scholarly journals Soil CO<sub>2</sub> efflux of a larch forest in northern Japan

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 3447-3457 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Liang ◽  
T. Hirano ◽  
Z.-M. Zheng ◽  
J. Tang ◽  
Y. Fujinuma

Abstract. We had continuously measured soil CO2 efflux (Rs) in a larch forest in northern Japan at hourly intervals for the snow-free period in 2003 with an automated chamber system and partitioned Rs into heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and autotrophic respiration (Rr) by using the trench method. In addition, we applied the soil CO2 concentration gradients method to continuously measure soil CO2 profiles under snowpack in the snowy period and to partition Rs into topsoil (Oa and A horizons) CO2 efflux (Ft) with a depth of 0.13 m and sub-soil (C horizon) CO2 efflux (Fc). We found that soil CO2 effluxes were strongly affected by the seasonal variation of soil temperature but weakly correlated with soil moisture, probably because the volumetric soil moisture (30–40% at 95% confidence interval) was within a plateau region for root and microbial activities. The soil CO2 effluxes changed seasonally in parallel with soil temperature in topsoil with the peak in late summer. On the other hand, the contribution of Rr to Rs was the largest at about 50% in early summer, when canopy photosynthesis and plant growth were more active. The temperature sensitivity (Q10) of Rr peaked in June. Under snowpack, Rs was stable until mid-March and then gradually increased with snow melting. Rs summed up to 79 gC m−2 during the snowy season for 4 months. The annual Rs was determined at 934 gC m−2 y−1 in 2003, which accounted for 63% of ecosystem respiration. The annual contributions of Rh and Rs to Rs were 57% and 43%, respectively. Based on the gradient approach, Rs was partitioned vertically into litter (Oi and Oe horizons) with a depth of 0.01–0.02 m, topsoil and sub-soil respirations with proportions of 6, 72 and 22%, respectively, on an annual basis. The vertical distribution of CO2 efflux was consistent with those of soil carbon and root biomass.

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-179

Soil respiration is a major component of global carbon cycle. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the environmental controls on soil respiration for evaluating potential response of ecosystems to climate change. In a temperate deciduous forest (located in Northern-Hungary) we added or removed aboveground and belowground litter to determine total soil respiration. We investigated the relationship between total soil CO2 efflux, soil moisture, and soil temperature. Soil CO2 efflux was measured at each plot using soda-lime method. Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (Q10) was monitored via measuring soil temperature on an hourly basis, while soil moisture was determined monthly. Soil respiration increased in control plots from the second year after implementing the treatment, but results showed fluctuations from one year to another. The effect of doubled litter was less significant than the effect of removal. Removed litter and root inputs caused substantial decrease in soil respiration. We found that temperature was more influential in the control of soil respiration than soil moisture. In plots with no litter Q10 varied in the largest interval. For treatment with doubled litter layer, temperature sensitivity of CO2 efflux did not change considerably. The effect of increasing soil temperature is more conspicuous to soil respiration in litter removal treatments since lack of litter causes greater irradiation. When exclusively leaf litter was considered, the effect of temperature on soil respiration was lower in treatments with added litter than with removed litter. Our results reveal that soil life is impacted by the absence of organic matter, rather than by an excess of organic matter. Results of CO2 emission from soils with different organic matter content can contribute to sustainable land use, considering the changed climatic factors caused by global climate change.


Soil Research ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 727 ◽  
Author(s):  
XiaoGuo Wang ◽  
Bo Zhu ◽  
MeiRong Gao ◽  
YanQiang Wang ◽  
XunHua Zheng

CO2 emissions from soils were measured under 3 land-use types at the adjacent plots of forest plantation, grassland, and cropland from January 2005 to December 2006. Mean soil CO2 efflux rates measured during the 2-year study varied from 59 to 527 mg CO2/m2.h in forest plantation, 37 to 498 mg CO2/m2.h in grassland, and 32 to 397 mg CO2/m2.h in cropland. Soil respiration in the 3 types of land-use showed a similar seasonal pattern in variation during both years, in which the single-peaked curve occurred in early summer and the minimum in winter. In particular, the date of maximum soil CO2 efflux rate in cropland occurred about 30 days earlier than in forest and grassland in both 2005 and 2006. The relationship of soil respiration rate (R) with soil temperature (T ) and soil moisture (W ) fitted well to the equation R = β0eβ1TW β2 (a, b, c were constants) than other univariate models which consider soil water content or soil temperature alone. Soil temperature and soil moisture together explained 69–92% of the temporal variation in soil respiration in the 3 land-use types. Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (Q10) was affected positively by soil moisture of top 0.1 m layer and negatively by soil temperature at 0.05 m depth. The relationship between Q10 values and soil temperature (T ) or soil moisture (W ) indicated that a 1°C increase in soil temperature at 0.05 m depth will reduce the Q10 value by 0.07, 0.05, and 0.06 in forest, grassland, and cropland, respectively. Similarly, a 1% decrease in soil moisture of the top 0.1 m layer will reduce the Q10 value by 0.10, 0.09, and 0.11 in forest, grassland, and cropland.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Robin Thorne ◽  
Myroslava Khomik ◽  
Emily Hayman ◽  
Altaf Arain

In forest ecosystems, soil CO2 efflux is an important component of ecosystem respiration (RE), which is generally driven by variability in soil temperature and soil moisture. Tree harvesting in forests can alter the soil variables and, consequently, impact soil CO2 efflux. This study investigated the response of total soil CO2 efflux, and its components, to a shelterwood harvesting event of a mature temperate white pine (Pinus strobus L.) forest located in Southern Ontario, Canada. The objective was to explore the response of soil CO2 effluxes to changes in the forest microclimate, such as soil temperature and soil moisture, after shelterwood harvesting removed approximately one-third of the overstory canopy. No significant differences were found in both soil temperature and soil moisture between the pre-harvesting (2008–2011) and post-harvesting (2012–2014) periods. Despite similar soil microclimates, total soil CO2 effluxes were significantly reduced by up to 37%. Soil CO2 effluxes from heterotrophic sources were significantly reduced post-harvesting by approximately 27%, while no significant difference in the mineral-soil horizon sources were measured. An analysis of RE, measured with an eddy covariance tower over the study area, showed an increase post-harvesting. However, the overall net ecosystem carbon exchange showed no significant difference between pre- and post-harvesting. This was due to an increase in the gross ecosystem productivity post-harvesting, compensating for the increased losses (i.e., increased RE). This study highlights the complexities of soil CO2 efflux after a disturbance, such as a harvest. The knowledge gained from this study adds to our understanding of how shelterwood harvesting may influence ecosystem carbon exchange and will be useful for forest managers focused on carbon sequestration and forest conservation.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 3077-3092 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Taneva ◽  
M. A. Gonzalez-Meler

Abstract. Soil respiration (RS) is a major flux in the global carbon (C) cycle. Responses of RS to changing environmental conditions may exert a strong control on the residence time of C in terrestrial ecosystems and in turn influence the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. Soil respiration consists of several components oxidizing soil C from different pools, age and chemistry. The mechanisms underlying the temporal variability of RS components are poorly understood. In this study, we used the long-term whole-ecosystem 13C tracer at the Duke Forest Free Air CO2 Enrichment site to separate forest RS into its autotrophic (RR) and heterotrophic components (RH). The contribution of RH to RS was further partitioned into litter decomposition (RL), and decomposition of soil organic matter (RSOM) of two age classes – up to 8 yr old and SOM older than 8 yr. Soil respiration was generally dominated by RSOM during the growing season (44% of daytime RS), especially at night. The contribution of heterotrophic respiration (RSOM and RL) to RS was not constant, indicating that the seasonal variability in RR alone cannot explain seasonal variation in RS. Although there was no diurnal variability in RS, there were significant compensatory differences in the contribution of individual RS components to daytime and nighttime rates. The average contribution of RSOM to RS was greater at night (54%) than during the day (44%). The average contribution of RR to total RS was ~30% during the day and ~34% during the night. In contrast, RL constituted 26% of RS during the day and only 12% at night. About 95% of the decomposition of soil C older than 8 yr (Rpre-tr) originated from RSOM and showed more pronounced and consistent diurnal variability than any other RS component; nighttime rates were on average 29% higher than daytime rates. In contrast, the decomposition of more recent, post-treatment C (Rpre-tr) did not vary diurnally. None of the diurnal variations in components of RH could be explained by only temperature and moisture variations. Our results indicate that the variation observed in the components of RS is the result of complex interaction between dominant biotic controls (e.g. plant activity, mineralization kinetics, competition for substrates) over abiotic controls (temperature, moisture). The interactions and controls among roots and other soil organisms that utilize C of different chemistry, accessibility and ages, results in the overall soil CO2 efflux. Therefore understanding the controls on the components of RS is necessary to elucidate the influence of ecosystem respiration on atmospheric C-pools at different time scales.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5567-5579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Kim ◽  
K. Nishina ◽  
N. Chae ◽  
S. J. Park ◽  
Y. J. Yoon ◽  
...  

Abstract. The tundra ecosystem is quite vulnerable to drastic climate change in the Arctic, and the quantification of carbon dynamics is of significant importance regarding thawing permafrost, changes to the snow-covered period and snow and shrub community extent, and the decline of sea ice in the Arctic. Here, CO2 efflux measurements using a manual chamber system within a 40 m × 40 m (5 m interval; 81 total points) plot were conducted within dominant tundra vegetation on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska, during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012, for the assessment of driving parameters of CO2 efflux. We applied a hierarchical Bayesian (HB) model – a function of soil temperature, soil moisture, vegetation type, and thaw depth – to quantify the effects of environmental factors on CO2 efflux and to estimate growing season CO2 emissions. Our results showed that average CO2 efflux in 2011 was 1.4 times higher than in 2012, resulting from the distinct difference in soil moisture between the 2 years. Tussock-dominated CO2 efflux is 1.4 to 2.3 times higher than those measured in lichen and moss communities, revealing tussock as a significant CO2 source in the Arctic, with a wide area distribution on the circumpolar scale. CO2 efflux followed soil temperature nearly exponentially from both the observed data and the posterior medians of the HB model. This reveals that soil temperature regulates the seasonal variation of CO2 efflux and that soil moisture contributes to the interannual variation of CO2 efflux for the two growing seasons in question. Obvious changes in soil moisture during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012 resulted in an explicit difference between CO2 effluxes – 742 and 539 g CO2 m−2 period−1 for 2011 and 2012, respectively, suggesting the 2012 CO2 emission rate was reduced to 27% (95% credible interval: 17–36%) of the 2011 emission, due to higher soil moisture from severe rain. The estimated growing season CO2 emission rate ranged from 0.86 Mg CO2 in 2012 to 1.20 Mg CO2 in 2011 within a 40 m × 40 m plot, corresponding to 86 and 80% of annual CO2 emission rates within the western Alaska tundra ecosystem, estimated from the temperature dependence of CO2 efflux. Therefore, this HB model can be readily applied to observed CO2 efflux, as it demands only four environmental factors and can also be effective for quantitatively assessing the driving parameters of CO2 efflux.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 779-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. de Araújo ◽  
J. P. H. B. Ometto ◽  
A. J. Dolman ◽  
B. Kruijt ◽  
M. J. Waterloo ◽  
...  

Abstract. The carbon isotope of a leaf (δ13Cleaf) is generally more negative in riparian zones than in areas with low soil moisture content or rainfall input. In Central Amazonia, the small-scale topography is composed of plateaus and valleys, with plateaus generally having a lower soil moisture status than the valley edges in the dry season. Yet in the dry season, the nocturnal accumulation of CO2 is higher in the valleys than on the plateaus. Samples of sunlit leaves and atmospheric air were collected along a topographical gradient in the dry season to test whether the δ13Cleaf of sunlit leaves and the carbon isotope ratio of ecosystem respired CO2 (δ13CReco) may be more negative in the valley than those on the plateau. The δ13Cleaf was significantly more negative in the valley than on the plateau. Factors considered to be driving the observed variability in δ13Cleaf were: leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf mass per unit area (LMA), soil moisture availability, more negative carbon isotope ratio of atmospheric CO2 (δ13Ca) in the valleys during daytime hours, and leaf discrimination (Δleaf). The observed pattern of δ13Cleaf might suggest that water-use efficiency (WUE) is higher on the plateaus than in the valleys. However, there was no full supporting evidence for this because it remains unclear how much of the difference in δ13Cleaf was driven by physiology or &amp;delta13Ca. The δ13CReco was more negative in the valleys than on the plateaus on some nights, whereas in others it was not. It is likely that lateral drainage of CO2 enriched in 13C from upslope areas might have happened when the nights were less stable. Biotic factors such as soil CO2 efflux (Rsoil) and the responses of plants to environmental variables such as vapor pressure deficit (D) may also play a role. The preferential pooling of CO2 in the low-lying areas of this landscape may confound the interpretation of δ13Cleaf and δ13CReco.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 4459-4506
Author(s):  
A. C. de Araújo ◽  
J. P. H. B. Ometto ◽  
A. J. Dolman ◽  
B. Kruijt ◽  
M. J. Waterloo ◽  
...  

Abstract. The carbon isotope of a leaf (δ13Cleaf) is generally more negative in riparian zones than in areas with low soil moisture content or rainfall input. In Central Amazonia, the small-scale topography is composed of plateaus and valleys, with plateaus generally being drier than the valley edges in the dry season. The nocturnal accumulation of CO2 is higher in the valleys than on the plateaus in the dry season. The CO2 stored in the valleys takes longer to be released than that on the plateaus, and sometimes the atmospheric CO2 concentration (ca) does not drop to the same level as on the plateaus at any time during the day. Samples of sunlit leaves and atmospheric air were collected along a topographical gradient to test whether the δ13Cleaf of sunlit leaves and the carbon isotope ratio of ecosystem respired CO2 (δ13CR) may be more negative in the valley than those on the plateau. The δ13Cleaf was significantly more negative in the valley than on the plateau. Factors considered to be driving the observed variability in δ13Cleaf were: leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf mass per unit area (LMA), soil moisture availability, more negative carbon isotope ratio of atmospheric CO2 (δ13Ca) in the valleys during daytime hours, and leaf discrimination (Δleaf). The observed pattern of δ13Cleaf suggests that water-use efficiency (WUE) may be higher on the plateaus than in the valleys. The ;13CR was more negative in the valleys than on the plateaus on some nights, whereas in others it was not. It is likely that lateral drainage of CO2 enriched in 13C from upslope areas might have happened when the nights were less stable. Biotic factors such as soil CO2 efflux (Rsoil) and the responses of plants to environmental variables such as vapor pressure deficit (D) may also play a role.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Urbanek ◽  
Stefan H. Doerr

Abstract. Soil CO2 emissions are strongly dependent on water distribution in soil pores, which in turn can be affected by soil water repellency (SWR; hydrophobicity). SWR restricts infiltration and movement of water, affecting soil hydrology as well as biological and chemical processes. Effects of SWR on soil carbon dynamics and specifically on soil respiration (CO2 efflux) have been studied in a few laboratory experiments but they remain poorly understood. Existing studies suggest that soil respiration is reduced in water repellent soils, but the responses of soil CO2 efflux to varying water distribution created by SWR are not yet known. Here we report on the first field-based study that tests whether soil water repellency indeed reduces soil respiration, based on in situ field measurements carried out over three consecutive years at a grassland and pine forest site under the humid temperate climate of the UK. CO2 efflux was reduced on occasions when soil exhibited consistently high SWR and low soil moisture following long dry spells. However, the highest respiration rates occurred not when SWR was absent, but when SWR, and thus soil moisture, was spatially patchy, a pattern observed for the majority of the measurement period. This somewhat surprising phenomenon can be explained by SWR-induced preferential flow, directing water and nutrients to microorganisms decomposing organic matter concentrated in hot spots near preferential flow paths. Water repellent zones provide air-filled pathways through the soil, which facilitate soil-atmosphere O2 and CO2 exchanges. This study demonstrates that SWR have contrasting effects on CO2 fluxes and, when spatially-variable, can enhance CO2 efflux. Spatial variability in SWR and associated soil moisture distribution needs to be considered when evaluating the effects of SWR on soil carbon dynamics under current and predicted future climatic conditions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Merbold ◽  
W. Ziegler ◽  
M. M. Mukelabai ◽  
W. L. Kutsch

Abstract. Carbon dioxide efflux from the soil surface was measured over a period of several weeks within a heterogeneous Brachystegia spp. dominated miombo woodland in Western Zambia. The objectives were to examine spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration along a disturbance gradient from a protected forest reserve to a cut, burned, and grazed area outside, and to relate the flux to various abiotic and biotic drivers. The highest daily mean fluxes (around 12 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) were measured in the protected forest in the wet season and lowest daily mean fluxes (around 1 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) in the most disturbed area during the dry season. Diurnal variation of soil respiration was closely correlated with soil temperature. The combination of soil water content and soil temperature was found to be the main driving factor at seasonal time scale. There was a 75% decrease in soil CO2 efflux during the dry season and a 20% difference in peak soil respiratory flux measured in 2008 and 2009. Spatial variation of CO2 efflux was positively related to total soil carbon content in the undisturbed area but not at the disturbed site. Coefficients of variation of efflux rates between plots decreased towards the core zone of the protected forest reserve. Normalized soil respiration values did not vary significantly along the disturbance gradient. Spatial variation of respiration did not show a clear distinction between the disturbed and undisturbed sites and could not be explained by variables such as leaf area index. In contrast, within plot variability of soil respiration was explained by soil organic carbon content. Three different approaches to calculate total ecosystem respiration (Reco) from eddy covariance measurements were compared to two bottom-up estimates of Reco obtained from chambers measurements of soil- and leaf respiration which differed in the consideration of spatial heterogeneity. The consideration of spatial variability resulted only in small changes of Reco when compared to simple averaging. Total ecosystem respiration at the plot scale, obtained by eddy covariance differed by up to 25% in relation to values calculated from the soil- and leaf chamber efflux measurements but without showing a clear trend.


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