Abstract
Abstract Several genes in the aspen genome have been modified to generate stem wood with lower lignin content and an altered lignin composition. Lower lignin in wood reduces the time and energy required for pulping. Further, this modification can also increase the allocation of photosynthate to cellulose and total biomass production, potentially increasing CO 2 ‐sequestration capacity. However, widespread planting of trees with altered lignin content and composition could alter soil organic‐C dynamics in complex ways. To further examine the effects of altered lignin biosynthesis on plant growth and accrual of soil organic C (SOC), we conducted a repeated greenhouse study with four lines of transgenic aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) and one wild‐type (control) aspen. Accrual of aspen‐derived SOC was quantified by growing aspen trees (C3 plants) in C4 soil and measuring changes in the natural abundance of δ 13 C. We measured plant growth, biomass, and C content and combined these data with SOC measurements to create C budgets for the plant mesocosms. Lignin modifications resulted in differences in the accrual of aspen‐derived SOC and total mesocosm C, primarily due to differences in biomass between genetically modified lines of aspen. One genetic alteration (low lignin, line 23) was able to perform similarly or better than the wild‐type aspen (control, line 271) without altering SOC. Alterations in lignin structure (S : G ratios) had negative effects on biomass production and SOC formation. The addition of new (aspen‐derived) SOC was proportional to the loss of existing SOC, evidence for a priming effect. The pool of new SOC was related to total plant biomass, suggesting that the effects of lignin modification on SOC are driven by changes in plant growth.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Lignin modifications changed aspen-derived soil carbon accrual and mesocosm carbon, mainly through biomass differences.
- Taxon
- aspene0
- Material
- genetically modified lines of aspene0
- Outcome
- accrual of aspen‐derived SOC and total mesocosm Ce0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Lignin modifications resulted in differences in the accrual of aspen‐derived SOC and total mesocosm C, primarily due to differences in biomass between genetically modified lines of aspen.”
Claim · model-written summary
Low-lignin line 23 performed similarly or better than wild-type line 271 without changing SOC.
Verbatim
e0“One genetic alteration (low lignin, line 23) was able to perform similarly or better than the wild‐type aspen (control, line 271) without altering SOC.”
Claim · model-written summary
Line 23 did not alter soil organic carbon relative to wild type.
Verbatim
e0“One genetic alteration (low lignin, line 23) was able to perform similarly or better than the wild‐type aspen (control, line 271) without altering SOC.”
Claim · model-written summary
Changed lignin structure negatively affected biomass production and SOC formation.
- Taxon
- Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloidest0 - Treatment
- Alterations in lignin structuree0
- Outcome
- biomass production and SOC formatione0
- Direction
- negative effectse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alterations in lignin structure (S : G ratios) had negative effects on biomass production and SOC formation.”
t0“Populus tremuloides”
Claim · model-written summary
Addition of new aspen-derived SOC was proportional to loss of existing SOC.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“The addition of new (aspen‐derived) SOC was proportional to the loss of existing SOC, evidence for a priming effect.”
Claim · model-written summary
New SOC was related to total plant biomass.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“The pool of new SOC was related to total plant biomass, suggesting that the effects of lignin modification on SOC are driven by changes in plant growth.”
t0“transgenic aspen”