevated temperature and CO₂, but potential risk of pyrene to plants still exists in the future changing climate.

Keywords: CO(2); Phenolics; Populus tremula; Pyrene; Sex differences; Temperature.