Plants and biological soil crusts modulate the dominance of N forms in a semi-arid grassland

It has been suggested that the dominance of N forms should shift from dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to nitrate along a gradient of increasing N availability. We aimed to apply this model at a local scale within a semi-arid ecosystem showing a high spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of vegetation and soil resources. By doing this, we seek a better understanding of the N cycling in spatially heterogeneous ecosystems. We took soil samples from the three major sources of spatial heterogeneity: the grass Stipa tenacíssima, the N-fixing shrub Retama sphaerocarpa, and open areas. We also sampled the biological soil crust (BSC) located in the latter areas as another source of spatial heterogeneity. BSC microsites were classified by four levels of soil coverage, ranging from high coverage (66%) to bare soil. The proportion of nitrate, ammonium and DON was determined in all microsites. DON was the dominant N form for open areas, while nitrate was dominant under the canopy of Retama; these microsites contained the lowest and highest N availability, respectively. Under BSC, DON was the dominant N form. We found high temporal variability in the dominance of N forms for all microsites. Our results suggest that the biome-derived model of Schimel and Bennett (2004) explaining N form dominance across N availability gradients may be extended to local gradients.     

Modeling soil respiration based on carbon, nitrogen, and root mass across diverse Great Lake forests

The variability in the net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) is a major source of uncertainty in quantifying global carbon budget and atmospheric CO₂. Soil respiration, which is a large component of NEE, could be strongly influential to NEE variability. Vegetation type, landscape position, and site history can influence soil properties and therefore drive the microbial and root production of soil CO₂. This study measured soil respiration and soil chemical, biological and physical properties on various types of temperate forest stands in Northern Wisconsin (USA), which included ash elm, aspen, northern hardwood, red pine forest types, clear-cuts, and wetland edges. Soil respiration at each of the 19 locations was measured six times during 1 year from early June to mid-November. These data were combined with two additional data sets from the same landscape that represent two smaller spatial scales. Large spatial variation of soil respiration occurred within and among each forest type, which appeared to be from differences in soil moisture, root mass and the ratio of soil carbon to soil nitrogen (C:N). A soil climate driven model was developed that contained quadratic functions for root mass and the ratio of soil carbon to soil nitrogen. The data from the large range of forest types and site conditions indicated that the range of root mass and C:N on the landscape was also large, and that trends between C:N, root mass, and soil respiration were not linear as previously reported, but rather curvilinear. It should be noted this function appeared to level off and decline at C:N larger than 25, approximately the value where microbial nitrogen immobilization limits free soil nitrogen. Weak but significant relationships between soil water and soil C:N, and between soil C:N and root mass were observed indicating an interrelatedness of (1) topographically induced hydrologic patterns and soil chemistry, and (2) soil chemistry and root production. Future models of soil respiration should address multiple spatial and temporal factors as well as their co-dependence.     

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.     

Response of ecosystem respiration to warming and grazing during the growing seasons in the alpine meadow on the Tibetan plateau

Intensive studies reveal that there is much uncertainty regarding how ecosystem and soil respiration will respond to warming and grazing, especially in the alpine meadow ecosystem. We conducted a first of its kind field-manipulative warming and grazing experiment in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan plateau to determine the effects of warming and grazing on ecosystem and soil respiration for 3-years, from 2006 to 2008. Generally, warming and grazing did not affect seasonal average ecosystem respiration (Re), and there was no interaction between grazing and warming. However, they significantly affected the Re early in the growing season and by the end of the growing season. Warming significantly increased seasonal average soil respiration (Rs) by 9.2%, whereas the difference mainly resulted from data gathered early in the growing season, before June 2007. Positive correlations between soil temperature and Re and Rs were observed, and soil temperature explained 63-83% of seasonal Re variations during the 3-year study and 19-34% of Rs variations in 2007. Seasonal Re in 2008 and Rs in 2007 were slightly negatively correlated to soil moisture, but interannual average Re decreased with a decrease in precipitation for all treatments. Warming and grazing reduced the Q₁₀ value of Re in 2007 and 2008 but did not affect the Q₁₀ value of Rs. The Q₁₀ values of Rs were much lower than the Q₁₀ values of Re in 2007. These results suggest that grazing may reduce the temperature sensitivity of Re and that Re was mainly controlled by soil temperature rather than moisture which varied with timescale in the alpine meadow.     

Effects of a one-year rainfall manipulation on soil nematode abundances and community composition

Soil nematodes play a crucial role in the terrestrial nitrogen cycle by accelerating the release of ammonium from microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). As aquatic organisms, nematodes are likely to be affected by predicted changes in precipitation patterns and soil moisture during the 21st century. The objective of this study was to measure the response of soil nematodes to a one-year rainfall manipulation in the sandy, forest soils of the New Jersey Pinelands (USA). We excluded all rain from four replicate field plots and applied double the amount of natural rainfall to four additional plots. We then assessed the impact of these precipitation treatments on nematode abundance and community composition. We found that total nematode abundance increased with more precipitation, and were highly sensitive to annual precipitation amount. This is in contrast to microbial biomass which was previously found to be insensitive to precipitation change. We suggest that any increased microbial growth in high rainfall plots was consumed by microbivorous nematodes. We further suggest that nematodes in the freely draining, sandy soils we studied may be unsuccessful at surviving drought because few water-filled pore spaces remain, as compared to more aggregated soils. All nematode families were sensitive to drought, but the effect was greatest on the Plectidae, while no significant effects were found for the Cephalobidae and Qudsianematidae. While not directly measured, these results provide insight into the relative anhydrobiotic abilities of these families. We found that bacterial-feeding nematodes were most sensitive to drought, suggesting that grazer-induced alterations to the nitrogen cycle are possible if precipitation patterns change in the future.     

三峡库区生物结皮对土壤分离过程的影响及其机制

为探明三峡库区生物结皮对土壤分离过程的影响及机制,以湖北省秭归县王家桥小流域为研究区域,选取以苔藓为优势种的生物结皮样地,以无结皮覆盖的裸地为对照,设计5个结皮盖度水平(1%～20%、20%～40%、40%～60%、60%～80%和80%～100%),采集原状土样,进行不同侵蚀动力条件下(水流剪切力4.89～17.99 Pa)的冲刷试验,建立生物结皮盖度与土壤分离能力、细沟可蚀性和临界剪切力间的定量关系,明确影响土壤分离过程的主要因素并阐明其作用过程。结果表明,生物结皮盖度显著影响土壤分离,裸地的土壤分离能力(0.160 kg/(m2·s))为生物结皮土壤(0.008～0.081 kg/(m2·s))的1.9倍～21.0倍,裸地的细沟可蚀性(0.018 7 s/m)为生物结皮土壤(0.009 5～0.000 9 s/m)的2.0倍～20.0倍;相对土壤分离速率和细沟可蚀性均随结皮盖度的增加呈指数衰减;通径分析显示土壤分离能力主要受结皮盖度、土壤黏结力和沙粒含量的影响,细沟可蚀性主要受结皮盖度和土壤容重的影响;非线性回归表明,土壤分离能力可用水流剪切力、黏结力和结皮盖度的幂函数进行模拟(...     

Interacting effects of temperature, soil moisture and plant biomass production on ecosystem respiration in a northern temperate grassland

Chamber measurements of total ecosystem respiration (TER) in a native Canadian grassland ecosystem were made during two study years with different precipitation. The growing season (April–September) precipitation during 2001 was less than one-half of the 30-year mean (1971–2000), while 2002 received almost double the normal growing season precipitation. As a consequence soil moisture remained higher in 2002 than 2001 during most of the growing season and peak aboveground biomass production (253.9 g m⁻²) in 2002 was 60% higher than in 2001. Maximum respiration rates were approximately 9 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ in 2002 while only approximately 5 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ in 2001. Large diurnal variation in TER, which occurred during times of peak biomass and adequate soil moisture, was primarily controlled by changes in temperature. The temperature sensitivity coefficient (Q₁₀) for ecosystem respiration was on average 1.83 ± 0.08, and it declined in association with reductions in soil moisture. Approximately 94% of the seasonal and interannual variation in R₁₀ (standardized rate of respiration at 10 °C) data was explained by the interaction of changes in soil moisture and aboveground biomass, which suggested that plant aboveground biomass was good proxy for accounting for variations in both autotrophic and heterotrophic capacity for respiration. Soil moisture was the dominant environmental factor that controlled seasonal and interannual variation in TER in this grassland, when variation in temperature was held constant. We compared respiration rates measured with chambers and that determined from nighttime eddy covariance (EC) measurements. Respiration rates measured by both techniques showed very similar seasonal patterns of variation in both years. When TER was integrated over the entire growing season period, the chamber method produced slightly higher values than the EC method by approximately 4.5% and 13.6% during 2001 and 2002, respectively, much less than the estimated uncertainty for both measurement techniques. The two methods for calculating respiration had only minor effects on the seasonal-integrated estimates of net ecosystem CO₂ exchange and ecosystem gross photosynthesis.     

Moisture, carbon and inorganic nutrient controls of soil respiration at a sub-Antarctic island

Respiration rate of soils manured by seabirds and seals on sub-Antarctic Marion Island (47°S, 38°′E) is considerably higher than that of unmanured soils, and the main objective of this study was to determine whether this is caused by an enhanced supply of inorganic nutrients (N and P) or organic C substrates, or both. The effect of soil moisture content was also investigated. Soils from five habitats were studied: Mesic fellfield, Dry mire, Closed fernbrake, Coastal herbfield and Cotula herbfield. The latter two are strongly influenced by manuring. Respiration rate increased with soil moisture content up to full water holding capacity, and the response of respiration to moisture increased strongly with temperature (especially above 10 °C). Respiration Q₁₀ increased with soil moisture content. Glucose addition markedly stimulated soil respiration rate in all the soils, despite the fact that they all possessed substantial concentrations of organic C, a wide range of N and P concentrations and a 2-fold variation in C:N ratio. This suggests that the primary factor limiting soil respiration on the island is the supply of labile carbon substrate. Soil N and P status is also important, since adding glucose with N and/or P to soils with low N and P concentrations resulted in a significantly greater stimulation of respiration rate than adding glucose alone. In fact, for the Mesic fellfield and Dry mire soils (especially poor in N and P) adding N and P stimulated respiration rate even without added glucose. For soils with adequate endogenous concentrations of N and P (the Coastal herbfield and Cotula herbfield soils), adding further N and P did not stimulate respiration, and adding N and P with glucose did not enhance respiration more than adding glucose alone. It is proposed that manuring results in a whole syndrome of consequences for soil respiration rate, including increased litter input and root exudation due to higher primary production, higher quality of litter and soil organic matter, larger, more active and more diverse soil microbial populations and larger numbers of microbivores that stimulate microbial activity and turnover.     

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.     

黄土丘陵区退耕地生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质分异特征

本文对黄土丘陵区退耕地生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质分异特征进行了研究。结果表明,①该区生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质组分HA、FA和HM含量均有明显的分层特征,土层间均表现出:结皮层0～2cm土层2～5cm土层;不同年限生物结皮土壤腐殖质含量总体表现出:16年8年32年12年,表明退耕地生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质含量随时间变化呈非线性变化趋势;HA/FA平均值变化范围为0.34～0.70,低于1,该区生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质胡敏酸含量不高,腐殖酸以富啡酸为主;②结皮层土壤腐殖酸E4/E6值随时间变化总体上呈"抛物线"型变化趋势;而0～2cm和2～5cm土层土壤腐殖酸E4/E6值呈缓慢增长的趋势;③腐殖质组分与土壤养分因子的全N、NO3--N、NH4+-N和有效Zn之间存在极显著的线性相关关系(p0.01);④土壤腐殖质组分含量的变化与全N、NO3--N、NH4+-N和有效Zn含量间存在满足二项式的函数回归关系(p0.01),表明生物结皮对土壤C素与N素和有效Zn的影响密切相关。     

Freezing as a means of preserving samples in soil respiration studies

Summary Freezing was investigated as a means of preserving samples in soil respiration studies. Concentrations of CO₂ in the headspaces of incubation bottles before and after freezing, and respiration rates derived from fresh or frozen samples were not significantly different over periods of up to 30 days. Freezing permits many samples to be assayed for respiratory activity at one time, increases the accuracy of the incubation period and defers the need to analyse headspace concentrations of CO₂ until it is convenient.     

沙漠化对科尔沁沙质草地土壤呼吸速率及碳平衡的影响

在科尔沁沙地测定了不同类型沙漠化草地土壤呼吸速率的日进程和季节变化,以及植物碳储量和土壤有机碳储量,分析了沙漠化对沙质草地土壤呼吸速率及草地碳平衡的影响。结果表明:(1)沙漠化可导致草地土壤呼吸速率日变化幅度变小,日均土壤呼吸速率明显降低;与非沙漠化草地相比,在生长季轻度、中度、重度和严重沙漠化草地日均土壤呼吸速率依次下降6.4%、12.8%、33.0%和39.4%;(2)受沙漠化的影响草地碳储量明显下降,与非沙漠化草地相比,4种类型沙漠化草地碳储量依次下降50.3%、74.0%、86.4%和90.2%;其中,凋落物碳储量的下降幅度最大,土壤有机碳储量下降幅度次之,植物碳储量下降幅度最小;(3)沙漠化可使草地碳平衡受到严重破坏,草地一旦沙漠化,土壤呼吸消耗碳量将超过植物固定碳量,这时土壤有机碳库将作为后备碳源来弥补土壤呼吸过程中植物固碳量的不足。为了促进沙漠化草地碳库的恢复,应加强沙漠化草地的治理,促进草地植被的恢复重建。     

Responses of soil microarthropods to warming and increased precipitation in a semiarid temperate steppe

Soil microarthropods are an important component in soil food webs and their responses to climate change could have profound impacts on ecosystem functions. As part of a long-term manipulative experiment, with increased temperature and precipitation in a semiarid temperate steppe in the Mongolian Plateau which started in 2005, this study was conducted to examine effects of climate change on the abundance of soil microarthropods. Experimental warming had slightly negative but insignificant effects on the abundance of mites (−14.6%) and Collembola (−11.7%). Increased precipitation greatly enhanced the abundance of mites and Collembola by 117 and 45.3%, respectively. The response direction and magnitude of mites to warming and increased precipitation varied with suborder, leading to shifts in community structure. The positive relationships of mite abundance with plant cover, plant species richness, and soil microbial biomass nitrogen suggest that the responses of soil microarthropods to climate change are largely regulated by food resource availability. The findings of positive dependence of soil respiration upon mite abundance indicate that the potential contribution of soil fauna to soil CO₂ efflux should be considered when assessing carbon cycling of semiarid grassland ecosystems under climate change scenarios.     

Response of soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities to the transient elevation of carbon dioxide in a semi-arid grassland

Although elevation of CO₂ has been reported to impact soil microbial functions, little information is available on the spatial and temporal variation of this effect. The objective of this study was to determine the microbial response in a northern Colorado shortgrass steppe to a 5-year elevation of atmospheric CO₂ as well as the reversibility of the microbial response during a period of several months after shutting off the CO₂ amendment. The experiment was comprised of nine experimental plots: three chambered plots maintained at ambient CO₂ levels of 360 μmol mol⁻¹ (ambient treatment), three chambered plots maintained at 720 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂ (elevated treatment) and three unchambered plots of equal ground area used as controls to monitor the chamber effect.Elevated CO₂ induced mainly an increase of enzyme activities (protease, xylanase, invertase, alkaline phosphatase, arylsulfatase) in the upper 5 cm of the soil and did not change microbial biomass in the soil profile. Since rhizodeposition and newly formed roots enlarged the pool of easily available substrates mainly in the upper soil layers, enzyme regulation (production and activity) rather than shifts in microbial abundance was the driving factor for higher enzyme activities in the upper soil. Repeated soil sampling during the third to fifth year of the experiment revealed an enhancement of enzyme activities which varied in the range of 20-80%. Discriminant analysis including all microbiological properties revealed that the enzyme pattern in 1999 and 2000 was dominated by the CO₂ and chamber effect, while in 2001 the influence of elevated CO₂ increased and the chamber effect decreased.Although microbial biomass did not show any response to elevated CO₂ during the main experiment, a significant increase of soil microbial N was detected as a post-treatment effect probably due to lower nutrient (nitrogen) competition between microorganisms and plants in this N-limited ecosystem. Whereas most enzyme activities showed a significant post-CO₂ effect in spring 2002 (following the conclusion of CO₂ enrichment the previous autumn, 2001), selective depletion of substrates is speculated to be the cause for non-significant treatment effects of most enzyme activities later in summer and autumn, 2002. Therefore, additional belowground carbon input mainly entered the fast cycling carbon pool and contributed little to long-term carbon storage in the semi-arid grassland.     

氮沉降增加和人类干扰对半干旱草地土壤呼吸的影响

土壤呼吸是全球碳循环的主要流通途径,但半干旱草地土壤呼吸对全球变化和人类干扰的响应机制尚不清楚。该研究以科尔沁沙质草地为研究对象,研究氮沉降增加、人类干扰（火烧、刈割）及其交互作用对沙质草地整个植物生长季（2017年5－9月）土壤呼吸的影响。结果表明,土壤呼吸呈明显的季节动态变化,在7月最高。氮沉降增加使根呼吸显著提高42%,土壤呼吸显著增加17%（P<0.001）,但对微生物呼吸无显著影响。火烧使根呼吸显著提高25%（P<0.01）,但使微生物呼吸降低13%（P<0.001）,从而导致土壤呼吸未显著增加（P>0.05）。刈割显著降低了土壤温度,诱导微生物呼吸和根呼吸分别降低13%（P<0.001）和20%（P<0.05）,从而显著抑制土壤呼吸（P<0.001）。氮沉降增强了火烧对土壤呼吸的促进作用,但未显著影响刈割对土壤呼吸的抑制作用。氮沉降、火烧和刈割对土壤呼吸的不同影响可对全球变化背景下沙质草地土壤碳循环的预测和天然草地的科学管理提供参考。     

Response of ecosystem respiration to soil water and plant biomass in a semiarid grassland

Abstract

The Mongolian steppe zone constitutes a major part of East Asian grasslands. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quantitative dependence of ecosystem respiration (R_eco) on the environmental variables of soil water and plant biomass in a semiarid grassland ecosystem. We determined R_eco using opaque, closed chambers in a Mongolian grassland dominated by graminaceous perennial grasses during six periods: July 2004, May 2005, July 2005, September 2005, June 2006, and August 2009. Using the data collected when soil water content and aboveground biomass were relatively constant, values of R_eco were fitted to an exponential temperature function, and the standardized rate of R_eco at 20°C (R₂₀) and temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of R_eco were calculated for each measurement plot and period. The results indicate that aboveground biomass significantly affected the variation in R₂₀, and the relationship was expressed with a linear model. The R₂₀ residuals of the linear biomass model were highly correlated with soil water content by a quadratic function. The Q₁₀ values showed a weak positive relationship with soil water content. Temporal and spatial variations in R_eco were well predicted by the exponential temperature model with R₂₀, which relates to aboveground biomass and soil water content, and with Q₁₀, which relates to soil water content.     

腾格里沙漠植被重建对土壤呼吸的影响

植被重建是防止和控制沙漠化的有效措施之一。为探讨腾格里沙漠植被重建对土壤呼吸的影响,利用Li-6400-09土壤呼吸室于2007年观测了1989年建立的植被重建区和流沙区土壤呼吸差异,并采用根系隔离法区分了植被重建区的土壤基础呼吸和根际呼吸。结果表明,植被重建18a显著影响了该区土壤CO2的释放过程,总土壤呼吸速率由流沙区的CO20.107±0.008μmolm-2s-1显著增加到植被区CO20.483±0.033μmolm-2s-1,而且出现了较为明显的季节波动。植被重建不但导致根际呼吸速率增加,而且影响了土壤基础呼吸速率。此外,植被重建区灌木的缀块状分布格局和养分的空间异质性导致了土壤呼吸的空间差异。     

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.     

Driving factors of temporal variation in agricultural soil respiration

Investigations of diurnal and seasonal variations in soil respiration support modeling of regional CO₂ budgets and therefore in estimating their potential contribution to greenhouse gases. This study quantifies temporal changes in soil respiration and their driving factors in grassland and arable soils located in Northern Germany. Field measurements at an arable site showed diurnal mean soil respiration rates between 67 and 99 mg CO₂ m^–2 h^–1 with a hysteresis effect following changes in mean soil temperatures. Field soil respiration peaked in April at 5767 mg CO₂ m^–2 day^–1, while values below 300 mg CO₂ m^–2 day^–1 were measured in wintertime. Laboratory incubations were carried out in dark open flow chambers at temperatures from 5°C to 40°C, with 5°C intervals, and soil moisture was controlled at 30%, 50%, and 70% of full water holding capacity. Respiration rates were higher in grassland soils than in arable soils when the incubating temperature exceeded 15°C. The respiration rate difference between them rose with increasing temperature. Monthly median values of incubated soil respiration rates ranged from 0 to 26.12 and 0 to 7.84 µg CO₂ g^–1 dry weight h^–1, respectively, in grassland and arable land. A shortage of available substrate leads to a temporal decline in soil respiration rates, as indicated by a decrease in dissolved organic carbon. Temporal Q₁₀ values decreased from about 4.0 to below 1.5 as temperatures increased in the field. Moreover, the results of our laboratory experiments confirmed that soil temperature is the main controlling factor for the Q₁₀ values. Within the temperature interval between 20°C and 30°C, Q₁₀ values were around 2 while the Q₁₀ values of arable soils were slightly lower compared to that of grassland soils. Thus, laboratory studies may underestimate temperature sensitivity of soil respiration, awareness for transforming laboratory data to field conditions must therefore be taken into account.     

Short-term temperature dependence of heterotrophic soil respiration after one-month of pre-incubation at different temperatures

Quantification of microbial activities involved in soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition is critical for the prediction of the long-term impact of climate change on soil respiration (SR) and SOC stock. Although the temperature sensitivity of SR is especially critical in semi-arid regions, such as North West Tunisia, where the SOC stock is low, little research has been carried out in these environments. More needs to be known about factors, such as SOC availability that influence temperature sensitivity. In this study, soil samples were incubated with and without glucose addition for 28 days after a 28-day pre-incubation period. Pre-incubation and incubation was carried out at 20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C and 50 °C. Respiration measurements were taken with temperature, glucose addition and incubation time as independent variables. The highest pre-incubation temperature reduced the temperature sensitivity of SR during the subsequent incubation period, both with and without glucose addition. Soil samples pre-incubated at 50 °C had the lowest SR at all subsequent incubation temperatures and the lowest temperature sensitivity of SR, even after glucose addition. However, after glucose addition, the effect of a high pre-incubation temperature on soil respiration lasted only two days. Measuring the water-soluble carbon (WSC) in soil samples suggested that the high pre-incubation temperature may have killed part of the microbial biomass, modified microbial communities or solubilized SOC. For quantifying the possible effect of global warming, in particular heat waves, on soil respiration in the soil studied, the results indicate a moderate response of soil respiration to temperature at high temperatures, as shown by Q₁₀ close to 1.7, even in the range 40-50 °C.