Observations of the uptake of carbonyl sulfide (COS) by trees under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations

Abstract

Abstract. Global change affects ecosystems to adapt to elevated atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2). We understand that carbonyl sulfide (COS), a trace gas which is involved in building up the stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer, is taken up by vegetation with the same triad of the enzmyes which are metabolizing the CO2, i.e. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase-Oxygenase (Rubisco), Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase (PEP-Co) and carbonic anhydrase (CA). Therefore, we discuss a physiological/biochemical adaptation of these enzymes to affect the sink strength of vegetation for COS. We investigated the adaption of two European tree species, Fagus sylvatica and Quercus ilex, grown inside chambers under elevated CO2 and determined the exchange characteristics and the content of CA after a 1–2 yr period of adaption from 350 ppm to 800 ppm CO2. We could demonstrate that the COS compensation point, the CA activity and the deposition velocities may change and cause a decrease of the COS uptake by plant ecosystems. As a consequence, the atmospheric COS level may rise leading to higher input of this trace gas into the stratosphere and causing a higher energy reflection by the stratospheric sulfur aerosol into space, thus counteracting the direct radiative forcing by the tropospheric COS.