scholarly journals Vegetation heterogeneity and landscape position exert strong controls on soil CO<sub>2</sub> efflux in a moist, Appalachian watershed

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 17631-17673 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Atkins ◽  
H. E. Epstein ◽  
D. L. Welsch
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Soil Co2 Efflux ◽  
Landscape Position ◽  
Temperature Threshold ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Vegetation Heterogeneity

Abstract. In topographically complex watersheds, landscape position and vegetation heterogeneity can alter the soil water regime through both lateral and vertical redistribution, respectively. These alterations of soil moisture may have significant impacts on the spatial heterogeneity of biogeochemical cycles throughout the watershed. To evaluate how landscape position and vegetation heterogeneity affect soil CO2 efflux (FSOIL) we conducted observations across the Weimer Run watershed (373 ha), located near Davis, West Virginia, for three growing seasons with varying precipitation (2010 – 1042 mm; 2011 – 1739 mm; 2012 – 1244 mm; precipitation data from BDKW2 station, MesoWest, University of Utah). An apparent soil temperature threshold of 11 °C at 12 cm depth on FSOIL was observed in our data – where FSOIL rates greatly increase in variance above this threshold. For analysis, FSOIL values above this threshold were isolated and examined. Differences in FSOIL among years were apparent by elevation (F4,633 = 3.17; p = 0.013) and by vegetation cover (F4, 633 = 2.96; p = 0.019). For the Weimer Run watershed, vegetation exerts the major control on soil CO2 efflux (FSOIL), with the plots beneath shrubs at all elevations for all years showing the greatest mean rates of FSOIL (6.07 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1) compared to plots beneath closed-forest canopy (4.69 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1) and plots located in open, forest gaps (4.09 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1) plots. During periods of high soil moisture, we find that CO2 efflux rates are constrained and that maximum efflux rates in this system occur during periods of average to below average soil water availability. These findings offer valuable insight into the processes occurring within these topographically complex, temperate and humid systems, and the interactions of abiotic and biotic factors mediating biogeochemical cycles. With possible changing rainfall patterns as predicted by climate models, it is important to understand the couplings between water and carbon cycling at the watershed and landscape scales, and their potential dynamics under global change scenarios.

scholarly journals Vegetation and elevation influence the timing and magnitude of soil CO<sub>2</sub> efflux in a humid, topographically complex watershed

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2975-2994 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Atkins ◽  
H. E. Epstein ◽  
D. L. Welsch
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Landscape Position ◽  
Temperature Threshold ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
High Soil Moisture ◽  
Vegetation Heterogeneity

Abstract. In topographically complex watersheds, landscape position and vegetation heterogeneity can alter the soil water regime through both lateral and vertical redistribution, respectively. These alterations of soil moisture may have significant impacts on the spatial heterogeneity of biogeochemical cycles throughout the watershed. To evaluate how landscape position and vegetation heterogeneity affect soil CO2 efflux (FSOIL), we conducted observations across the Weimer Run watershed (373 ha), located near Davis, West Virginia, for three growing seasons with varying precipitation. An apparent soil temperature threshold of 11 °C for FSOIL at 12 cm depth was observed in our data, where FSOIL rates greatly increase in variance above this threshold. We therefore focus our analyses of FSOIL on instances in which soil temperature values were above this threshold. Vegetation had the greatest effect on FSOIL rates, with plots beneath shrubs at all elevations, for all years, showing the greatest mean rates of FSOIL (6.07 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) compared to plots beneath closed-forest canopy (4.69 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) and plots located in open, forest gap (4.09 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) plots. During periods of high soil moisture, we find that CO2 efflux rates are constrained, and that maximum efflux rates occur during periods of average to below-average soil water availability. While vegetation was the variable most related to FSOIL, there is also strong interannual variability in fluxes determined by the interaction of annual precipitation and topography. These findings add to the current theoretical constructs related to the interactions of moisture and vegetation in biogeochemical cycles within topographically complex watersheds.

scholarly journals Significance of soil respiration from biological activity in the degradation processes of different types of organic matter

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-179
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Temperature Sensitivity ◽  
Soil Co2 Efflux ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Total Soil

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.

scholarly journals Spatially variable soil water repellency enhances soil respiration rates (CO<sub>2</sub> efflux)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Urbanek ◽  
Stefan H. Doerr
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Water Repellent ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Soil Water Repellency

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.

scholarly journals Soil CO2 efflux in a beech forest: dependence on soil temperature and soil water content

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Epron ◽  
Lætitia Farque ◽  
Éric Lucot ◽  
Pierre-Marie Badot
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Soil Co2 Efflux ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Forest Dependence

scholarly journals Hot-Moments of Soil CO2 Efflux in a Water-Limited Grassland

Soil Systems ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Vargas ◽  
Enrique Sánchez-Cañete P. ◽  
Penélope Serrano-Ortiz ◽  
Jorge Curiel Yuste ◽  
Francisco Domingo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Empirical Models ◽  
Soil Co2 Efflux ◽  
Wavelet Coherence ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Co2 Fluxes ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Precipitation Pulses

The metabolic activity of water-limited ecosystems is strongly linked to the timing and magnitude of precipitation pulses that can trigger disproportionately high (i.e., hot-moments) ecosystem CO2 fluxes. We analyzed over 2-years of continuous measurements of soil CO2 efflux (Fs) under vegetation (Fsveg) and at bare soil (Fsbare) in a water-limited grassland. The continuous wavelet transform was used to: (a) describe the temporal variability of Fs; (b) test the performance of empirical models ranging in complexity; and (c) identify hot-moments of Fs. We used partial wavelet coherence (PWC) analysis to test the temporal correlation between Fs with temperature and soil moisture. The PWC analysis provided evidence that soil moisture overshadows the influence of soil temperature for Fs in this water limited ecosystem. Precipitation pulses triggered hot-moments that increased Fsveg (up to 9000%) and Fsbare (up to 17,000%) with respect to pre-pulse rates. Highly parameterized empirical models (using support vector machine (SVM) or an 8-day moving window) are good approaches for representing the daily temporal variability of Fs, but SVM is a promising approach to represent high temporal variability of Fs (i.e., hourly estimates). Our results have implications for the representation of hot-moments of ecosystem CO2 fluxes in these globally distributed ecosystems.

scholarly journals Response of Soil CO2 Efflux to Shelterwood Harvesting in a Mature Temperate Pine Forest

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Robin Thorne ◽  
Myroslava Khomik ◽  
Emily Hayman ◽  
Altaf Arain
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Soil Co2 Efflux ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Carbon Exchange ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Harvesting ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon Exchange

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.

Soil carbon dioxide efflux determined from large undisturbed soil cores collected in different soil management systems

Biologia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eszter Tóth ◽  
Sándor Koós ◽  
Csilla Farkas
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Measuring Method ◽  
Soil Co2 Efflux ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Undisturbed Soil

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate a measuring technique for determining soil CO2 efflux from large soil samples having undisturbed structure under controlled laboratory conditions. Further objectives were to use the developed measuring method for comparing soil CO2 efflux from samples, collected in three different soil management systems at various soil water content values. The experimental technique was tested and optimised for timing of sampling by taking air samples after 1, 3 and 6 hours of incubation. Based on the results, the incubation time was set to three hours. The CO2 efflux measured for different soil management systems was the highest in the no-till and the lowest in the ploughing treatment, which was in accordance with measurements on accessible organic carbon for microbes. An increase in CO2 efflux with increasing soil water content was found in the studied soil water content range. Our results indicate that soil respiration rates, measured directly after tillage operations, can highly differ from those measured long after.

Contribution of soil moisture to seasonal and annual variations of soil CO2 efflux in a humid cool-temperate oak-birch forest in central Japan

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayaka Wenhong Kishimoto-Mo ◽  
Seiichiro Yonemura ◽  
Masaki Uchida ◽  
Miyuki Kondo ◽  
Shohei Murayama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Co2 Efflux ◽  
Birch Forest ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Central Japan ◽  
Annual Variations ◽  
Cool Temperate
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