Work

Growth of juvenile Arianta arbustorum (Linnaeus, 1758) fed on White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) grown under ambient or elevated atmospheric CO2

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: In many terrestrial ecosystems elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) may reduce plant quality and change plant-herbivore interactions.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of elevated CO 2 (600 ppm vs. 350 ppm) on white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and to examine the feeding response and growth of juveniles of the helicid land snail Arianta arbustorum (L.).Leaves of T. repens grown at elevated atmospheric CO 2 had a lower nitrogen concentration and a lower specific leaf area than leaves grown under ambient CO 2 conditions.However, elevated CO 2 had no effect on leaf carbon concentration.Juvenile snails fed on either diet consumed about the same amount of leaf biomass.The lower leaf nitrogen concentration at elevated CO 2 resulted in a reduced nitrogen uptake.As a consequence, juvenile A. arbustorum, fed on T. repens grown under elevated CO 2 , tended to grow more slowly than snails fed on T. repens leaves produced under ambient CO 2 .This indicates that rising atmospheric CO 2 can indirectly affect the life cycle of terrestrial gastropods.

Source: Folia Malacologica

DOI: 10.12657/folmal.007.016

Authors: Stephan Ledergerber, Anette Baur, Bruno Baur

Institution: University of Basel

Language: English

Topic: Plant responses to elevated CO2

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Climate action

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Science Foundation, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung