Clear‐cutting and slash burning effects on soil CO2 efflux partitioning in Chinese fir and evergreen broadleaved forests in subtropical China

Clear‐cutting (CC) and slash burning (SB) are common silvicultural practices in subtropical China, yet the time‐course response of soil CO₂ efflux components to such disturbance is not well understood. This study examined the effects of CC and SB on soil CO₂ efflux components in a Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook (Chinese fir, CF) plantation and a secondary evergreen broadleaved forest (BF) located in Fujian Province, southeastern China. Aboveground litter removal and root trenching were used to estimate CO₂ fluxes from soil organic matter decomposition (R_SOM), litter decomposition (R_L), and autotrophic respiration by roots and mycorrhizae (R_R). These components were measured 5–7 times per month from 18 October 2001 to 25 December 2003 using soda lime absorption. We found that R_R, R_L and R_SOM were initially higher in CC and SB plots than controls in both forests, but these three component fluxes in disturbed plots all fell below those of the control 5–20 months after the disturbance. Also, Q₁₀ values of these components decreased following disturbance. The annual flux of each respiration component was greater under BF than CF. The contribution of R_R to soil CO₂ efflux in the control plots averaged 35% in CF and 46% in BF. R_SOM was the dominant component of soil CO₂ efflux in CC and SB plots, accounting for over 50%. Our results highlight the importance of temporal trends of the component fluxes following disturbance and contribute to a broader understanding of forest management effects on the soil C cycle.     

Response of soil respiration to precipitation during the dry season in two typical forest stands in the forest-grassland transition zone of the Loess Plateau

Forest ecosystems on the Loess Plateau are receiving increasing attention for their special importance in carbon fixation and conservation of soil and water in the region. Soil respiration was investigated in two typical forest stands of the forest-grassland transition zone in the region, an exotic black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) plantation and an indigenous oak (Quercus liaotungensis) forest, in response to rain events (27.7 mm in May 2009 and 19 mm in May 2010) during the early summer dry season. In both ecosystems, precipitation significantly increased soil moisture, decreased soil temperature, and accelerated soil respiration. The peak values of soil respiration were 4.8 and 4.4 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in the oak plot and the black locust plot, respectively. In the dry period after rainfall, the soil moisture and respiration rate gradually decreased and the soil temperature increased. Soil respiration rate in black locust stand was consistently less than that in oak stand, being consistent with the differences in C, N contents and fine root mass on the forest floor and in soil between the two stands. However, root respiration (R_r) per unit fine root mass and microbial respiration (R_m) per unit the amount of soil organic matter were higher in black locust stand than in oak stand. Respiration by root rhizosphere in black locust stand was the dominant component resulting in total respiration changes, whereas respiration by roots and soil microbes contributed equally in oak stand. Soil respiration in the black locust plantation showed higher sensitivity to precipitation than that in the oak forest.     

Winter soil CO2 efflux and its contribution to annual soil respiration in different ecosystems of a forest-steppe ecotone, north China

Most soil respiration measurements are conducted during the growing season. In tundra and boreal forest ecosystems, cumulative winter soil CO₂ fluxes are reported to be a significant component of their annual carbon budgets. However, little information on winter soil CO₂ efflux is known from mid-latitude ecosystems. Therefore, comparing measurements of soil respiration taken annually versus during the growing season will improve the accuracy of ecosystem carbon budgets and the response of soil CO₂ efflux to climate changes. In this study we measured winter soil CO₂ efflux and its contribution to annual soil respiration for seven ecosystems (three forests: Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation, Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation and Betula platyphylla forest; two shrubs: Rosa bella and Malus baccata; and two meadow grasslands) in a forest-steppe ecotone, north China. Overall mean winter and growing season soil CO₂ effluxes were 0.15-0.26 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ and 2.65-4.61 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, respectively, with significant differences in the growing season among the different ecosystems. Annual Q₁₀ (increased soil respiration rate per 10 °C increase in temperature) was generally higher than the growing season Q₁₀. Soil water content accounted for 84% of the variations in growing season Q₁₀ and soil temperature range explained 88% of the variation in annual Q₁₀. Soil organic carbon density to 30 cm depth was a good surrogate for SR₁₀ (basal soil respiration at a reference temperature of 10 °C). Annual soil CO₂ efflux ranged from 394.76 g C m⁻² to 973.18 g C m⁻² using observed ecosystem-specific response equations between soil respiration and soil temperature. Estimates ranged from 424.90 g C m⁻² to 784.73 g C m⁻² by interpolating measured soil respiration between sampling dates for every day of the year and then computing the sum to obtain the annual value. The contributions of winter soil CO₂ efflux to annual soil respiration were 3.48-7.30% and 4.92-7.83% using interpolated and modeled methods, respectively. Our results indicate that in mid-latitude ecosystems, soil CO₂ efflux continues throughout the winter and winter soil respiration is an important component of annual CO₂ efflux.     

重庆缙云山3种林型土壤呼吸及其影响因子

2011年1～12月,采用LI-Cor 8100开路式土壤碳通量测量系统对重庆缙云山保护区3种主要林分类型(针阔混交林、常绿阔叶林和毛竹林)的土壤呼吸速率和林内气温、土壤温度和湿度进行了野外观测。结果表明:针阔混交林、常绿阔叶林和毛竹林的土壤呼吸碳通量分别为654.70、1008.37和910.64 g C m-2a-1;3种林型土壤呼吸速率均呈现显著的季节性变化,且夏季>秋季>春季>冬季,最大值出现在7月,最小值出现在1月;3种林型土壤呼吸速率全年平均值分别为1.73、2.66和2.40μmol m-2s-1;3种林型土壤呼吸速率均与林内气温存在显著正相关关系(P<0.05),且与5 cm土壤温度均存在极显著的指数正相关(P<0.05);与5 cm土壤含水量的相关性不显著(P>0.05),但土壤含水量较低而温度较高时,较低的土壤含水量对呼吸速率具有一定抑制作用;3种林型的土壤呼吸对温度的敏感系数(Q10值)存在差异,全年表现为毛竹林(2.44)>针阔混交林(1.76)>常绿阔叶林(1.72),同时均表现显著的季节差异。     

Influence of forest disturbance on CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes from larch forest soil in the permafrost taiga region of eastern Siberia

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of increasing forest disturbances on greenhouse gas budgets in a taiga forest in eastern Siberia, CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O fluxes from the soils were measured during the growing season in intact, burnt and clear-felled larch forests (4–5 years after the disturbance). Soil temperature and moisture were higher at the two disturbed sites than at the forest site. A 64–72% decrease in the Q ₁₀ value of soil CO₂ flux from the disturbed sites compared with the forest site (5.92) suggested a reduction in root respiration and a dominance of organic matter decomposition at the disturbed sites. However, the cumulative CO₂ emissions (May–August) were not significantly different among the sites (2.81–2.90 Mg C ha^?1 per 3 months). This might be because decreased larch root respiration was compensated for by increased organic matter decomposition resulting from an increase in the temperature and root respiration of invading vegetation at the disturbed sites. The CH₄ uptake (kg C ha^?1 per 4 months [May–September]) at the burnt site was significantly higher (–0.15) than the uptake at the forest (–0.045) and clear-felled sites (0.0027). Although there were no significant differences among the sites, N₂O emission (kg N ha^?1 per 4 months) was slightly lower at the burnt site (0.013) and higher at the clear-felled site (0.068) than at the forest site (0.038). This different influence of burning and tree felling on CH₄ and N₂O fluxes might result from changes in the physical and chemical properties of the soil with respect to forest fire.     

森林演替和气候变暖对暖温带天然次生林植物根系呼吸的交互效应

为了揭示森林演替和气候变暖及交互过程对森林土壤自养呼吸和森林不同层次植物根系呼吸的影响,以关帝山不同演替阶段4种天然次生林(杨桦阔叶落叶林、油松针阔混交林、华北落叶松林和云杉林)为研究对象,于2016—2019年利用Li—6400便携式分析仪观测每种林型不同层次植物根系呼吸和土壤自养呼吸生长季的变化规律;同时采用温室加热法,模拟增温对土壤自养呼吸及各组分的影响。结果表明:(1)根系呼吸速率和土壤自养呼吸速率随演替的进行而降低。乔木层根系呼吸对土壤自养呼吸的贡献率随演替进行则显著上升,而灌木层和草本层的贡献率则显著下降。(2)增温显著提高了不同演替阶段自养呼吸速率,提高幅度为8.48%~8.76%,并随演替进行而升高。森林不同层次植物根系呼吸速率对增温的响应程度不同,其中增温显著提高了草本层和灌木层植物根系呼吸速率,提高幅度分别为10.88%~14.00%和8.37%~15.26%,而[JP]对乔木层植物根系呼吸速率作用则不显著。增温降低了土壤自养呼吸和乔木层根系呼吸的贡献率,则提高了草本层根系呼吸对土壤自养呼吸的贡献率。(3)增温和演替没有改变土壤自养呼吸及各组分在生长季变化规律,但演替和增温对土壤自养呼吸、草本层和灌木层植物根系呼吸有显著的耦合效应。综上所述,森林土壤自养呼吸和根系呼吸速率随演替进行具有降低的趋势,土壤自养呼吸速率、灌木层和草本层植物根系呼吸速率对增温响应程度显著,并且对演替和增温的交互过程有显著的耦合效应,为气候变暖背景下森林更新过程对森林土壤碳排放影响的研究提供数据支持和理论依据。     

增温对寒潮期间亚热带常绿阔叶天然林土壤呼吸的影响

全球变暖增加寒潮天气发生的频率和强度,影响土壤呼吸及其各组分,但有关增温和寒潮对亚热带森林土壤呼吸及其各组分的影响研究仍十分缺乏。通过壕沟法分离土壤呼吸,并利用土壤呼吸高频自动监测系统研究增温对寒潮期间亚热带常绿阔叶天然林土壤总呼吸、根呼吸与微生物呼吸的影响。结果表明：(1)寒潮发生时,对照和增温处理中土壤总呼吸速率分别显著下降45.93%和25.68%,土壤微生物呼吸速率分别显著下降51.25%和35.54%。但寒潮并没有影响增温处理中根呼吸速率,而对照处理中根呼吸速率在寒潮时显著下降39.72%。(2)观测期间,增温对总呼吸和根呼吸的日动态模式的影响在寒潮不同阶段具有明显差异,增温导致寒潮发生前后土壤总呼吸和根呼吸日峰值出现时间分别提前1,2 h,而寒潮发生时,对照和增温处理中土壤总呼吸和根呼吸的日峰值出现时间同步。(3)观测期间,增温后土壤总呼吸、根呼吸和微生物呼吸的温度敏感性(Q₁₀值)均下降,而根呼吸的Q₁₀值均高于微生物呼吸。因此,准确了解寒潮等极端天气下的土壤总呼吸、根呼吸和微生物呼吸的变化及其对增温的响应,对于提高气候变暖后土...     

Plant-derived CO2 flux from cultivated peat soils

Abstract

Methods used to estimate the CO₂ emission from soil commonly measure the total CO₂ flux. To be able to quantify the net CO₂ emission from cultivated peat soils there is a need to distinguish between soil organic matter-derived CO₂ respiration and plant-derived respiration. In this investigation we used the root exclusion method to separate the plant-derived respiration from total CO₂ emission. The plant-derived contribution was estimated to be between 27 and 63% of total CO₂ emission depending on soil type and season. We also found a relationship between soil temperature, biomass growth and CO₂ efflux, which can be used to estimate plant-derived respiration. Due to the priming effect the root exclusion method is less reliable late in the season.     

Contributions of root respiration to total soil respiration before and after frost in Populus euphratica forests

Temporal changes in soil CO₂‐efflux rate was measured by a canopy‐gap method in a Populus euphratica forest located at the both sides of Tarim River banks (W China). Soil CO₂‐efflux rates in situ were correlated with key soil biotic (e.g., fungal, bacterial, and actinomycetes populations) and abiotic (e.g., soil moisture, temperature, pH, organic C) variables. Two kinds of measurement plots were selected: one under the crown of a living Populus euphratica tree and the other under a dead standing Populus euphratica tree. Diurnal variations in soil respiration in these plots were measured both before and after the occurrence of the first frost. Soil respiration of the dead standing Populus euphratica (Rd) was assumed to be a measure of heterotrophic respiration rate (Rh), and root respiration rate (Rr) was estimated as the difference between soil respiration under living (Rl) minus soil respiration under dead standing Populus euphratica. Daily variation of Rr contribution to the total soil respiration in Populus euphratica forests were analyzed before and after the frost. The contribution of root respiration to total soil respiration before and after frost varied from 22% to 45% (mean 30%) and from 38% to 50% (mean 45%), respectively. In addition, Rh was significantly correlated with soil temperature both before and after frost. In contrast, Rr was not significantly correlated with soil temperature. Change in Q₁₀ of Rr was different from that of Rh from before the frost to after the frost. Variation of Q₁₀ of Rr from before the frost to after the frost was larger than that of Q₁₀ of Rh. Thus, the results indicate that different soil respiration models are needed for Rr and Rh because different factors control the two components of soil respiration.     

Rhizospheric and heterotrophic respiration of a warm-temperate oak chronosequence in China

Plot trenching and root decomposition experiments were conducted in a warm-temperate oak chronosequence (40-year-old, 48-year-old, 80-year-old, and 143-year-old) in China. We partitioned total soil surface CO₂ efflux (R_S) into heterotrophic (R_H) and rhizospheric (R_R) components across the growing season of 2009. We found that the temporal variation of R_R and R_H can be well explained by soil temperature (T₅) at 5 cm depth using exponential equations for all forests. However, R_R of 40-year-old and 48-year-old forests peaked in September, while their T₅ peaks occurred in August. R_R of 80-year-old and 143-year-old forests showed a similar pattern to T₅. The contribution of R_R to R_S (RC) of 40-year-old and 48-year-old forests presented a second peak in September. Seasonal variation of R_R may be accounted for by the different successional stages. Cumulative R_H and R_R during the growing season varied with forest age. The estimated R_H values for 40-year-old, 48-year-old, 80-year-old and 143-year-old forests averaged 431.72, 452.02, 484.62 and 678.93 g C m⁻², respectively, while the corresponding values of R_R averaged 191.94, 206.51, 321.13 and 153.03 g C m⁻². The estimated RC increased from 30.78% in the 40-year-old forest to 39.85% in the 80-year-old forest and then declined to 18.39% in the 143-year-old forest. We found soil organic carbon (SOC), especially the light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), stock at 0-10 cm soil depth correlated well with R_H. There was no significant relationship between R_R and fine root biomass regardless of stand age. Measured apparent temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of R_H (3.93 ± 0.27) was significantly higher than that of R_R (2.78 ± 0.73). Capillary porosity decreased as stand age increased and it was negatively correlated to cumulative R_S. Our results emphasize the importance of partitioning soil respiration in evaluating the stand age effect on soil respiration and its significance to future model construction.     

Three‐source partitioning of CO2 efflux from maize field soil by 13C natural abundance

A natural‐¹³C‐labeling approach—formerly observed under controlled conditions—was tested in the field to partition total soil CO₂ efflux into root respiration, rhizomicrobial respiration, and soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. Different results were expected in the field due to different climate, site, and microbial properties in contrast to the laboratory. Within this isotopic method, maize was planted on soil with C₃‐vegetation history and the total CO₂ efflux from soil was subdivided by isotopic mass balance. The C₄‐derived C in soil microbial biomass was also determined. Additionally, in a root‐exclusion approach, root‐ and SOM‐derived CO₂ were determined by the total CO₂ effluxes from maize (Zea mays L.) and bare‐fallow plots. In both approaches, maize‐derived CO₂ contributed 22% to 35% to the total CO₂ efflux during the growth period, which was comparable to other field studies. In our laboratory study, this CO₂ fraction was tripled due to different climate, soil, and sampling conditions. In the natural‐¹³C‐labeling approach, rhizomicrobial respiration was low compared to other studies, which was related to a low amount of C₄‐derived microbial biomass. At the end of the growth period, however, 64% root respiration and 36% rhizomicrobial respiration in relation to total root‐derived CO₂ were calculated when considering high isotopic fractionations between SOM, microbial biomass, and CO₂. This relationship was closer to the 50% : 50% partitioning described in the literature than without fractionation (23% root respiration, 77% rhizomicrobial respiration). Fractionation processes of ¹³C must be taken into account when calculating CO₂ partitioning in soil. Both methods—natural ¹³C labeling and root exclusion—showed the same partitioning results when ¹³C isotopic fractionation during microbial respiration was considered and may therefore be used to separate plant‐ and SOM‐derived CO₂ sources.     

Effects of root and litter exclusion on soil CO2 efflux and microbial biomass in wet tropical forests

We examined the effects of root and litter exclusion on the rate of soil CO₂ efflux and microbial biomass at a soil depth of 25 cm in a secondary forest (dominated by Tabebuia heterophylla) and a pine (Pinus caribaea) plantation in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico. The experimental plots were initially established in 1990, when root, forest floor mass and new litterfall were excluded for 7 y since then. Soil respiration was significantly reduced in the litter and root exclusion plots in both the secondary forest and the pine plantation compared with the control. Root exclusion had a greater effect on soil CO₂ efflux than the litter exclusion in the plantation, whereas a reversed pattern was observed in the secondary forest. The reduction of microbial biomass in the root exclusion plot was greater in the secondary forest (59%) than in the plantation (31%), while there was no difference of the reduction in the litter exclusion plots between these forests. Our results suggest that above-ground input and roots (root litter and exudates) differentially affect soil CO₂ efflux under different vegetation types.     

Root and rhizomicrobial respiration: A review of approaches to estimate respiration by autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms in soil

Partitioning the root‐derived CO₂ efflux from soil (frequently termed rhizosphere respiration) into actual root respiration (RR, respiration by autotrophs) and rhizomicrobial respiration (RMR, respiration by heterotrophs) is crucial in determining the carbon (C) and energy balance of plants and soils. It is also essential in quantifying C sources for rhizosphere microorganisms and in estimation of the C contributing to turnover of soil organic matter (SOM), as well as in linking net ecosystem production (NEP) and net ecosystem exchange (NEE). Artificial‐environment studies such as hydroponics or sterile soils yield unrealistic C‐partitioning values and are unsuitable for predicting C flows under natural conditions. To date, several methods have been suggested to separate RR and RMR in nonsterile soils: 1) component integration, 2) substrate‐induced respiration, 3) respiration by excised roots, 4) comparison of root‐derived ¹⁴CO₂ with rhizomicrobial ¹⁴CO₂ after continuous labeling, 5) isotope dilution, 6) model‐rhizodeposition technique, 7) modeling of ¹⁴CO₂ efflux dynamics, 8) exudate elution, and 9) δ¹³C of CO₂ and microbial biomass. This review describes the basic principles and assumptions of these methods and compares the results obtained in the original papers and in studies designed to compare the methods. The component‐integration method leads to strong disturbance and non‐proportional increase of CO₂ efflux from different sources. Four of the methods (5 to 8) are based on the pulse labeling of shoots in a ¹⁴CO₂ atmosphere and subsequent monitoring of ¹⁴CO₂ efflux from the soil. The model‐rhizodeposition technique and exudate‐elution procedure strongly overestimate RR and underestimate RMR. Despite alternative assumptions, isotope dilution and modeling of ¹⁴CO₂‐efflux dynamics yield similar results. In crops and grasses (wheat, ryegrass, barley, buckwheat, maize, meadow fescue, prairie grasses), RR amounts on average to 48±5% and RMR to 52±5% of root‐derived CO₂. The method based on the ¹³C isotopic signature of CO₂ and microbial biomass is the most promising approach, especially when the plants are continuously labeled in ¹³CO₂ or ¹⁴CO₂ atmosphere. The “difference” methods, i.e., trenching, tree girdling, root‐exclusion techniques, etc., are not suitable for separating the respiration by autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms because the difference methods neglect the importance of microbial respiration of rhizodeposits.     

Three scales of temporal resolution from automated soil respiration measurements

Soil respiration (R_s) is a combination of autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration, but it is often modeled as a single efflux process, influenced by environmental variables similarly across all time scales. Continued progress in understanding sources of variation in soil CO₂ efflux will require development of R_s models that incorporate environmental influences at multiple time scales. Coherence analysis, which requires high temporal frequency data on R_s and related environmental variables, permits examination of covariation between R_s and the factors that influence it at varying temporal frequencies, thus isolating the factors important at each time scale. Automated R_s measurements, along with air, soil temperature and moisture were collected at half hour intervals at a temperate forest at Harvard Forest, MA in 2003 and a boreal transition forest at the Howland Forest, ME in 2005. As in other temperate and boreal forests, seasonal variation in R_s was strongly correlated with soil temperature. The organic and mineral layer water contents were significantly related to R_s at synoptic time scales of 2–3 days to weeks, representing the wetting and drying of the soils as weather patterns move across the region. Post-wetting pulses of R_s were correlated with the amount of precipitation and the magnitude of the change from pre-wet-up moisture content to peak moisture content of the organic horizon during the precipitation events. Although soil temperature at 8–10 cm depth and R_s showed strong coherence at a 24-h interval, calculated diel Q₁₀ values for R_s were unreasonably high (6–74) during all months for the evergreen forest and during the growing season for the deciduous forest, suggesting that other factors that covary with soil temperature, such as canopy assimilatory processes, may also influence the diel amplitude of R_s. Lower diel Q₁₀ values were obtained based on soil temperature measured at shallower depths or with air temperature, but the fit was poorer and a lag was needed to improve the fit (peak R_s followed peak air temperature by several hours), suggesting a role for delayed substrate supply from aboveground processes to affect diel patterns of R_s. High frequency automated R_s datasets afford the opportunity to disentangle the temporal scales at which environmental factors, such as seasonal temperature and phenology, synoptic weather events and soil moisture, and diel variation in temperature and photosynthesis, affect soil respiration processes.     

Soil respiration rate and its sensitivity to temperature in pasture systems of dry-tropics

Abstract

Tree clearing is a topical issue the world over. In Queensland, the high rates of clearing in the past were mainly to increase pasture production. The present research evaluates the impact of clearing on some soil biological properties, i.e. total soil respiration, root respiration, microbial respiration, and microbial biomass (C and N), and the response of soil respiration to change in temperature.

In-field and laboratory (polyhouse) experiments were undertaken. For in-field studies, paired cleared and uncleared pasture plots were selected to represent three major tree communities of the region, i.e. Eucalyptus populnea, E. melanophloia, and Acacia harpophylla. The cleared sites were chosen to represent three different time-since-clearing durations (5, 11–13, and 33 years; n=18 for cleared and uncleared plots) to determine the temporal impact of clearing on soil biological properties. Experiments were conducted in the polyhouse to study in detail the response of soil respiration to changes in soil temperature and soil moisture, and to complement in-field studies for estimating root respiration.

The average rate of CO₂ emission was 964 g CO₂/m²/yr, with no significant difference (P<0.05) among cleared and uncleared sites. Microbial respiration and microbial biomass were greater at uncleared compared with those at cleared sites. The Q ₁₀-value of 1.42 (measured for different seasons in a year) for in-field measurements suggested a small response of soil respiration to soil temperature, possibly due to the limited availability of soil moisture and/or organic matter. However, results from the polyhouse experiment suggested greater sensitivity of root respiration to temperature change than for total soil respiration. Since root biomass (herbaceous roots) was greater at the cleared than at uncleared sites, and root respiration increased with an increase in temperature, we speculate that with rising ambient temperature and consequently soil temperature, total soil respiration in cleared pastures will increase at a faster rate than that in uncleared pastures.     

Seasonal and diurnal dynamics of soil respiration fluxes in two typical forests on the semiarid Loess Plateau of China: Temperature sensitivities of autotrophs and heterotrophs and analyses of integrated driving factors

Partitioning of total soil respiration (R_T) into autotrophic (R_A) and heterotrophic (R_H) components was undertaken in two typical (natural and artificial) forests on the temperate, semiarid Loess Plateau of China, to determine and compare temperature sensitivities between the two components. The natural secondary forest was dominated by oak (Quercus liaotungensis) while the artificial forest was a plantation of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Soil CO₂ efflux and different abiotic and biotic factors were measured during dormant and growing seasons. Temperature sensitivities of soil respiration components were investigated using the Q₁₀ function at diurnal and seasonal scales. The temperature sensitivities of autotrophic (R_A) and heterotrophic (R_H) respiration varied with the time scales (daily, seasonal, or annual) of the investigation, and were affected by other biological and environmental factors. The largest contribution of R_A to R_T was 46% in the oak forest and 60% in the black locust plantation during the growing season. During the dormant season it was as low as 12% in the oak forest and 6% in the black locust plantation. The Q₁₀ of R_A for the black locust plantation was higher than for the oak forest during the growing season, but was lower during the dormant season. The Q₁₀ of R_A in both forests was higher than that of R_H at both diurnal and seasonal scales. Multiple regression analyses suggested that photosynthesis is an important parameter in soil respiration studies and that a multiple-factor model may be more suitable during the annual periods.     

Biotic and abiotic factors regulating forest floor CO2 flux across a range of forest age classes in the southern Appalachians

We measured forest floor CO₂ flux in three age classes of forest in the southern Appalachians: 20-year-old, 85-year-old, and old-growth. Our objectives were to quantify differences in forest floor CO₂ flux among age classes, and determine the relative importance of abiotic and biotic driving variables. Forest floor CO₂ flux was measured using an openflow infrared gas analyzer measurement system for 24 h periods and samples were taken every 2 months over a 2-year period. Litter/soil interface, soil temperature (5 cm depth), soil moisture (%), forest floor moisture (%), forest floor mass, fine root (2 mm) mass, coarse root mass (>2 mm), forest floor C and N (%), fine root C and N, coarse root C and N, and soil N and C were co-measured during each sample period. Results showed significant nonlinear relationships (r²=0.68 to 0.81) between litter/soil interface temperature and forest floor CO₂ flux for all three forest age classes, but no differences in temperature response parameters. These results indicated no differences in forest floor CO₂ flux among age classes. Considerable temporal variation in abiotic and biotic variables was observed within and among forests. Biotic variables correlated with forest floor CO₂ flux included indices of litter and root quality. Differences in biotic variables correlated with forest floor CO₂ flux among forests may have been related to shifts in the relative importance of heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration components to overall forest floor CO₂ flux.     

Estimating heterotrophic and autotrophic soil respiration using small-area trenched plot technique: Theory and practice

The trenching method of root exclusion is generally used to estimate heterotrophic (microbial decomposition) (F_h) and autotrophic (root and associated rhizosphere respiration) (F_a) components of soil respiration (F₀), particularly in forest ecosystems. However, some uncertainties exist on the accuracy and interpretation of the results from such experiments using small-area root exclusion plots. Using field and laboratory measurements as well as simulations using a process-based model of CO₂ production and transport in soil, we show that: (a) CO₂ concentrations at or immediately below the depth of root exclusion in small-area root exclusion plots are similar to those at the same depth in nearby undisturbed soil and (b) the contribution of soil CO₂ flux from below the root exclusion depth to the measured efflux at the surface of a root exclusion plot (F_0re) is increased because of the higher concentration gradient at the bottom of the root exclusion layer due to the decreased rate of CO₂ production above this depth. Consequently, F_a, calculated as F_0c measured in control (non-disturbed) plots minus F_0re measured in root exclusion plots, is underestimated. We describe an analytical model, derived from the soil CO₂ production and diffusion equation, to obtain correct estimates of F_a measured using small-area root exclusion plots. The analytical model requires knowledge of depth distribution of soil CO₂ diffusivity and source strength as inputs.     

重庆缙云山 4 种典型林分生长季土壤呼吸特征及其与环境因子的关系

2012年4-8月,采用LI-8100开路式土壤碳通量测量系统对重庆缙云山4种典型林分（常绿阔叶林、竹林、针阔混交林和针叶林）的土壤呼吸速率进行测定,并同步测定5和10 cm土壤温度、湿度及pH值,分析4种林分土壤呼吸变化特征及其与环境因子的关系.结果表明：1）4种典型林分土壤呼吸日变化规律不同,5月、7月针阔混交林和针叶林土壤呼吸速率日波动幅度大于常绿阔叶林和竹林;2）各林分土壤呼吸速率均表现出4-7月升高而7-8月降低的月变化规律;3）土壤呼吸速率与5 cm、10 cm土壤温度均呈指数关系,常绿阔叶林的温度敏感性（5 cmQ10=2.054,10cm Q10=2.117）大于其他3种林分;4）常绿阔叶林土壤呼吸速率与土壤湿度无显著相关性,而对其他林分呈二次相关关系;5）常绿阔叶林的土壤呼吸与5 cm、10 cm土壤pH值显著相关,竹林的土壤呼吸仅与5 cm土壤pH值显著相关,其他林分未表现出显著相关关系.     

Effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on soil respiration components and their temperature sensitivities in a semiarid grassland

Nitrogen (N) deposition to semiarid ecosystems is increasing globally, yet few studies have investigated the ecological consequences of N enrichment in these ecosystems. Furthermore, soil CO₂ flux – including plant root and microbial respiration – is a key feedback to ecosystem carbon (C) cycling that links ecosystem processes to climate, yet few studies have investigated the effects of N enrichment on belowground processes in water-limited ecosystems. In this study, we conducted two-level N addition experiments to investigate the effects of N enrichment on microbial and root respiration in a grassland ecosystem on the Loess Plateau in northwestern China. Two years of high N additions (9.2 g N m⁻² y⁻¹) significantly increased soil CO₂ flux, including both microbial and root respiration, particularly during the warm growing season. Low N additions (2.3 g N m⁻² y⁻¹) increased microbial respiration during the growing season only, but had no significant effects on root respiration. The annual temperature coefficients (Q₁₀) of soil respiration and microbial respiration ranged from 1.86 to 3.00 and 1.86 to 2.72 respectively, and there was a significant decrease in Q₁₀ between the control and the N treatments during the non-growing season but no difference was found during the growing season. Following nitrogen additions, elevated rates of root respiration were significantly and positively related to root N concentrations and biomass, while elevated rates of microbial respiration were related to soil microbial biomass C (SMBC). The microbial respiration tended to respond more sensitively to N addition, while the root respiration did not have similar response. The different mechanisms of N addition impacts on soil respiration and its components and their sensitivity to temperature identified in this study may facilitate the simulation and prediction of C cycling and storage in semiarid grasslands under future scenarios of global change.