Abstract
Two comparative poplar clones (I-214: Populus euramericana, Peace: P koreana x P. trichocarpa) were exposed to two $CO_2$ concentrations (350 or 2,000 ${\mu}L\;L^{-1}\;CO_2)$ for 21 days. When both poplar clones were compared at growth conditions, the net photosynthetic rate $(P_N)$ in $CO_2-enriched$ (2,000 ${\mu}L\;L^{-1}\;CO_2=C_{2,000})$ plants become about $50-60\%$ higher than that of 350 ${\mu}L\;L^{-1}\;CO_2(=C_{350})$ plants on 7 days treatment. But the enhancement of $P_N$ by high $CO_2$ was not maintained throughout all the experimental period. At 21 days, there was no difference of photosynthetic rates between $C_{350}\;and\;C_{2,000}$ plants. In contrast with photosynthesis, the response of leaf conductance to the elevated $CO_2$ concentration was very different between I-214 and Peace. During all experimental period, leaf conductance $(g_s)$ of $C_{2,000}$ plants is $50\%$ lower than that of the $C_{350}$ plants for I-214, while there is no difference of $g_s$ between the plants of $C_{350}\;and\;C_{2,000}$ on for Peace. The results of gs in Peace indicate that decreased photosynthetic rate after 21 days in $C_{2,000}$ on plants for two poplar clones is possibly due to non-stomatal factors. To investigate the non-stomatal factors, starch accumulation and ribulose-1,6-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase) were measured. We found significant accumulation of starch in two poplar clones exposed to high $CO_2,$ especially starch of I-214 in $C_{2,000}$ become 3.5 times higher than in $C_{350}$ plants at 21 days. This suggests that high proportion of photosynthates was directed into starch. After 21 days, the activity of ribulose-1, 6-bisphosphate carboxylase of $C_{2,000}$ plants become decreased in $40-50\%$ compared with that of the $C_{350}$ plants. Two poplar clones show the same trend to RuBPCase declines under high $CO_2$ concentration, although the decline is more significant for I-214. The results reported here suggest that starch accumulation and decreased RuBPCase activity in $C_{2,000}$ plants can be partly ascribed to the loss of photosynthetic efficiency of high $CO_2-grown$ poplar plants.