Characteristics of Soil Respiration and Its Components of a Mixed Dipterocarp Forest in China

Background: Although numerous studies have been carried out in recent decades, soil respiration remains one of the less understood elements in global carbon budget research. Tropical forests store a considerable amount of carbon, and a well-established knowledge of the patterns, components, and controls of soil respiration in these forests will be crucial in global change research. Methods: Soil respiration was separated into two components using the trenching method. Each component was measured at multiple temporal scales and in different microhabitats. A commercial soil efflux system (Li8100/8150) was used to accomplish soil respiration monitoring. Four commonly used models were compared that described the temperature dependence of soil heterotrophic respiration using nonlinear statistics. Results and Conclusions: Trenching has a limited effect on soil temperature but considerably affects soil water content due to the exclusion of water loss via tree transpiration. Soil respiration decreased gradually from 8 to 4 μmol·m−2·s−1 6 days after trenching. Soil autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh) have contrasting diel patterns and different responses to temperature. Rh was negatively correlated with temperature but positively correlated with relative humidity. Both Ra and Rh varied dramatically among microhabitats. The Q10 value of Rh derived using the Q10 model was 2.54. The Kirschbaum–O’Connell model, which implied a strong decrease of Q10 with temperature, worked best in describing temperature dependence of Rh. Heterotrophic respiration accounted for nearly half of the total soil efflux. We found an unexpected diurnal pattern in soil heterotrophic respiration which might be related to diurnal moisture dynamics. Temperature, but not soil moisture, was the major controller of seasonal variation of soil respiration in both autotrophic and heterotrophic components. From a statistical perspective, the best model to describe the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration was the Kirschbaum–O’Connell model. Soil respiration varied strongly among the microhabitats and played a crucial role in stand-level ecosystem carbon balance assessment.

Download Full-text

Temperature increases soil respiration across ecosystem types and soil development, but soil properties determine the magnitude of this effect

10.1101/2020.10.06.327973 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marina Dacal ◽

Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo ◽

Jesús Barquero ◽

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe ◽

Antonio Gallardo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Respiration ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Temperature Effects ◽

Development Stage ◽

Soil Development ◽

Heterotrophic Respiration ◽

Climate Feedback ◽

Wide Range ◽

Soil Heterotrophic Respiration ◽

Positive Effect

AbstractSoil carbon losses to the atmosphere, via soil heterotrophic respiration, are expected to increase in response to global warming, resulting in a positive carbon-climate feedback. Despite the well-known suite of abiotic and biotic factors controlling soil respiration, much less is known about how the magnitude of soil respiration responses to temperature changes over soil development and across contrasting soil properties. Here, we investigated the role of soil development stage and soil properties in driving the responses of soil heterotrophic respiration to increasing temperatures. We incubated soils from eight chronosequences ranging in soil age from hundreds to million years, and encompassing a wide range of vegetation types, climatic conditions, and chronosequences origins, at three assay temperatures (5, 15 and 25°C). We found a consistent positive effect of assay temperature on soil respiration rates across the eight chronosequences evaluated. However, soil properties such as organic carbon concentration, texture, pH, phosphorus content, and microbial biomass determined the magnitude of temperature effects on soil respiration. Finally, we observed a positive effect of soil development stage on soil respiration that did not alter the magnitude of assay temperature effects. Our work reveals that key soil properties alter the magnitude of the positive effect of temperature on soil respiration found across ecosystem types and soil development stages. This information is essential to better understand the magnitude of the carbon-climate feedback, and thus to establish accurate greenhouse gas emission targets.

Download Full-text

Investigating the sensitivity of soil respiration to recent snow cover changes in Alaska using a satellite-based permafrost carbon model

10.5194/bg-2020-182 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yonghong Yi ◽

John S. Kimball ◽

Jennifer D. Watts ◽

Susan M. Natali ◽

Donatella Zona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Respiration ◽

Soil Temperature ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Snow Cover ◽

Carbon Fluxes ◽

Cold Season ◽

Heterotrophic Respiration ◽

Surface Model ◽

Total Soil ◽

Soil Heterotrophic Respiration

Abstract. The contribution of soil heterotrophic respiration to the boreal-Arctic carbon (CO2) cycle and its potential feedback to climate change remain poorly quantified. We developed a remote sensing driven permafrost carbon model at intermediate scale (~ 1 km) to investigate how environmental factors affect the magnitude and seasonality of soil heterotrophic respiration in Alaska. The permafrost carbon model simulates snow and soil thermal dynamics, and accounts for vertical soil carbon transport and decomposition at depths up to 3 m below surface. Model outputs include soil temperature profiles and carbon fluxes at 1-km resolution spanning the recent satellite era (2001–2017) across Alaska. Comparisons with eddy covariance tower measurements show that the model captures the seasonality of carbon fluxes, with favorable accuracy in predicting net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) in both tundra (R > 0.8, RMSE = 0.34 g C m−2 d−1) and boreal forest (R > 0.73, RMSE = 0.51 g C m−2 d−1). Benchmark assessments using two regional in-situ datasets indicate that the model captures the complex influence of snow insulation on soil temperature, and the temperature sensitivity of cold-season soil respiration. Across Alaska, we find that seasonal snow cover imposes strong controls on the contribution from different soil depths to total soil carbon emissions. Earlier snow melt in spring promotes deeper soil warming and enhances the contribution of deeper soils to total soil respiration during the later growing season, thereby reducing net ecosystem carbon uptake. Early cold-season soil respiration is closely linked to the number of snow-free days after land surface freezes (R = −0.48, p

Download Full-text

Can management improve the lawn’s functioning in the conditions of multiple anthropogenic stressors?

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-13522 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Olga Gavrichkova ◽

Dario Liberati ◽

Viktoriya Varyushkina ◽

Kristina Ivashchenko ◽

Paolo De Angelis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Soil Respiration ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Ecosystem Respiration ◽

Heterotrophic Respiration ◽

Sand Mixture ◽

Anthropogenic Stressors ◽

Unplanted Soil ◽

The Impact

Release of heavy metals, salts and other toxic agents in the environment is of increasing concern in urban areas. Contaminants not solely decline the quality of the local environment and affect the health of human population and urban ecosystems but are also spread through runoff and leaching into non-contaminated areas. Urban lawns are the most distributed green infrastructure in the cities. Management of lawn system may either exacerbate the negative effects of contaminants on lawn functioning either help to withstand the toxic effects and maintain the lawn ecosystem health and the efficient release of ecosystem services. &#160;The aim of this study was to evaluate the interactions between the lawn management, the lawn functioning, and the release into the soil of typical urban contaminants. For this purpose, Festuca arundinacea grass was planted in a turf-sand mixture with and without amendment addition (zeolite + vermicompost). To reproduce the impact of traffic-related contaminants in proximity of the road, pots were treated with a solution containing de-icing salt (NaCl) and 6 heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni), imitating road runoff solution. After contamination, half of pots was maintained at optimum soil water content (Smart irrigation), another half was left to periodical drying in order to simulate conditions with discontinuous watering (Periodical irrigation). The same experimental scheme was reproduced for unplanted soil. CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE), soil and ecosystem respiration as well as flux from unplanted soil (heterotrophic respiration) were measured shortly after the treatment (short-term) and up 3 months since the treatment start (long-term).Soil amendment stimulated plant productivity and increased the efficiency of the system in C uptake (+56% NEE). A relevant reduction of NEE was observed from 14 to 40 days after the application of traffic-related contaminants in both amended and non amended pots. During this period the contaminants had the greatest impact on lawn NEE subjected to Periodic irrigation (-49% and -66% in amended and non amended pots, respectively), while lawn under Smart irrigation was less affected (-35% and -26% in amended and non amended pots, respectively). Different respiration sources (ecosystem respiration, soil respiration, heterotrophic respiration) were characterized by different sensitivity to management and contamination. Heterotrophic flux was not sensitive to soil amending but declined with contamination with enhanced negative effect under Smart irrigation. Response of ecosystem respiration to contamination was less pronounced in confront to soil respiration suggesting leaf-level buffering.&#160; &#160;&#160;Three months later,&#160; the effect of contaminants on lawn gas exchange ceased for all treated pots. Instead, the irrigation effect persisted depending on whether pots were amended or not. In non amended pots NEE was reduced by 18% under Periodic irrigation, while this effect was not present in amended pots. We conclude, that performance of such green infrastructure as lawns in terms of C sequestration under multiple anthropogenic stressors could be efficiently improved through soil amending and irrigation control.Current research was financially supported by RFBR No. 19-29-05187 and RSF No. 19-77-30012.

Download Full-text

A moisture function of soil heterotrophic respiration that incorporates microscale processes

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-018-04971-6 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Zhifeng Yan ◽

Ben Bond-Lamberty ◽

Katherine E. Todd-Brown ◽

Vanessa L. Bailey ◽

SiLiang Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heterotrophic Respiration ◽

Soil Heterotrophic Respiration

Download Full-text

Consistent Effects of Canopy vs. Understory Nitrogen Addition on Soil Respiration and Net Ecosystem Production in Moso Bamboo Forests

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12101427 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 1427

Author(s):

Chunju Cai ◽

Zhihan Yang ◽

Liang Liu ◽

Yunsen Lai ◽

Junjie Lei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Respiration ◽

Carbon Cycling ◽

Forest Canopy ◽

Carbon Sink ◽

N Deposition ◽

Net Ecosystem Production ◽

Moso Bamboo ◽

Atmospheric N Deposition ◽

Ecosystem Carbon ◽

Ecosystem Production

Nitrogen (N) deposition has been well documented to cause substantial impacts on ecosystem carbon cycling. However, the majority studies of stimulating N deposition by direct N addition to forest floor have neglected some key ecological processes in forest canopy (e.g., N retention and absorption) and might not fully represent realistic atmospheric N deposition and its effects on ecosystem carbon cycling. In this study, we stimulated both canopy and understory N deposition (50 and 100 kg N ha−1 year−1) with a local atmospheric NHx:NOy ratio of 2.08:1, aiming to assess whether canopy and understory N deposition had similar effects on soil respiration (RS) and net ecosystem production (NEP) in Moso bamboo forests. Results showed that RS, soil autotrophic (RA), and heterotrophic respiration (RH) were 2971 ± 597, 1472 ± 579, and 1499 ± 56 g CO2 m−2 year−1 for sites without N deposition (CN0), respectively. Canopy and understory N deposition did not significantly affect RS, RA, and RH, and the effects of canopy and understory N deposition on these soil fluxes were similar. NEP was 1940 ± 826 g CO2 m−2 year−1 for CN0, which was a carbon sink, indicating that Moso bamboo forest the potential to play an important role alleviating global climate change. Meanwhile, the effects of canopy and understory N deposition on NEP were similar. These findings did not support the previous predictions postulating that understory N deposition would overestimate the effects of N deposition on carbon cycling. However, due to the limitation of short duration of N deposition, an increase in the duration of N deposition manipulation is urgent and essential to enhance our understanding of the role of canopy processes in ecosystem carbon fluxes in the future.

Download Full-text

Biochar reduces soil heterotrophic respiration in a subtropical plantation through increasing soil organic carbon recalcitrancy and decreasing carbon-degrading microbial activity

Soil Biology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.04.019 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 122 ◽

pp. 173-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Yongchun Li ◽

Yongfu Li ◽

Scott X. Chang ◽

Yunfeng Yang ◽

Shenglei Fu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Microbial Activity ◽

Heterotrophic Respiration ◽

Soil Heterotrophic Respiration

Download Full-text

Soil heterotrophic respiration assessment using minimally disturbed soil microcosm cores

MethodsX ◽

10.1016/j.mex.2018.07.014 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 834-840 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Louis-Pierre Comeau ◽

Derrick Y.F. Lai ◽

Jane Jinglan Cui ◽

Jodie Hartill

Keyword(s):

Soil Microcosm ◽

Heterotrophic Respiration ◽

Disturbed Soil ◽

Soil Heterotrophic Respiration

Download Full-text

Are Earth system models able to reproduce the soil heterotrophic respiration fluxes?

10.5194/ismc2021-23 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bertrand Guenet ◽

Jérémie Orliac ◽

Lauric Cécillon ◽

Olivier Torres ◽

Laurent Bopp

Keyword(s):

Soil Respiration ◽

Coupled Model ◽

Global Scale ◽

Heterotrophic Respiration ◽

Earth System ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Microbial Decomposition ◽

System Models ◽

Earth System Models ◽

Climate Dynamic

Earth system models (ESMs) are numerical representations of the Earth system aiming at representing the climate dynamic including feedbacks between climate and carbon cycle. CO2 flux due to soil respiration including heterotrophic respiration coming from the soil organic matter (SOM) microbial decomposition and autotrophic respiration coming from the roots respiration is one of the most important flux between the surface and the atmosphere. Thus, even small changes in this flux may impact drastically the climate dynamic. It is therefore essential that ESMs reliably reproduce soil respiration. Until recently, such an evaluation at global scale of the ESMs was not straightforward because of the absence of observation-derived product to evaluate heterotrophic respiration fluxes from ESMs at global scale. Recently, several gridded products were published opening a new research avenue on climate-carbon feedbacks. In this study, we used simulations from 13 ESMs performed within the sixth coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP6) and we evaluate their capacities to reproduce the heterotrophic respiration flux using three gridded observation-based products. We first evaluate the total heterotrophic respiration flux for each model as well as the spatial patterns. We observed that most of the models are able to reproduce the total heterotrophic respiration flux but the spatial analysis underlined that this was partially due to some bias compensation between regions overestimating the flux and regions underestimating the flux. To better identify the causes of the identified bias in predicting the total heterotrophic respiration flux, we analysed the residues of ESMs using linear mixed effect models and we observed that lithology and climate were the most important drivers of the ESMs residues. Our results suggest that the response of SOM microbial decomposition to soil moisture and temperature must be improved in the next ESMs generation and that the effect of lithology should be better taken into account.

Download Full-text