Above- and belowground carbon inputs affect seasonal variations of soil microbial biomass in a subtropical monsoon forest of southwest China

Soil microbial activity drives carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Soil microbial biomass is commonly limited by environmental factors and soil carbon availability. We employed plant litter removal, root trenching and stem-girdling treatments to examine the effects of environmental factors, above- and belowground carbon inputs on soil microbial C in a subtropical monsoon forest in southwest China. During the experimental period from July 2006 through April 2007, 2 years after initiation of the treatments, microbial biomass C in the humus layer did not vary with seasonal changes in soil temperature or water content. Mineral soil microbial C decreased throughout the experimental period and varied with soil temperature and water content. Litter removal reduced mineral soil microbial C by 19.0% in the ungirdled plots, but only 4.0% in girdled plots. Root trenching, stem girdling and their interactions influenced microbial C in humus layer. Neither root trenching nor girdling significantly influenced mineral soil microbial C. Mineral soil microbial C correlated with following-month plant litterfall in control plots, but these correlations were not observed in root-trenching plots or girdling plots. Our results suggest that belowground carbon retranslocated from shoots and present in soil organic matter, rather than aboveground fresh plant litter inputs, determines seasonal fluctuation of mineral soil microbial biomass.     

Drivers of soil respiration and nitrogen mineralization change after litter management at a subtropical Chinese sweetgum tree plantation

Leaf litter decomposition transfers elements from litter to soils that are essential for regulating nutrient cycles in plantation ecosystems, especially carbon and nitrogen. However, soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics in response to tree litter management remains insufficiently researched. We conducted a one-year field experiment at a fast-growing sweetgum tree plantation to evaluate the effects of leaf litter management on soil available nutrients, respiration rate and nitrogen mineralization rate. Three leaf litter treatments were applied, which were: (1) natural input (control); (2) double input and (3) non-input. It was found that the double input treatment increased soil inorganic nitrogen and microbial biomass nitrogen, but had little effect on microbial biomass carbon, dissolved organic carbon or dissolved organic nitrogen compared with natural input. The non-input treatment caused dissolved organic carbon to decrease compared with natural input. The respiration rate increased in the double input treatment, with a positive priming effect observed. Soil net ammonification, nitrification and mineralization rates also increased in the double input treatment in specific seasons. Meanwhile, positive linear relationships between respiration rate and all nitrogen transformation rates were observed for all treatments. Soil temperature was found to be an important prediction factor for predicting the respiration rate and mineralization as seasonal variations, but not for litter-induced fluctuations. Soil water content and mineral nitrogen were the primary drivers of litter-induced change to the respiration rate, whereas mineral nitrogen and microbial biomass were primary drivers of mineralization change. These results suggest that changes in soil nitrogen mineralization rate are strongly associated with the soil respiratory process, resulting in a potentially strong plant–soil feedback mechanism.     

Atmospheric CO2 enrichment and nutrient additions to planted soil increase mineralisation of soil organic matter, but do not alter microbial utilisation of plant- and soil C-sources

Plants link atmospheric and soil carbon pools through CO₂ fixation, carbon translocation, respiration and rhizodeposition. Within soil, microbial communities both mediate carbon-sequestration and return to the atmosphere through respiration. The balance of microbial use of plant-derived and soil organic matter (SOM) carbon sources and the influence of plant-derived inputs on microbial activity are key determinants of soil carbon-balance, but are difficult to quantify. In this study we applied continuous ¹³C-labelling to soil-grown Lolium perenne, imposing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and nutrient additions as experimental treatments. The relative use of plant- and SOM-carbon by microbial communities was quantified by compound-specific ¹³C-analysis of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). An isotopic mass-balance approach was applied to partition the substrate sources to soil respiration (i.e. plant- and SOM-derived), allowing direct quantification of SOM-mineralisation. Increased CO₂ concentration and nutrient amendment each increased plant growth and rhizodeposition, but did not greatly alter microbial substrate use in soil. However, the increased root growth and rhizosphere volume with elevated CO₂ and nutrient amendment resulted in increased rates of SOM-mineralisation per experimental unit. As rhizosphere microbial communities utilise both plant- and SOM C-sources, the results demonstrate that plant-induced priming of SOM-mineralisation can be driven by factors increasing plant growth. That the balance of microbial C-use was not affected on a specific basis may suggest that the treatments did not affect soil C-balance in this study.     

Topographic variation in heterotrophic and autotrophic soil respiration in a tropical seasonal forest in Thailand

Soil respiration is a carbon flux that is indispensable for determining carbon balance despite variations over time and space in forest ecosystems. In Kanchanaburi, western Thailand, we measured the soil respiration rates at different slope positions—ridge (plot R), upper slope (plot U), and lower slope (plot L)—on a hill in a seasonal tropical forest [mixed deciduous forest (MDF)] to determine the seasonal and spatial variations in soil respiration on the slope. The heterotrophic (organic layer and soil) and autotrophic (root) respiration was differentiated by trenching. Soil respiration rates showed clear seasonal patterns: high and low rates in rainy and dry seasons respectively, at all plots, and tended to decrease up the slope. Soil respiration rates responded significantly to soil water content in the 0–30?cm layer, but the response patterns differed between the lower slope (plot L) and the upper slope (plots R and U): a linear model could be applied to the lower slope but exponential quadratic models to the upper slope. The annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux from the forest floor was also associated with the slope position and ranged from 1908?gC?m^?2?year^?1 in plot L to 1199?gC?m^?2?year^?1 in plot R. With ascending position from plot L to R, the contribution of autotrophic respiration increased from 19.4 to 36.6% of total soil respiration, while that of the organic layer decreased from 26.2 to 9.4%. Mineral soil contributed to 46.3 to 54.4% of the total soil respiration. Soil water content was the key factor in controlling the soil respiration rate and the contribution of the respiration sources. However, the variable responses of soil respiration to soil water content create a complex distribution of soil respiration at the watershed scale.     

Factors causing temporal and spatial variation in heterotrophic and rhizospheric components of soil respiration in afforested organic soil croplands in Finland

Partitioning soil respiration (SR) into its components, heterotrophic and rhizospheric respiration, is an important step for understanding and modelling carbon (C) cycling in organic soils. However, no partitioning studies on afforested organic soil croplands exist. We separated soil respiration originating from the decomposition of peat (SR_P), and aboveground litter (SR_L) and root respiration (SR_R) in six afforested organic soil croplands in Finland with varying tree species and stand ages using the trenching method. Across the sites temporal variation in SR was primarily related to changes in soil surface temperature (?5 cm), which explained 71–96% of variation in SR rates. Decomposition of peat and litter was not related to changes in water table level, whereas a minor increase in root respiration was observed with the increase in water table depth. Temperature sensitivity of SR varied between the different respiration components: SR_P was less sensitive to changes in soil surface temperature than SR_L or SR_R. Factors explaining spatial variation in SR differed between different respiration components. Annual SR_P correlated positively with peat ash content while that of SR_L was found to correlate positively with the amount of litter on the forest floor, separately for each tree species. Root respiration correlated positively with the biomass of ground vegetation. From the total soil respiration peat decomposition comprised a major share of 42%; the proportion of autotrophic respiration being 41% and aboveground litter 17%. Afforestation lowered peat decomposition rates. Nevertheless the effect of agricultural history can be seen in peat properties for decades and due to high peat decomposition rates these soils still loose carbon to the atmosphere.     

Root exclusion methods for partitioning of soil respiration: Review and methodological considerations

Soil respiration is a vital process in all terrestrial ecosystems, through which the soil releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere at an estimated annual rate of 68-101 Pg carbon, making it the second highest terrestrial contributor to carbon fluxes. Since soil respiration consists of autotrophic and heterotrophic constituents, methods for accurately determining the contribution of each constituent to the total soil respiration are critical for understanding their differential responses to environmental factors and aiding the reduction of CO₂ emissions. Owing to its low cost and simplicity, the root exclusion (RE) technique, combined with manual chamber measurements, is frequently used in field studies of soil respiration partitioning. Nevertheless, RE treatments alter the soil environment, leading to potential bias in respiration measurements. This review aims to elucidate the current understanding of RE, i.e., trenching (Tr) and deep collar (DC) insertion techniques, by examining soil respiration partitioning studies performed in several ecosystems. Additionally, we discuss methodological considerations when using RE and the combinations of RE with stable isotopic and modeling approaches. Finally, future research directions for improving the Tr and DC insertion methods in RE are suggested.     

放牧模式对内蒙古典型草原生长季土壤呼吸速率的影响

【目的】放牧改变了典型草原生产力和土壤养分循环,影响了植被和土壤微生物的生长状况,进而使草原土壤碳排放量发生变化。本研究通过分析不同放牧措施下内蒙古典型草原生长季土壤呼吸速率 (Rs) 的差异,了解不同放牧管理模式影响草原碳交换和碳平衡的主要途径。【方法】基于内蒙古典型草原全年放牧、休牧及禁牧三种放牧措施,于2014和2015年的7月和9月对Rs进行原位测定,并分析了不同放牧措施下Rs及其影响因子的差异。【结果】1) 三种放牧措施下,Rs表现为休牧样地 [CO₂ 2.00 μmol/(m2·s)] > 禁牧样地 [CO₂ 1.94 μmol/(m2·s)]> 全年放牧样地 [CO₂ 1.56 μmol/(m2·s)]。放牧对Rs的影响还存在季节效应,7月份放牧降低了Rs,而9月份放牧则提高了Rs。2) 与禁牧措施相比,放牧和休牧管理均降低了地上生物量(70.6%和47.3%)、土壤总碳含量(34.5%和32.0%)、土壤总氮含量(37.0%和34.5%),但休牧显著提高了根系生物量(37.2%)。全年放牧样地中土壤可溶性有机碳提高,但微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量下降。3) 7月份Rs主要与土壤湿度和地上生物量显著正相关,而9月份则与土壤温度和土壤PLFAs含量显著正相关。结构方程模型 (SEM) 结果显示,土壤温度 (0.905) 和湿度 (0.188) 通过影响微生物和根系的代谢环境对生长季Rs起主导作用,放牧通过降低土壤湿度和地上生物量对Rs有抑制作用 (–0.137)。【结论】全年放牧通过抑制微生物的生长降低了土壤呼吸速率,休牧通过提高根系生物量增加了土壤呼吸速率,说明放牧对内蒙古典型草原生长季土壤呼吸速率的影响途径因放牧模式的不同而不同。     

Effects of long-term litter manipulation on soil carbon,nitrogen, and phosphorus in a temperate deciduous forest

Changes in above-ground litterfall can influence below-ground biogeochemical processes in forests. In order to examine how above-ground litter inputs affect soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in a temperate deciduous forest, we studied a 14-year-old small-scale litter manipulation experiment that included control, litter exclusion, and doubled litter addition at a mature Fagus sylvatica L. site. Total organic C (TOC), total N (TN) and total P (TP), total organic P (TOP), bioavailable inorganic P (Pi), microbial C, N and P, soil respiration and fine root biomass were analyzed in the A and in two B horizons. Our results showed that litter manipulation had no significant effect on TOC in the mineral soil. Litter addition increased the bioavailable Pi in the A horizon but had no significant effect on N in the mineral soil. Litter exclusion decreased TN and TP in the B horizon to a depth of 10 cm. In the A horizon of the litter exclusion treatment, TP, TOP and bioavailable Pi were increased, which is most likely due to the higher root biomass in this treatment. The high fine root biomass seems to have counteracted the effects of the excluded aboveground litter. In conclusion, our study indicates that aboveground litter is not an important source for C in the mineral soil and that P recycling from root litter might be more important than from above-ground litter.     

Alterations in forest detritus inputs influence soil carbon concentration and soil respiration in a Central-European deciduous forest

In a Quercetum petraeae–cerris forest in northeastern Hungary, we examined effects of litter input alterations on the quantity and quality soil carbon stocks and soil CO₂ emissions. Treatments at the Síkfőkút DIRT (Detritus Input and Removal Treatments) experimental site include adding (by doubling) of either leaf litter (DL) or wood (DW) (including branches, twigs, bark), and removing all aboveground litter (NL), all root inputs by trenching (NR), or removing all litter inputs (NI). Within 4 years we saw a significant decrease in soil carbon (C) concentrations in the upper 15 cm for root exclusion plots. Decreases in C for the litter exclusion treatments appeared later, and were smaller than declines in root exclusion plots, highlighting the role of root detritus in the formation of soil organic matter in this forest. By year 8 of the experiment, surface soil C concentrations were lower than Control plots by 32% in NI, 23% in NR and 19% in NL. Increases in soil C in litter addition treatments were less than C losses from litter exclusion treatments, with surface C increasing by 12% in DL and 6% in DW. Detritus additions and removals had significant effects on soil microclimate, with decreases in seasonal variations in soil temperature (between summer and winter) in Double Litter plots but enhanced seasonal variation in detritus exclusion plots. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions were most influenced by detritus input quantity and soil organic matter concentration when soils were warm and moist. Clearly changes in detritus inputs from altered forest productivity, as well as altered litter impacts on soil microclimate, must be included in models of soil carbon fluxes and pools with expected future changes in climate.     

A new approach to trenching experiments for measuring root-rhizosphere respiration in a lowland tropical forest

Soil respiration in tropical forests is a major source of atmospheric CO₂. The ability to partition soil respiration into its individual components is becoming increasingly important to predict the effects of disturbance on CO₂ efflux from the soil as the responses of heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration to change are likely to differ. However, current field methods to partition respiration suffer from various methodological artefacts; root-rhizosphere respiration is particularly difficult to estimate. We used trenched subplots to estimate root-rhizosphere respiration in large-scale litter addition (L+), litter removal (L−) and control (CT) plots in a lowland tropical semi-evergreen forest in Panama. We took a new approach to trenching by making measurements immediately before-and-after trenching and comparing them to biweekly measurements made over one year. Root-rhizosphere respiration was estimated to be 38%, 17% and 27% in the CT, L+, and L− plots, respectively, from the measurements taken immediately before and one day after trenching in May-June 2007. Biweekly measurements over the following year provided no estimates of root-rhizosphere respiration for the first seven months due to decomposition of decaying roots. We were also unable to estimate root-rhizosphere respiration during the dry season due to differences in soil water content between trenched and untrenched soil. However, biweekly measurements taken during the early rainy season one year after trenching (May-June 2008) provided estimates of root-rhizosphere respiration of 39%, 24% and 36% in the CT, L+, and L− plots, respectively, which are very similar to those obtained during the first day after trenching. We suggest that measurements taken immediately before and one day after root excision are a viable method for a rapid estimation of root-rhizosphere respiration without the methodological artefacts usually associated with trenching experiments.     

Rhizospheric influence on soil respiration and decomposition in a temperate Norway spruce stand

Assessments of terrestrial carbon fluxes require a thorough understanding of links between primary production, soil respiration and carbon loss through drainage. In this study, stem girdling was used to terminate autotrophic soil respiration including rhizosphere respiration and root exudation in a temperate Norway spruce stand. Rates of soil respiration and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) formation were measured in the second year after girdling, comparing an intact plant-rhizosphere continuum with an exclusive decomposer system. The molecular and isotopic composition of DOC in the soil solution was analysed with a coupled Py-GC/MS-C-IRMS system to distinguish between the carbon sources of dissolved carbon. Pyrolysis products were grouped according to their precursor origins: polysaccharides, proteins or of mixed origin (mainly derivates of lignins and proteins). When dead roots became available for decomposition, rates of heterotrophic soil respiration in girdling plots peaked at 6.5 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, comparable to peak rates of total soil respiration (autotrophic and heterotrophic) in control plots, 6.1 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹. A significant response of soil respiration to temperature was found in control plots only, showing that an unlimiting supply of organic substrates for microbial respiration may mask any temperature effects. The enhanced decomposition in girdled plots was further supported by the isotopic composition of DOC in soil solution; all three precursor groups became isotopically enriched as the growing season progressed (polysaccharides by 2.3‰, proteins by 1.9‰, mixed origin group by 2.2‰). This indicates a trophic level shift due to incorporation of organic substrate into the microbial food chain. In the control plots’ mixed origin fraction, the isotopic composition changed over time from a signature resembling that of lignin (−28.9‰) to one similar of the protein fraction (−25.7‰). Significant temporal changes of structural DOC composition occurred in the girdling plots only. These results suggest that changes in the microbial community and in decomposition rates occurred in both girdled and control plots in the following ways: (i) increased substrate availability (dead roots) gave rise to generally enhanced performance of the decomposer community in girdled plots, (ii) root-derived exudates probably contributed to enhanced decomposition of recalcitrant lignin in the control plots and (iii) the structural composition of DOC seemed to be more a result of decomposition than of plant root exudation in all plots.     

干湿交替对土壤呼吸和土壤有机碳矿化的影响述评

土壤干湿交替循环对土壤呼吸的“激发效应”被证实在干旱、半干旱和地中海气候区普遍存在。土壤干湿交替被认为是影响土壤呼吸的重要因素。土壤物理、化学、生物性状会在干湿交替过程中发生一系列变化,引发土壤CO₂排放量显著激增而引起“Birch效应”。随着未来气候变化下极端降水天气事件发生频率的增加,降雨强度和频率的改变将导致部分地区的土壤经受更广泛和频繁的干湿交替作用,加剧土壤干湿循环,影响土壤呼吸。重点论述了干湿交替对土壤碳素循环各个关键过程(尤其是土壤呼吸和SOC矿化)的影响效应,归纳总结了干湿交替对土壤碳素循环的影响机制,从土壤团聚体、根系呼吸、微生物呼吸等方面阐述了干湿交替对土壤呼吸和土壤有机碳(SOC)矿化激发效应的影响及其机理。综合生理学说与物理学说观点,认为干湿交替主要通过土壤结构、SOC的分解速率、土壤微生物群落的结构与稳定性等的改变来影响土壤呼吸和SOC矿化过程。目前,关于干湿交替对土壤碳素循环关键过程影响的研究结果还不尽一致,其影响机制尚不明晰,研究方法也还有一些不足之处。简要指出了目前研究过程中存在的一些不足,并对未来研究中值得深入研究的科学问题进行了探讨与展望。     

凋落物对土壤呼吸的贡献研究进展

土壤呼吸是土壤碳库输出的主要途径,凋落物是影响土壤呼吸的重要因素。明确凋落物对土壤呼吸的贡献,有助于准确评估植物-土壤-大气三个碳库之间的碳收支过程。本文综述了近年来国内外有关凋落物对土壤呼吸贡献的研究成果,阐明了凋落物对土壤呼吸的贡献机理,讨论了凋落物对土壤呼吸贡献率及其存在的时空分异特征,在此基础上,对该领域研究前景进行了展望。     

Strong impacts of belowground tree inputs on soil nematode trophic composition

Trees have a key role in determining the composition of soil biota via both above and belowground resource-based mechanisms, and by altering abiotic conditions. We conducted an outdoor mesocosm experiment to investigate the relative impact of above and belowground tree inputs on soil nematode trophic composition, and examine whether tree-driven impacts differed between contrasting species (birch and pine). For both species, we created a factorial design of litter addition and root presence treatments. The litter addition treatment was equivalent to natural levels of litterfall; tree saplings were planted in mesocosms for the root presence treatment and an unplanted control treatment was established that had no litter or root inputs. Litter addition had a limited impact on soil nematode community composition: it primarily decreased omnivore and predatory nematode abundance in birch but had few other effects on the nematode community. By contrast, root presence markedly altered nematode community composition through changes in a range of trophic groups. For both birch and pine, there were significant increases in total, fungivore and predatory nematode abundance in root presence treatments, and furthermore, total and fungivore abundances were positively related to root biomass. Root presence of these contrasting tree species also had a distinctive impact on some specific nematode trophic groups; pine roots promoted bacterivore abundance while birch roots promoted root-hair feeding nematode abundance. These findings suggest strong bottom-up effects of belowground tree inputs, and indicate that particular components of the nematode community may be affected differently by resource quantity and quality. Consequently, we suggest that, in the short-term, belowground rather than aboveground tree inputs have a strong impact on soil food web structure and complexity.     

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...     

山西省天龙山弃耕地的根系呼吸及其影响因素

用去除根系法对山西省天龙山自然保护区弃耕地的根系呼吸进行了为期2a的研究。结果表明,弃耕地的根系呼吸速率具有明显的季节变化,与土壤温度的变化趋势相一致,夏季高冬春季低。2007和2008年3—12月的根系呼吸总量(以C计)分别为329.5和392.5g/m2。土壤温度是影响根系呼吸速率的主导因子,可以解释根系呼吸速率季节变化的79%~88%,土壤水分对根系呼吸的影响较小。包括土壤温度和土壤水分两个变量的双因素模型可以解释根系呼吸季节变化的81%~89%;根系呼吸占土壤总呼吸的比例具有明显的季节变化,为24%~54%;2007和2008年3—12月根系呼吸比例的平均值分别为24.9%和30.9%。     

Short-term effects of thinning on soil respiration in a pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) plantation

Respiration was measured at daytime during the growing seasons (May–October) of 2011 and 2012 in a young Pinus tabulaeformis plantation with heavy, medium and light intensity thinning and unthinned control plots in Shanxi province in northern China. Soil temperature, moisture, fine root biomass, amounts of soil organic C and litterfall biomass were also measured. We found that immediately following thinning treatments, soil respiration increased by 8 %–21 % compared with the unthinned control plots during both growing seasons. Thinning significantly affected soil respiration and soil temperature with different thinning intensities, while there were no significant differences in soil moisture among the various treatments. During the growing seasons, the soil respiration rates were positively correlated with the soil moisture: the 19.4 %–54.0 % variation in soil respiration rates in the four thinning regimes are explained by the changes in soil moisture. Meanwhile, a positive correlation was found between soil temperature and soil respiration rates at all sites. The best fitting model with temperature and moisture explained 44.3 % of the variation in soil respiration in the high thinning treatment, 27.6 % in the light thinning treatment, 18.6 % in medium thinning and in the control sites during the measuring periods. Overall, soil respiration is better predicted by soil moisture, soil organic C, live fine root biomass and soil temperature when data are pooled for all thinning treatments over the two growing seasons. The best regression model explained 74.7 % of the total variation in soil respiration over the different thinning intensities for the two sampling periods.     

Root and Microbial Contributions to Soil Respiration during a Soybean Growing Season

Soil respiration is an important process for carbon geochemical cycling. Based on our five long‐term fertilizer experiments, soil respiration was measured using pot experiments with or without planting soybean. Soil respiration rates and soybean root biomass were determined at different observation times. Soil respiration rates due to soil microbial activity could be estimated by extrapolating a newly derived regressive equation at zero root biomass. Soil microbial respiration rates in the control were also observed directly, ranging from 16.0 to 42.7 mg carbon (C) m^?2 h^?1. Average soil microbial respiration rates from the regression analyses and direct observations were 32.9 and 27.8 mg C m^?2 h^?1, respectively. The average proportions of soil respiration rates due to the soybean growth were 63.0% using the regressive equation and 69.8% from direct observation. Therefore, the application of these two methods could provide new insight for separating plant root respiration from soil microbial respiration, which is important for estimating their individual contributions to atmospheric carbon dioxide.     

改变碳输入对南亚热带海岸沙地典型天然次生林土壤呼吸的影响

土壤呼吸是陆地生态系统碳循环的一个重要过程,开展环境因子和改变碳输入对土壤呼吸影响的研究具有重要意义.2015年3月-2016年2月,在南亚热带海岸沙地典型天然次生林中设置去除根系、去除凋落物、加倍凋落物和对照4种处理,采用LI-8100连续观测改变碳输入对土壤呼吸的影响.结果表明:改变碳输入没有显著影响l0cm土壤温度和湿度(P＞0.05);不同处理土壤呼吸速率存在明显的季节变化,表现为夏高冬低,最大值出现在5月或者6月,最小值出现在11月或12月;土壤呼吸速率的年均值为加倍凋落物＞对照＞去除根系＞去除凋落物,不同改变碳输入方式均降低了土壤呼吸的Q10值;矿质土壤呼吸、凋落物呼吸和根系呼吸对土壤总呼吸的贡献分别为41.24％、43.29％和15.45％;不同处理土壤呼吸速率分别与土壤温度和湿度呈显著的指数和线性正相关(P＜0.05),双因子模型能解释土壤呼吸变异的45％ ～ 69％;改变碳输入影响土壤可溶性有机碳和微生物生物量碳,不同处理土壤呼吸速率与可溶性有机碳和微生物生物量碳呈正相关.因此,改变碳输入引起土壤易变碳的变化进而影响土壤呼吸.     

Changes in soil organic carbon,total nitrogen,and abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi along a large-scale aridity gradient

Changes in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH, and the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are examined along a large-scale aridity gradient from southeast to northwest in China. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen decreased but pH increased with increased aridity. Aboveground plant biomass, spore abundance, and colonization of roots by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi also declined as the aridity increased. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen were positively correlated with aboveground plant biomass, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore number and root colonization were positively correlated with soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and aboveground plant biomass but were negatively correlated with soil pH. A structural equation model suggested that aridity affected soil organic carbon and total nitrogen by limiting aboveground plant biomass. Aridity exerted a large direct effect and smaller indirect effects (via changes in aboveground plant biomass) on the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Soil pH also directly influenced arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal abundance. These results suggest that aboveground plant biomass could be a key factor driving the changes of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal abundance along this aridity gradient in China.