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Wayne Polley

Ecologist

Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory

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H. Wayne Polley USDA-ARS
808 East Blackland Rd.
Temple, TX 76502

Phone: (254) 770-6629
e-mail: wayne.polley@ars.usda.gov

The web address to this site is http://www.ars.usda.gov/spa/gswrl/wpolley

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Education

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Current Projects and Research

A prevailing goal of my research is to provide insight into how the productivity and species composition of rangeland vegetation will respond to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. Atmospheric CO2 has increased about 30% since industrialization and perhaps 100% since the last Ice Age to the current 360 ppm (parts per million). It is expected to approximately double during the next century. Atmospheric CO2 is required by plants to grow. It can also modify plant requirements for and use of other essential resources, like water and nitrogen, with consequences for hydrology, nitrogen cycling, and species composition on rangelands.

Research to date has focused on the physiological responses of plants to higher CO2 concentration. I have studied leaf- and canopy-level photosynthesis, transpiration, and respiration in a variety of plants, and fixation of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) by woody legumes. Possible effects of the past rise in atmospheric CO2 have been studied in a unique, elongated growth chamber along which plants are exposed to a continuous gradient in CO2 from low concentrations representative of the last Ice Age to the present level. Controlled-environment greenhouses have been used to study effects of predicted increases in CO2 concentration on plant growth and use of water and nitrogen.

I am currently interested in evaluating effects of rising CO2 concentration on the water economy of rangeland plants, since water availability is among most important regulators of plant productivity and species composition in these ecosystems. Areas of interest include effects of atmospheric CO2 on plant water use efficiency (production per unit of transpiration), total transpiration or water use, and response to drought.

These and other questions are being studied in novel elongated chambers situated on grassland in central Texas (Prairie CO2 Gradient, PCG). A continuous and uniform gradient in CO2 from near the Ice Age concentration (200 ppm) to the current 360 ppm and from the current concentration to one predicted for the next century (550 ppm) has been applied to the grassland for two years. This is the first field site exposed to low CO2 concentrations representative of Earth's atmosphere for the last 200,000 years or more. With cooperators, I will assess effects of past and projected increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration on the carbon balance, water dynamics, and species composition of this ecosystem. Rainbow Colored Line

Recent Publications

 

  • Polley, H.W., A.B. Frank, J. Sanabria, and R.C. Phillips. 2008. Interannual variability in carbon dioxide fluxes and flux-climate relationships on grazed and ungrazed northern mixed-grass prairie. Global Change Biology 14: 1620-1632. pdf available on request.

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson, P.A. Fay, and J. Sanabria. 2008. Initial response of evapotranspiration from tallgrass prairie vegetation to CO2 at subambient to elevated concentrations. Functional Ecology 22: 163-171. pdf available on request.

  • Polley, H.W., B.J. Wilsey, and J.D. Derner. 2007. Dominant species constrain effects of species diversity on temporal variability in biomass production of tallgrass prairie. Oikos 116: 2044-2052.Publication

  • Polley, H.W., B. J. Wilsey, and C.R. Tischler. 2007. Species abundances influence the net biodiversity effect in mixtures of two plant species. Basic and Applied Ecology. 8: 209-218. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., W.A. Dugas, P.C. Mielnick, and H.B. Johnson. 2007. C3-C4 composition and prior carbon dioxide treatment regulate the response of grassland carbon and water fluxes to carbon dioxide. Functional Ecology 21: 11-18. pdf available on request.

  • Wilsey, B.J. and H.W. Polley. 2006. Aboveground productivity and root-shoot allocation differ between native and introduced grass species. Oecologia 150: 300-309.Publication

  • Polley, H.W., P.C. Mielnick, W.A. Dugas, H.B. Johnson, and J. Sanabria. 2006. Increasing CO2 from subambient to elevated concentrations increases grassland respiration per unit of net carbon fixation. Global Change Biology 12: 1390-1399. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., B.J. Wilsey, J.D. Derner, H.B. Johnson, and J. Sanabria. 2006. Early-successional plants regulate grassland productivity and species composition: a removal experiment. Oikos 113: 287-295. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., C.R. Tischler, and H.B. Johnson. 2006. Elevated atmospheric CO2 magnifies intra-specific variation in seedling growth of honey mesquite: An assessment of relative growth rates. Rangeland Ecology and Management 59: 128-134.Publication

  • Gill, R.A., L.J. Anderson, H.W. Polley, H.B. Johnson, and R.B. Jackson. 2006. Potential nitrogen constraints on soil carbon sequestration under low and elevated atmospheric CO2.  Ecology 87: 41-52.Publication

  • Wilsey, B.J., L.M. Martin, and H.W. Polley. 2005. Predicting plant extinction based on species-area curves in prairie fragments with high beta richness. Conservation Biology 19: 1835-1841. Publication

  • Derner, J.D., G.E. Schuman, M. Jawson, S.R. Shafer, J.A. Morgan, H.W. Polley, G.B. Runion, S.A. Prior, H.A. Torbert, H.H. Rogers, J. Bunce, L. Ziska, J.W. White, A.J. Franzluebbers, J.D. Reeder, R.T. Venterea, and L.A. Harper. 2005. USDA-ARS global change research on rangelands and pasturelands. Rangelands 27(5): 36-42.Publication

  • Polley, H.W., J.D. Derner, and B.J. Wilsey. 2005. Patterns of plant species diversity in remnant and restored tallgrass prairies. Restoration Ecology 13: 480-487. Publication

  • Derner, J.D., C.R. Tischler, H.W. Polley and H.B. Johnson. 2005. Seedling growth of two honey mesquite varieties under CO2 enrichment. Rangeland Ecology & Management 58: 292-298. Publication

  • Wilsey, B.J. and H.W. Polley. 2004. Realistically low species evenness does not alter grassland species-richness-productivity relationships. Ecology 85:2693-2700. Publication

  • Derner, J.D., H.W. Polley, H.B. Johnson, and C.R. Tischler. 2004. Structural attributes of Schizachyrium scoparium in restored Texas blackland prairies. Restoration Ecology 12:80-84. Publication

  • Derner, J.D., C.R. Tischler, H.W. Polley, and H.B. Johnson. 2004. Intergenerational above- and belowground responses of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to elevated CO2. Basic and Applied Ecology 5:145-152. Publication

  • Morgan, J.A., D.E. Pataki, C. Körner, H. Clark, S.J. Del Grosso, J.M. Grünzweig, A.K. Knapp, A.R. Mosier, P.C.D. Newton, P.A. Niklaus, J.B. Nippert, R.S. Nowak, W.J. Parton, H.W. Polley, and M.R. Shaw. 2004. Water relations in grassland and desert ecosystems exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2. Oecologia 140:11-25. Publication

  • Derner, J.D., H.B. Johnson, B.A. Kimball, P.J. Pinter, Jr., H.W. Polley, C.R. Tischler, T.W. Boutton, R.L. LaMorte, G.W. Wall, N.R. Adam, S.W. Leavitt, M.J. Ottman, A.D. Matthias and T.J. Brooks. 2003. Above- and belowground responses of C3-C4 species mixtures to elevated CO2 and soil water availability. Global Change Biology 9:452-460. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson and J.D. Derner. 2003. Increasing CO2 from subambient to superambient concentrations alters species composition and increases above-ground biomass in a C3/C4 grassland. New Phytologist 160:319-327. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., B.J. Wilsey and J.D. Derner. 2003. Do species evenness and plant density influence the magnitude of selection and complementarity effects in annual plant species mixture? Ecology Letters 6:248-256. Publication

  • Wilsey, B.J. and H.W. Polley. 2003. Effects of seed additions and grazing history on species diversity and aboveground productivity of sub-humid grasslands. Ecology 84: 920-931. Publication

  • Gill, R.A., H.W. Polley, H.B. Johnson, L.J. Anderson, H. Maherali and R.B. Jackson. 2002. Nonlinear grassland responses to past and future atmospheric CO2. Nature 417:279-282. Publication

  • Maherali, H., C.D. Reid, H.W. Polley, H.B. Johnson and R.B. Jackson. 2002. Stomatal acclimation over a subambient to elevated CO2 gradient in a C3/C4 grassland. Plant, Cell and Environment 25:557-566. Publication

  • Polley, H.W. 2002. Implications of atmospheric and climatic change for crop yield and water use efficiency. Crop Science 42:131-140. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson and J.D. Derner. 2002. Soil- and plant-water dynamics in a C3/C4 grassland exposed to a subambient to superambient CO2 gradient. Global Change Biology 8:1118-1129. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson and C.R. Tischler. 2002. Woody invasion of grasslands: evidence that CO2 enrichment indirectly promotes establishment of Prosopis glandulosa. Plant Ecology 164:85-94. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., C.R. Tischler, H.B. Johnson and J.D. Derner. 2002. Growth rate and survivorship of drought: CO2 effects on the presumed tradeoff in seedlings of five woody legumes. Tree Physiology 22:383-391. Publication

  • Wilsey, B.J. and H.W. Polley. 2002. Reductions in grassland species evenness increase dicot seedling invasion and spittle bug infestation. Ecology Letters 5:676-684. Publication

  • Anderson, L.J., H. Maherali, H.B. Johnson, H.W. Polley and R.B. Jackson. 2001. Gas exchange and photosynthetic acclimation over subambient to elevated CO2 in a C3-C4 grassland. Global Change Biology 7:693-707. Publication

  • Dugas, W.A., H.W. Polley, H.S. Mayeux, and H.B. Johnson. 2001. Acclimation of whole-plant Acacia farnesiana transpiration to carbon dioxide concentration. Tree Physiology 21:771-773. Publication

  • Mielnick, P.C., W.A. Dugas, H.B. Johnson, H.W. Polley and J. Sanabria. 2001. Net grassland carbon flux over a subambient to superambient CO2 gradient. Global Change Biology 7:747-754. Publication

  • Derner, J.D., H.W. Polley, H.B. Johnson, and C.R. Tischler. 2001. Root system response of C4 grass seedlings to CO2 and soil water. Plant and Soil 231:97-104. Publication

  • Johnson, H.B., H.W. Polley, and R.P. Whitis. 2000. Elongated chambers for field studies across atmospheric CO2 gradients. Functional Ecology 14:388-396. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., J.A. Morgan, B.D. Campbell, and Mark Stafford Smith. 2000. Crop ecosystem responses to climatic change: rangelands, pp. 293-314. In: Reddy, K.R. and Hodges, H.F. (eds.) Climate Change and Global Crop Productivity. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, U.K. Publication

  • Tischler, C.R., H.W. Polley, H.B. Johnson, and R.E. Pennington. 2000. Seedling response to elevated CO2 in five epigeal species. International Journal of Plant Sciences 161:779-783. Publication

  • Pennington, R.E., C.R. Tischler, H.B. Johnson, and H.W. Polley. 1999. Genetic variation for carbon isotope composition in honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). Tree Physiology 19:583-589. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson, C.R. Tischler, and H.A. Torbert. 1999. Links between transpiration and plant nitrogen: variation with atmospheric CO2 concentration and nitrogen availability. International Journal of Plant Sciences 160:535-542. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., C.R.Tischler, H.B. Johnson, and R.E. Pennington. 1999. Growth, water relations, and survival of drought-exposed seedlings from six maternal families of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa): responses to CO2 enrichment. Tree Physiology 19:359-366. Publication

  • Tischler, C.R., H.W. Polley, H.B. Johnson, and H.S. Mayeux. 1998. Environment and seedling age influence mesquite response to epicotyl removal. Journal of Range Management 51(3):361-365. Publication

  • Mayeux, H.S., H.B.Johnson, H.W. Polley, and S.R. Malone. 1997. Yield of wheat across a subambient carbon dioxide gradient. Global Change Biology 3:269-278. Publication

  • Polley, H.W. 1997. Invited synthesis paper: Implications of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration for rangelands. Journal of Range Management 50:562-577. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.S. Mayeux, H.B. Johnson, and C.R. Tischler. 1997. Viewpoint: Atmospheric CO2 soil water, and shrub/grass ratios on rangelands. Journal of Range Management 50:278-284. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson, and H.S. Mayeux. 1997. Leaf physiology, production, water use, and nitrogen dynamics of the grassland invader Acacia smallii at elevated CO2 concentrations. Tree Physiology 17: 89-96. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson, H.S. Mayeux, D.A. Brown, and J.W.C. White. 1996. Leaf and plant water use efficiency of C4 species grown at glacial to elevated CO2 concentrations. International Journal of Plant Sciences 157: 164-170. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson, H.S. Mayeux, and C.R. Tischler, C.R. 1996. Are some of the recent changes in grassland communities a response to rising CO2 concentrations?, pp. 177-195. In: Korner, Ch. and F.A. Bazzaz (eds.) Carbon Dioxide, Populations, and Communities. Academic Press. San Diego, California. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson, H.S. Mayeux, and C.R. Tischler. 1996. Impacts of rising CO2 concentration on water use efficiency of woody grassland invaders, pp. 189-194. In: Barrow, J R., E.D. McArthur, R.E. Sosebee, and R.J. Tausch. (comps.) Proceedings: Symposium on Shrubland Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing Climate. Intermountain Res. Sta., U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Gen. Tech. Rep., Ogden, UT. Publication

  • Polley, H.W., H.B. Johnson, H.S. Mayeux, C.R. Tischler, and D.A. Brown. 1996. Carbon dioxide enrichment improves growth, water relations and survival of droughted honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) seedlings. Tree Physiology 16:817-823. Publication
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Last Modified: 06/27/2008
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