Seasonality of soil biological properties in a poplar plantation growing under elevated atmospheric CO2

Microorganisms are the regulators of decomposition processes occurring in soil, they also constitute a labile fraction of potentially available N. Microbial mineralization and nutrient cycling could be affected through altered plant inputs at elevated CO_2. An understanding of microbial biomass and microbial activity in response to belowground processes induced by elevated CO₂ is thus crucial in order to predict the long-term response of ecosystems to climatic changes. Microbial biomass, microbial respiration, inorganic N, extractable P and six enzymatic activities related to C, N, P and S cycling (β-glucosidase, cellulase, chitinase, protease, acid phosphatase and arylsulphatase) were investigated in soils of a poplar plantation exposed to elevated CO_2. Clones of Populus alba, Populus nigra and Populus x euramericana were grown in six 314 m² plots treated either with atmospheric (control) or enriched (550 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂) CO₂ concentration with FACE technology (free-air CO₂ enrichment). Chemical and biochemical parameters were monitored throughout a year in soil samples collected at five sampling dates starting from Autumn 2000 to Autumn 2001.The aim of the present work was: (1) to determine if CO₂ enrichment induces modifications to soil microbial pool size and metabolism, (2) to test how the seasonal fluctuations of soil biochemical properties and CO₂ level interact, (3) to evaluate if microbial nutrient acquisition activity is changed under elevated CO₂.CO₂ enrichment significantly affected soil nutrient content and three enzyme activities: acid phosphatase, chitinase and arylsulphatase, indicators of nutrient acquisition activity. Microbial biomass increased by a 16% under elevated CO₂. All soil biochemical properties were significantly affected by the temporal variability and the interaction between time and CO₂ level significantly influenced β-glucosidase activity and microbial respiration. Data on arylsulphatase and chitinase activity suggest a possible shift of microbial population in favour of fungi induced by the FACE treatment.     

FACE 条件下休闲和秸秆还田对稻麦轮作农田麦季土壤酶活性的影响

利用中国唯一的江都FACE(Free-airCO2 enrichment,开放式空气CO2浓度升高)平台,研究了大气CO2浓度升高下休闲(fallow,不种作物,但翻耕和施肥与其他处理相同)和秸秆还田对土壤脱氢酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶、转化酶、芳基硫酸酯酶和荧光素二乙酸酯水解(FDA)的影响。研究结果表明:大气CO2浓度升高对于休闲土壤酶活性没有影响。在没有秸秆还田的情况下,大气CO2浓度升高刺激了土壤中脱氢酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶、转化酶、芳基硫酸酯酶的活性和FDA水解,增加幅度分别达到了14.88%、19.41%、11.69%、17.12%和4.47%。除转化酶外,秸秆还田使土壤酶活性增加。随着秸秆还田量的增加,FACE效应先增加后消失。     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration on rhizodeposition from Lolium perenne grown on soil exposed to 9 years of CO2 enrichment

The effects of enriched CO₂ atmosphere on partitioning of recently assimilated carbon were investigated in a plant-soil-microorganism system in which Lolium perenne seedlings were planted into cores inserted into the resident soil within a sward that had been treated with elevated CO₂ for 9 consecutive years, under two N fertilisation levels (Swiss FACE experiment). The planted cores were excavated from the ambient (35 Pa pCO₂) and enriched (60 Pa pCO₂) rings at two dates, in spring and autumn, during the growing season. The cores were brought back to the laboratory for ¹⁴C labelling of shoots in order to trace the transfer of recently assimilated C both within the plant and to the soil and microbial biomass. At the spring sampling, high N supply stimulated shoot and total dry matter production. Consistently, high N enhanced the allocation of recently fixed C to shoots, and reduced it to belowground compartments. Elevated CO₂ had no consequences for DM or the pattern of C allocation. At the autumn sampling, at high N plot, yield of L. perenne was stimulated by elevated CO₂. Consistently, ¹⁴C was preferentially allocated aboveground and, consequently belowground recent C allocation was depressed and rhizodeposition reduced. At both experimental periods, total soil C content was similar in all treatments, providing no evidence for soil carbon sequestration in the Swiss Free Air CO₂ Enrichment experiment (FACE) after 9 years of enrichment. Recently assimilated C and soil C were mineralised faster in soils from enriched rings, suggesting a CO₂-induced shift in the microbial biomass characteristics (structure, diversity, activity) and/or in the quality of the root-released organic compounds.     

大气CO2浓度升高对温带森林土壤微生物活性的影响

Microorganisms play a key role in the response of soil ecosystems to the rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) as they mineralize organic matter and drive nutrient cycling. To assess the effects of elevated CO2 on soil microbial C and N immobilization and on soil enzyme activities, in years 8 (2006) and 9 (2007) of an open-top chamber experiment that begun in spring of 1999, soil was sampled in summer, and microbial biomass and enzyme activity related to the carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling were measured. Although no effects on microbial biomass C were detected, changes in microbial biomass N and metabolic activity involving C, N and P were observed under elevated CO2. Invertase and dehydrogenase activities were significantly enhanced by different degrees of elevated CO2. Nitrifying enzyme activity was significantly (P < 0.01) increased in the August 2006 samples that received the elevated CO2 treatment, as compared to the samples that received the ambient treatment. Denitrifying enzyme activity was significantly (P < 0.04) decreased by elevated CO2 treatments in the August 2006 and June 2007 (P < 0.09) samples. β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity was increased under elevated CO2 by 7% and 25% in June and August 2006, respectively, compared to those under ambient CO2. The results of June 2006 samples showed that acid phosphatase activity was significantly enhanced under elevated CO2. Overall, these results suggested that elevated CO2 might cause changes in the belowground C, N and P cycling in temperate forest soils.     

Changes in soil microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities under elevated CO2 affect fine root decomposition processes in a Mongolian oak ecosystem

The relationships between soil microbial properties and fine root decomposition processes under elevated CO₂ are poorly understood. To address this question, we determined soil microbial biomass carbon (SMB-C) and nitrogen (SMB-N), enzymes related to soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling, the abundance of cultivable N-fixing bacteria and cellulolytic fungi, fine root organic matter, lignin and holocellulose decomposition, and N mineralization from 2006 to 2007 in a Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica Fischer ex Ledebour) ecosystem in northeastern China. The experiment consisted of three treatments: elevated CO₂ chambers, ambient CO₂ chambers, and chamberless plots. Fine roots had significantly greater organic matter decomposition rates under elevated CO₂. This corresponded with significantly greater SMB-C. Changes in the activities of protease and phenol oxidase under elevated CO₂ could not explain the changes in fine root N release and lignin decomposition rates, respectively, while holocellulose decomposition rate had the same response to experimental treatments as did cellulase activity. Changes in cultivable N-fixing bacterial and cellulolytic fungal abundances in response to experimental treatments were identical to those of N mineralization and lignin decomposition rates, respectively, suggesting that the two indices were closely related to fine root N mineralization and lignin decomposition. Our results showed that the increased fine root organic matter, lignin and holocellulose decomposition, and N mineralization rates under elevated CO₂ could be explained by shifts in SMB-C and the abundance of cellulolytic fungi and N-fixing bacteria. Enzyme activities are not reliable for the assessment of fine root decomposition and more attention should be given to the measurement of specific bacterial and fungal communities.     

水稻根系内生细菌对未来大气CO2浓度升高的响应

针对中国FACE（Free Air CO2 Enrichment）平台的镇籼96、扬稻8号、II优084和扬两优6号四种水稻品种,采用新一代高通量测序技术,研究了水稻根系内生菌的整体微生物群落对未来大气CO2浓度升高的响应。结果表明,水稻内生菌群落中γ-变形菌纲的肠杆菌科相对丰度最高,占整体微生物群落的30.8%~59.8%。对于镇籼96、扬稻8号和II优084三种水稻品种,大气CO2浓度升高可能抑制了数量上占优势的微生物菌群（优势菌群）生长,而促进了数量上不占优势的微生物菌群（稀少菌群）繁殖。例如,对于II优084品种,相对丰度高于14.6%的4种水稻内生菌为肠杆菌科、假单胞菌科、黄单胞菌科和气单胞菌科,大气CO2浓度升高,这些优势菌群的相对丰度由74.8%降为67.2%;相反,稀少菌群主要由鞘脂杆菌科、丛毛单胞菌科、黄杆菌科及草酸杆菌科组成,其相对丰度则由4.13%增至16.9%,其中,与对照处理相比,鞘脂杆菌科相对丰度增加比例高达344倍,是大气CO2浓度升高的最敏感微生物类群。但对于水稻品种扬两优6号,根系内生菌对大气CO2浓度升高的响应模式与其他它三种品种不完全一致。这些研究结果表明,微生物的相对丰度可能是影响水稻根系内生菌对大气CO2浓度升高响应的重要因素,为研究全球变化下整体微生物结构与功能的演变规律提供了一定的依据。     

C and N in soil organic matter density fractions under elevated atmospheric CO2: Turnover vs. stabilization

Turnover of C and N in an arable soil under Free Air Carbon Dioxide (FACE) experiment was studied by the use of ¹³C natural abundance and ¹⁵N-labeled fertilizers. Wheat was kept four growing seasons under ambient and elevated CO₂ concentrations and fertilized for three growing seasons. Density fractionation of soil organic matter (SOM) allowed to track ¹³C and ¹⁵N in free particulate organic matter (fPOM; <1.6 g cm⁻³), particulate organic matter occluded within aggregates with two densities (oPOM 1.6, oPOM 1.6-2.0 g cm⁻³), and in mineral-associated organic matter (>2.0 g cm⁻³) fractions. Elevated CO₂ and N fertilization did not significantly affect C and N contents in the bulk soil. Calculated mean residence time (MRT) of C and N revealed the qualitative differences of SOM density fractions: (i) the shortest MRT_C and MRT_N in fPOM confirmed high availability of this fraction to decomposition. Larger C/N ratio of fPOM under elevated vs. ambient CO₂ indicated an increasing recalcitrance of FACE-derived plant residues. (ii) There was no difference in MRT of C and N between lighter and heavier oPOMs probably due to short turnover time of soil aggregates which led to oPOM mixing. The increase of MRT_C and MRT_N in both oPOMs during the experiment confirmed the progressive degradation of organic material within aggregates. (iii) Constant turnover rates of C in the mineral fraction neither confirmed nor rejected the assumed stabilization of SOM to take place in the mineral fraction. Moreover, a trend of decreasing of C and N amounts in the Min fraction throughout the experiment was especially pronounced for C under elevated CO₂. Hence, along with the progressive increase of C_FACE in the Min fraction the overall losses of C under elevated CO₂ may occur at the expense of older “pre-FACE” C.     

Crop rotation and nitrogen fertilization effect on soil CO2 emissions in central Iowa

Depending upon how soil is managed, it can serve as a source or sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). As the atmospheric CO₂ concentration continues to increase, more attention is being focused on the soil as a possible sink for atmospheric CO₂. This study was conducted to examine the short-term effects of crop rotation and N fertilization on soil CO₂ emissions in Central Iowa. Soil CO₂ emissions were measured during the growing seasons of 2003 and 2004 from plots fertilized with three N rates (0, 135, and 270 kg N ha⁻¹) in continuous corn and a corn–soybean rotation in a split-plot design. Soil samples were collected in the spring of 2004 from the 0–15 cm soil depth to determine soil organic C content. Crop residue input was estimated using a harvest index based on the measured crop yield. The results show that increasing N fertilization generally decreased soil CO₂ emissions and the continuous corn cropping system had higher soil CO₂ emissions than the corn–soybean rotation. Soil CO₂ emission rate at the peak time during the growing season and cumulative CO₂ under continuous corn increased by 24 and 18%, respectively compared to that from corn–soybean rotation. During this period, the soil fertilized with 270 kg N ha⁻¹ emitted, on average, 23% less CO₂ than the soil fertilized with the other two N rates. The greatest difference in CO₂ emission rate was observed in 2004; where plots that received 0 N rate had 31% greater CO₂ emission rate than plots fertilized with 270 kg N ha⁻¹. The findings of this research indicate that changes in cropping systems can have immediate impact on both rate and cumulative soil CO₂ emissions, where continuous corn caused greater soil CO₂ emissions than corn soybean rotation.     

Denitrification in grass swards is increased under elevated atmospheric CO2

Emissions of N₂O and N₂ were measured from Lolium perenne L. swards under ambient (36 Pa) and elevated (60 Pa) atmospheric CO₂ at the Swiss free air carbon dioxide enrichment experiment following application of 11.2 g N m⁻² as ¹⁵NH₄¹⁵NO₃ or ¹⁴NH₄¹⁵NO₃ (1 at.% excess ¹⁵N). Total denitrification (N₂O+N₂) was increased under elevated pCO₂ with emissions of 6.2 and 19.5 mg ¹⁵N m⁻² measured over 22 d from ambient and elevated pCO₂ swards, respectively, supporting the hypothesis that increased belowground C allocation under elevated pCO₂ provides the energy for denitrification. Nitrification was the predominant N₂O producing process under ambient pCO₂ whereas denitrification was predominant under elevated pCO₂. The N₂-to-N₂O ratio was often higher under elevated pCO₂ suggesting that previous estimates of gaseous N losses based only on N₂O emissions have greatly underestimated the loss of N by denitrification.     

Effects of elevated CO2 and O3 on soil respiration under ponderosa pine

Soil respiration represents the integrated response of plant roots and soil organisms to environmental conditions and the availability of C in the soil. A multi-year study was conducted in outdoor sun-lit controlled-environment chambers containing a reconstructed ponderosa pine/soil-litter system. The study used a 2×2 factorial design with two levels of CO₂ and two levels of O₃ and three replicates of each treatment. The objectives of our study were to assess the effects of long-term exposure to elevated CO₂ and O₃, singly and in combination, on soil respiration, fine root growth and soil organisms. Fine root growth and soil organisms were included in the study as indicators of the autotrophic and heterotrophic components of soil respiration. The study evaluated three hypotheses: (1) elevated CO₂ will increase C assimilation and allocation belowground increasing soil respiration; (2) elevated O₃ will decrease C assimilation and allocation belowground decreasing soil respiration and (3) as elevated CO₂ and O₃ have opposing effects on C assimilation and allocation, elevated CO₂ will eliminate or reduce the negative effects of elevated O₃ on soil respiration. A mixed-model covariance analysis was used to remove the influences of soil temperature, soil moisture and days from planting when testing for the effects of CO₂ and O₃ on soil respiration. The covariance analysis showed that elevated CO₂ significantly reduced the soil respiration while elevated O₃ had no significant effect. Despite the lack of a direct CO₂ stimulation of soil respiration, there were significant interactions between CO₂ and soil temperature, soil moisture and days from planting indicating that elevated CO₂ altered soil respiration indirectly. In elevated CO₂, soil respiration was more sensitive to soil temperature changes and less sensitive to soil moisture changes than in ambient CO₂. Soil respiration increased more with days from planting in elevated than in ambient CO₂. Elevated CO₂ had no effect on fine root biomass but increased abundance of culturable bacteria and fungi suggesting that these increases were associated with increased C allocation belowground. Elevated CO₂ had no significant effect on microarthropod and nematode abundance. Elevated O₃ had no significant effects on any parameter except it reduced the sensitivity of soil respiration to changes in temperature.     

Assessment of 10 years of CO2 fumigation on soil microbial communities and function in a sweetgum plantation

Increased vegetative growth and soil carbon (C) storage under elevated carbon dioxide concentration ([CO₂]) has been demonstrated in a number of experiments. However, the ability of ecosystems, either above- or belowground, to maintain increased C storage relies on the response of soil processes, such as those that control nitrogen (N) mineralization, to climatic change. These soil processes are mediated by microbial communities whose activity and structure may also respond to increasing atmospheric [CO₂]. We took advantage of a long-term (ca 10 y) CO₂ enrichment experiment in a sweetgum plantation located in the southeastern United States to test the hypothesis that observed increases in root production in elevated relative to ambient CO₂ plots would alter microbial community structure, increase microbial activity, and increase soil nutrient cycling. We found that elevated [CO₂] had no detectable effect on microbial community structure using 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, on microbial activity measured with extracellular enzyme activity, or on potential soil N mineralization and nitrification rates. These results support findings at other forested Free Air [CO₂] Enrichment (FACE) sites.     

大气CO2浓度升高对土壤碳库的影响

土壤碳库是输入、输出土壤碳量的平衡:大气CO2浓度升高有可能通过生态系统中的各种生理过程来增加输入土壤的碳量,输入土壤碳量的增加使土壤成为一个潜在的碳汇,有可能缓解大气CO2浓度的升高;但另一方面输入土壤碳量的增加,为微生物的生长提供了能量,从而提高了微生物的活性,因此土壤呼吸增强,土壤碳输出增加.本文综述了大气CO2浓度升高对土壤碳输入、输出的影响以及目前研究中存在的争论,并提出有待进一步研究的领域和方向.     

近地层臭氧浓度升高对稻麦轮作农田土壤生物学特性的影响

利用中国臭氧FACE(free-air O3concentration enrichment,开放式空气臭氧浓度增高)试验平台,通过对稻麦轮作农田土壤微生物生物量碳、土壤脱氢酶、蔗糖转化酶活性的测定,研究了近地层臭氧浓度升高条件下,2009年和2010年两年土壤生物学特性的响应。结果发现,1.5倍环境臭氧浓度下(≈70 nmol/mol),土壤微生物生物量碳有上升趋势,土壤脱氢酶和蔗糖转化酶活性显著增强(P<0.05)。土壤微生物对土壤碳源利用能力增强和数量的增加势必会加快土壤有机质的分解和周转,以致在大气臭氧浓度升高的一定阶段内可能会增大稻麦轮作农田温室气体的排放。     

在FACE条件下作物轮作过程中碳的流通

Mostly based on assumptions derived from controlled-environment studies, predicted future atmospheric CO2 concentrations [CO2] are expected to have considerable impacts on carbon （C） turnover in agro-ecosystems. In order to allow the in situ examination of C-transformations in the plant-soil system of arable crop rotations under future [002], a free air carbon dioxide enrichment （FACE） experiment （550 μmol mol^-1 CO2） was started at Braunschweig, Germany in 1999. The crop rotation under investigation comprised winter barley, a cover crop （ryegrass）, sugar beets and winter wheat. Assessments of CO2 effects included the determination of above- and belowground biomass production, measurements of canopy CO2- and H2O- fluxes, soil microbial biomass and in situ soil respiration. The results obtained during the 1st crop rotation cycle （3 years） showed that for the selected crops elevated [CO2] entailed significant positive effects （P 〈 0.05） on aboveground （6%-14% stimulation） and belowground biomass production （up to 90% stimulation）, while canopy evapotranspiration was reduced. This resulted in increased soil water content. Also, depending on crop type and season, high CO2 stimulated in situ soil respiration （up to 30%）, while soil microbial biomass did not show significant respouses to elevated [CO2] during the first rotation cycle.     

大气CO2浓度上升对植物地下竞争的影响

植物地下竞争是影响农业生态系统和自然生态系统中植物群落结构变化的重要因素,而大气CO2浓度升高直接或间接影响了植物的生长及其地下环境,可能需重新评估植物地下竞争的状况。本文从大气CO2浓度升高对植物根系形态结构、生理吸收能力、根系共生真菌、叶片蒸腾速率的影响以及对地下竞争因子的土壤环境方面的影响,探讨未来CO2浓度升高条件下地下竞争的变化。     

高浓度CO2下长白松幼苗土壤和根系呼吸

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of higher CO2 concentrations （500 and 700 μmol mol^-1） in atmosphere on total soil respiration and the contribution of root respiration to total soil respiration during seedling growth of Pinus sylvestris vat. sylvestriformis. During the four growing seasons （May-October） from 1999 to 2003, the seedlings were exposed to elevated concentrations of CO2 in open-top chambers. The total soil respiration and contribution of root respiration were measured using an LI-6400-09 soil CO2 flux chamber on June 15 and October 8, 2003. To separate root respiration from total soil respiration, three PVC cylinders were inserted approximately 30 cm deep into the soil in each chamber. There were marked diurnal changes in air and soil temperatures on June 15. Both the total soil respiration and the soil respiration without roots showed a strong diurnal pattern, increasing from before sunrise to about 14：00 in the afternoon and then decreasing before the next sunrise. No increase in the mean total soil respiration and mean soil respiration with roots severed was observed under the elevated CO2 treatments on June 15, 2003, as compared to the open field and control chamber with ambient CO2. However, on October 8, 2003, the total soil respiration and soil respiration with roots severed in the open field were lower than those in the control and elevated CO2 chambers. The mean contribution of root respiration measured on June 15, 2003, ranged from 8.3% to 30.5% and on October 8, 2003, from 20.6% to 48.6%.     

Changes in forest soil organic matter pools after a decade of elevated CO2 and O3

The impact of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) may be mitigated, in part, by enhanced rates of net primary production and greater C storage in plant biomass and soil organic matter (SOM). However, C sequestration in forest soils may be offset by other environmental changes such as increasing tropospheric ozone (O₃) or vary based on species-specific growth responses to elevated CO₂. To understand how projected increases in atmospheric CO₂ and O₃ alter SOM formation, we used physical fractionation to characterize soil C and N at the Rhinelander Free Air CO₂-O₃ Enrichment (FACE) experiment. Tracer amounts of ¹⁵NH₄⁺ were applied to the forest floor of Populus tremuloides, P. tremuloides-Betula papyrifera and P. tremuloides-Acer saccharum communities exposed to factorial CO₂ and O₃ treatments. The ¹⁵N tracer and strongly depleted ¹³C-CO₂ were traced into SOM fractions over four years. Over time, C and N increased in coarse particulate organic matter (cPOM) and decreased in mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) under elevated CO₂ relative to ambient CO₂. As main effects, neither CO₂ nor O₃ significantly altered ¹⁵N recovery in SOM. Elevated CO₂ significantly increased new C in all SOM fractions, and significantly decreased old C in fine POM (fPOM) and MAOM over the duration of our study. Overall, our observations indicate that elevated CO₂ has altered SOM cycling at this site to favor C and N accumulation in less stable pools, with more rapid turnover. Elevated O₃ had the opposite effect, significantly reducing cPOM N by 15% and significantly increasing the C:N ratio by 7%. Our results demonstrate that CO₂ can enhance SOM turnover, potentially limiting long-term C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems; plant community composition is an important determinant of the magnitude of this response.     

大气CO2浓度升高对植物 土壤系统地下过程影响的研究

综述了大气CO2浓度升高对根系、根际、根系分泌物、土壤呼吸和土壤物质转化和C、N循环影响的研究进展,阐述了有关实验的研究情况,以及它们在整个生态系统响应大气CO2浓度升高中的重要作用、目前研究中存在的争论、以及还需要研究的领域和方向及其研究的重要性。     

稻麦轮作系统中大气CO2浓度升高对冬小麦生长季土壤呼吸的影响

Studies on the effect of elevated CO2 on C dynamics in cultivated croplands are critical to a better understanding of the C cycling in response to climate change in agroecosystems. To evaluate the effects of elevated CO2 and different N fertilizer application levels on soil respiration, winter wheat （Triticum aestivum L. cv. Yangmai 14） plants were exposed to either ambient CO2 or elevated CO2 （ambient [CO2] ＋ 200 μmol mol-1）, under N fertilizer application levels of 112.5 and 225 kg N ha-1 （as low N and normal N subtreatments, respectively）, for two growing seasons （2006-2007 and 2007-2008） in a rice-winter wheat rotation system typical in China. A split-plot design was adopted. A root exclusion method was used to partition soil respiration （RS） into heterotrophic respiration （RH） and autotrophic respiration （RA）. Atmospheric CO2 enrichment increased seasonal cumulative RS by 11.8% at low N and 5.6% at normal N when averaged over two growing seasons. Elevated CO2 significantly enhanced （P 〈 0.05） RS （12.7%）, mainly due to the increase in RH （caused by decomposition of larger amounts of rice residue under elevated CO2） during a relative dry season in 2007-2008. Higher N supply also enhanced RS under ambient and elevated CO2. In the 2007-2008 season, normal N treatment had a significant positive effect （P 〈 0.01） on seasonal cumulative RS relative to low N treatment when averaged across CO2 levels （16.3%）. A significant increase in RA was mainly responsible for the enhanced RS under higher N supply. The correlation （r2） between RH and soil temperature was stronger （P 〈 0.001） than that between RS and soil temperature when averaged across all treatments in both seasons. Seasonal patterns of RA may be more closely related to the plant phenology than soil temperature. The Q10 （the multiplier to the respiration rate for a 10 ℃ increase in soil temperature） values of RS and RH were not affected by elevated CO2 or higher N supply. These results mainly suggested that the increase in RS at elevated CO2 depended on the input of rice residue, and the increase in RS at higher N supply was due to stimulated root growth and concomitant increase in RA during the wheat growing portion of a rice-winter wheat rotation system.     

Soil CO2 efflux following rotary tillage of a tropical soil

Stopping the increase of atmospheric CO₂ level is an important task and information on how to implement adjustments on tillage practices could help lower soil CO₂ emissions would be helpful. We describe how rotary tiller use on a red latosol affected soil CO₂ efflux. The impact of changing blade rotation speed and rear shield position on soil CO₂ efflux was investigated. Significant differences among treatments were observed up to 10 days after tillage. Cumulative CO₂ efflux was as much as 40% greater when blade rotation of 216 rpm and a lowered rear shield was compared to blade rotation of 122 rpm and raised shield. This preliminary work suggests that adjusting rotary tiller settings could help reduce CO₂ efflux close to that of undisturbed soil, thereby helping to conserve soil carbon in tropical environments.