Decreases in stomatal conductance of soybean (Glycine max) under open-air elevation of CO2 is closely coupled with decreases in ecosystem evapotranspiration

Stomatal responses to atmospheric change have been documented through a range of enclosure-based experiments. Increases in atmospheric concentration of CO2 ([CO2]) has been shown to decrease stomatal conductance (gs) for a many species under numerous conditions. Less well understood, however, is the extent to which leaf level responses translate to changes in ecosystem evapotranspiration, ET. Since many changes at the soil, plant and canopy microclimate level may feed back on ET, it is not certain that decrease in gs will decrease ET in rainfed crops. To examine the scaling of the effect of elevated [CO2] on gs at the leaf to ecosystem ET, soybean (Glycine max) was grown in field conditions under control (ca 375 μmol CO2 mol-1 air) and elevated [CO2] (ca. 550 μmol mol^{- 1}) using Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE). ET was measured from the time of canopy closure to crop senescence using a residual energy balance approach over four growing seasons. Elevated [CO2] caused ET to decrease between 9 and 16% depending on year and despite large increases in photosynthesis and seed yield. Although elevated [CO2] increased leaf area and canopy temperature (Tc), ET was closely coupled (0.78) to gs of the upper canopy leaves; this relationship was not altered by growth at elevated [CO2]. The findings are consistent with model and historical analyses which suggest that, despite system feedbacks, decreased gs at elevated [CO2] results in decreased transfer of water vapor to the atmosphere.