Autotrophic respiration is a major driver of the global C cycle and may contribute a positive climate warming feedback through increased atmospheric concentrations of We quantified respiratory partitioning of gross primary production (GPP) and We documented homeostatic respiratory acclimation of foliar and whole‐crown respiration rates; the trees adjusted to experimental warming such that leaf‐level respiration rates were not increased. Experimental warming had no detectable impact on respiratory partitioning or mean residence times. Of the13C label acquired by the trees, aboveground respiration consumed 10%, belowground respiration consumed 40%, and the remaining 50% was retained. Experimental warming of +3°C did not alter respiratory partitioning at the scale of entire trees, suggesting that complete acclimation of respiration to warming is likely to dampen a positive climate warming feedback.
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Summary CO 2. The extent of this feedback depends on plants' ability to acclimate respiration to maintain a constant carbon use efficiency (CUE ).CUE of field‐grown trees in a long‐term warming experiment (+3°C). We delivered a13C–CO 2pulse to whole tree crowns and chased that pulse in the respiration of leaves, whole crowns, roots, and soil. We also measured the isotopic composition of soil microbial biomass and the respiration rates of leaves and whole crowns.
