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No diurnal variation in rate or carbon isotope composition of soil respiration in a boreal forest

Betson, Nicholas ; Göttlicher, Sabine ; Hall, Marianne LU ; Wallin, Göran ; Richter, Andreas and Högberg, Peter (2007) In Tree Physiology 27(5). p.749-756
Abstract
Characterization of soil respiration rates and δ13C values of soil-respired CO2 are often based on measurements at a particular time of day. A study by Gower et al. (2001) in a boreal forest demonstrated diurnal patterns of soil CO2 flux using transparent measurement chambers that included the understory

vegetation. It is unclear whether these diurnal patterns were solely the result of photosynthetic CO2 uptake during the day by the understory or whether there were underlying trends in soil respiration, perhaps driven by plant root allocation, as recently demonstrated in Mediterranean oak savannah. We undertook intensive sampling campaigns in a boreal Picea abies L. Karst. forest to investigate whether diurnal variations in soil... (More)
Characterization of soil respiration rates and δ13C values of soil-respired CO2 are often based on measurements at a particular time of day. A study by Gower et al. (2001) in a boreal forest demonstrated diurnal patterns of soil CO2 flux using transparent measurement chambers that included the understory

vegetation. It is unclear whether these diurnal patterns were solely the result of photosynthetic CO2 uptake during the day by the understory or whether there were underlying trends in soil respiration, perhaps driven by plant root allocation, as recently demonstrated in Mediterranean oak savannah. We undertook intensive sampling campaigns in a boreal Picea abies L. Karst. forest to investigate whether diurnal variations in soil respiration rate and stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) exist in this ecosystem when no understory vegetation is present in the measurement chamber. Soil respiration rates and δ13C were measured on plots in which trees were either girdled (to terminate the fraction of soil respiration directly dependent on recent photosynthate from the trees), or not girdled, every 4 h over two 48-hour cycles during the growth season of 2004.

Shoot photosynthesis and environmental parameters were measured concurrently. No diurnal patterns in soil respiration rates and δ13C were

observed in either treatment, despite substantial variations in climatic conditions and shoot photosynthetic rates in non-girdled trees. Consequently, assessment of daily soil respiration rates and δ13C in boreal forest systems by single, instantaneous daily measurements does not appear to be confounded by substantial diurnal variation. (Less)
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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Picea abies L., (diurnal) soil respiration, spatial variation, tree girdling.
in
Tree Physiology
volume
27
issue
5
pages
749 - 756
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:34250878378
ISSN
1758-4469
DOI
10.1093/treephys/27.5.749
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
3da6aa7d-df8a-4ec3-a3c9-5e1c7e3403cc (old id 4936305)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:48:39
date last changed
2022-04-12 12:22:01
@article{3da6aa7d-df8a-4ec3-a3c9-5e1c7e3403cc,
  abstract     = {{Characterization of soil respiration rates and δ13C values of soil-respired CO2 are often based on measurements at a particular time of day. A study by Gower et al. (2001) in a boreal forest demonstrated diurnal patterns of soil CO2 flux using transparent measurement chambers that included the understory<br/><br>
vegetation. It is unclear whether these diurnal patterns were solely the result of photosynthetic CO2 uptake during the day by the understory or whether there were underlying trends in soil respiration, perhaps driven by plant root allocation, as recently demonstrated in Mediterranean oak savannah. We undertook intensive sampling campaigns in a boreal Picea abies L. Karst. forest to investigate whether diurnal variations in soil respiration rate and stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) exist in this ecosystem when no understory vegetation is present in the measurement chamber. Soil respiration rates and δ13C were measured on plots in which trees were either girdled (to terminate the fraction of soil respiration directly dependent on recent photosynthate from the trees), or not girdled, every 4 h over two 48-hour cycles during the growth season of 2004.<br/><br>
Shoot photosynthesis and environmental parameters were measured concurrently. No diurnal patterns in soil respiration rates and δ13C were<br/><br>
observed in either treatment, despite substantial variations in climatic conditions and shoot photosynthetic rates in non-girdled trees. Consequently, assessment of daily soil respiration rates and δ13C in boreal forest systems by single, instantaneous daily measurements does not appear to be confounded by substantial diurnal variation.}},
  author       = {{Betson, Nicholas and Göttlicher, Sabine and Hall, Marianne and Wallin, Göran and Richter, Andreas and Högberg, Peter}},
  issn         = {{1758-4469}},
  keywords     = {{Picea abies L.; (diurnal) soil respiration; spatial variation; tree girdling.}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{749--756}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Tree Physiology}},
  title        = {{No diurnal variation in rate or carbon isotope composition of soil respiration in a boreal forest}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/treephys/27.5.749}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/treephys/27.5.749}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}