Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soil
<p>Large amounts of total organic carbon are temporarily stored in soils, which makes soil respiration one of the major sources of terrestrial CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> fluxes within the global carbon cycle. More than half of global so...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/17/6341/2020/bg-17-6341-2020.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818721026996961280 |
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| author | P. Wordell-Dietrich P. Wordell-Dietrich A. Wotte A. Wotte J. Rethemeyer J. Bachmann M. Helfrich K. Kirfel C. Leuschner A. Don |
| author_facet | P. Wordell-Dietrich P. Wordell-Dietrich A. Wotte A. Wotte J. Rethemeyer J. Bachmann M. Helfrich K. Kirfel C. Leuschner A. Don |
| author_sort | P. Wordell-Dietrich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Large amounts of total organic carbon are temporarily stored in soils, which makes soil respiration one of the major sources of terrestrial CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> fluxes within the global carbon cycle. More than half of global soil organic carbon (SOC) is stored in subsoils (below 30 cm), which represent a significant carbon (C) pool. Although several studies and models have investigated soil respiration, little is known about the quantitative contribution of subsoils to total soil respiration or about the sources of CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production in subsoils. In a 2-year field study in a European beech forest in northern Germany, vertical CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> concentration profiles were continuously measured at three locations, and CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production was quantified in the topsoil and the subsoil. To determine the contribution of fresh litter-derived C to CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production in the three soil profiles, an isotopic labelling experiment, using <span class="inline-formula"><sup>13</sup></span>C-enriched leaf litter, was performed. Additionally, radiocarbon measurements of CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the soil atmosphere were used to obtain information about the age of the C source in the CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production. At the study site, it was found that 90 % of total soil respiration was produced in the first 30 cm of the soil profile, where 53 % of the SOC stock is stored. Freshly labelled litter inputs in the form of dissolved organic matter were only a minor source for CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production below a depth of 10 cm. In the first 2 months after litter application, fresh litter-derived C contributed, on average, 1 % at 10 cm depth and 0.1 % at 150 cm depth to CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the soil profile. Thereafter, its contribution was less than 0.3 % and 0.05 % at 10 and 150 cm depths, respectively. Furthermore CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the soil profile had the same modern radiocarbon signature at all depths, indicating that CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the subsoil originated from young C sources despite a radiocarbon age bulk SOC in the subsoil. This suggests that fresh C inputs in subsoils, in the form of roots and root exudates, are rapidly respired, and that other subsoil SOC seems to be relatively stable. The field labelling experiment also revealed a downward diffusion of <span class="inline-formula"><sup>13</sup></span>CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the soil profile against the total CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> gradient. This isotopic dependency should be taken into account when using labelled <span class="inline-formula"><sup>13</sup></span>C and <span class="inline-formula"><sup>14</sup></span>C isotope data as an age proxy for CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> sources in the soil.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T20:32:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a3ba88f224454cf3ae82ce2f931fdfc7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T20:32:12Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-a3ba88f224454cf3ae82ce2f931fdfc72022-12-21T21:33:32ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892020-12-01176341635610.5194/bg-17-6341-2020Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soilP. Wordell-Dietrich0P. Wordell-Dietrich1A. Wotte2A. Wotte3J. Rethemeyer4J. Bachmann5M. Helfrich6K. Kirfel7C. Leuschner8A. Don9Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecology, Technische Universität Dresden, Pienner Straße 19, 01737 Tharandt, GermanyThünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 65, 38116 Braunschweig, GermanyInstitute of Geology, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Bernhard-von-Cotta Straße 2, 09599 Freiberg, GermanyInstitute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 49b, 50674 Cologne, GermanyInstitute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 49b, 50674 Cologne, GermanyInstitute of Soil Science, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30451 Hannover, GermanyThünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 65, 38116 Braunschweig, GermanyPlant Ecology, Albrecht Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen, GermanyPlant Ecology, Albrecht Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen, GermanyThünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 65, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany<p>Large amounts of total organic carbon are temporarily stored in soils, which makes soil respiration one of the major sources of terrestrial CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> fluxes within the global carbon cycle. More than half of global soil organic carbon (SOC) is stored in subsoils (below 30 cm), which represent a significant carbon (C) pool. Although several studies and models have investigated soil respiration, little is known about the quantitative contribution of subsoils to total soil respiration or about the sources of CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production in subsoils. In a 2-year field study in a European beech forest in northern Germany, vertical CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> concentration profiles were continuously measured at three locations, and CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production was quantified in the topsoil and the subsoil. To determine the contribution of fresh litter-derived C to CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production in the three soil profiles, an isotopic labelling experiment, using <span class="inline-formula"><sup>13</sup></span>C-enriched leaf litter, was performed. Additionally, radiocarbon measurements of CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the soil atmosphere were used to obtain information about the age of the C source in the CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production. At the study site, it was found that 90 % of total soil respiration was produced in the first 30 cm of the soil profile, where 53 % of the SOC stock is stored. Freshly labelled litter inputs in the form of dissolved organic matter were only a minor source for CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> production below a depth of 10 cm. In the first 2 months after litter application, fresh litter-derived C contributed, on average, 1 % at 10 cm depth and 0.1 % at 150 cm depth to CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the soil profile. Thereafter, its contribution was less than 0.3 % and 0.05 % at 10 and 150 cm depths, respectively. Furthermore CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the soil profile had the same modern radiocarbon signature at all depths, indicating that CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the subsoil originated from young C sources despite a radiocarbon age bulk SOC in the subsoil. This suggests that fresh C inputs in subsoils, in the form of roots and root exudates, are rapidly respired, and that other subsoil SOC seems to be relatively stable. The field labelling experiment also revealed a downward diffusion of <span class="inline-formula"><sup>13</sup></span>CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> in the soil profile against the total CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> gradient. This isotopic dependency should be taken into account when using labelled <span class="inline-formula"><sup>13</sup></span>C and <span class="inline-formula"><sup>14</sup></span>C isotope data as an age proxy for CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> sources in the soil.</p>https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/17/6341/2020/bg-17-6341-2020.pdf |
| spellingShingle | P. Wordell-Dietrich P. Wordell-Dietrich A. Wotte A. Wotte J. Rethemeyer J. Bachmann M. Helfrich K. Kirfel C. Leuschner A. Don Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soil Biogeosciences |
| title | Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soil |
| title_full | Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soil |
| title_fullStr | Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soil |
| title_short | Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soil |
| title_sort | vertical partitioning of co sub 2 sub production in a forest soil |
| url | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/17/6341/2020/bg-17-6341-2020.pdf |
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