Aims We aimed to evaluate the changes in water-use efficiency (WUE) in native tree species in forests of subtropical China, and determine how coexisting species would be responding to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations and nitrogen (N) deposition.
Methods We used model forest ecosystems in open-top chambers to study the effects of elevated CO₂ (ca. 700 μmol mol^-1) alone and together with N addition (NH 4 NO 3 applied at 100kg N ha^-1 year^-1) on WUE of four native tree species (Schima superba, Ormosia pinnata, Castanopsis hystrix and Acmena acuminatissima) from 2006 to 2010.
Important findings Our result indicated that all species increased their WUE when they were exposed to elevated CO₂. Although higher WUE was shown in faster-growing species (S. superba and O. pinnata) than that of slower-growing species (C. hystrix and Acmena acuminatissima), the increased extent of WUE induced by elevated CO₂ was higher in the slower-growing species than that of the faster-growing species (P < 0.01). The N treatment decreased WUE of S. superba, while the effects on other species were not significant. The interactions between elevated CO₂ and N addition increased intrinsic WUE of S. superba significantly (P < 0.001), however, it did not affect WUE of the other tree species significantly. We conclude that the responses of native tree species to elevated CO₂ and N addition are different in subtropical China. The species-specific effects of elevated CO₂ and N addition on WUE would have important implications on species composition in China's subtropics in response to global change.