Soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in Fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern Chile
Abstract The soil carbon dynamics of southern hemisphere temperate rainforests have rarely been studied. Here, we report for the first time soil CO2 effluxes and their partitioning for medium‐age and old‐growth Fitzroya cupressoides forests growing under contrasting environmental conditions in the C...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2017-04-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1640 |
| _version_ | 1818441902757773312 |
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| author | Rocio Urrutia‐Jalabert Yadvinder Malhi Antonio Lara |
| author_facet | Rocio Urrutia‐Jalabert Yadvinder Malhi Antonio Lara |
| author_sort | Rocio Urrutia‐Jalabert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The soil carbon dynamics of southern hemisphere temperate rainforests have rarely been studied. Here, we report for the first time soil CO2 effluxes and their partitioning for medium‐age and old‐growth Fitzroya cupressoides forests growing under contrasting environmental conditions in the Coastal Range and Andean Cordillera of southern Chile. Fitzroya is a high biomass and one of the longest lived species in the world. We characterized soil respiration patterns over almost 2 yr. Annual soil respiration was slightly higher in younger forests from the Coastal Range compared with Andean forests during the first studied year (6.37–6.66 vs. 5.06–6.14 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1), and significantly higher during the second year mainly due to a warmer and drier summer (8.08–8.64 vs. 4.98–5.35 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1). Therefore, warmer and drier conditions, likely to become more common in this region under future climate change, were associated with significantly higher respiration in the shallow soils of the coast, but not in the Andes. A higher proportion of autotrophic respiration was found in the Coastal Range forest probably due to a much higher fine root biomass in this site. However, fine root productivity, an important contributor of belowground carbon fluxes, was a little lower (not significantly) in the coastal site (0.81 ± 0.60 vs. 1.50 ± 0.42 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1), indicating a longer root residence time in forests from this area. Soil CO2 effluxes from these forests and their root productivity are at the lower end of values recorded for other mature and old‐growth temperate wet forests worldwide. The intrinsic longevity and the particularly poor soils and rainy conditions where these forests grow may influence these facts. Interannual climate variability appears to be especially important for soil respiration in the Coastal Range due to the more Mediterranean climate influence and shallow, poor water retention soils in this area. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T18:35:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f7f9c4eb8b1442899f60c9332184c5a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T18:35:38Z |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-f7f9c4eb8b1442899f60c9332184c5a92022-12-21T22:51:38ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252017-04-0184n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.1640Soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in Fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern ChileRocio Urrutia‐Jalabert0Yadvinder Malhi1Antonio Lara2Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales Instituto de Conservacion, Biodiversidad y Territorio Universidad Austral de Chile Independencia 641 Valdivia ChileSchool of Geography and the Environment Environmental Change Institute University of Oxford Oxford OX1 3QY UKLaboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales Instituto de Conservacion, Biodiversidad y Territorio Universidad Austral de Chile Independencia 641 Valdivia ChileAbstract The soil carbon dynamics of southern hemisphere temperate rainforests have rarely been studied. Here, we report for the first time soil CO2 effluxes and their partitioning for medium‐age and old‐growth Fitzroya cupressoides forests growing under contrasting environmental conditions in the Coastal Range and Andean Cordillera of southern Chile. Fitzroya is a high biomass and one of the longest lived species in the world. We characterized soil respiration patterns over almost 2 yr. Annual soil respiration was slightly higher in younger forests from the Coastal Range compared with Andean forests during the first studied year (6.37–6.66 vs. 5.06–6.14 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1), and significantly higher during the second year mainly due to a warmer and drier summer (8.08–8.64 vs. 4.98–5.35 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1). Therefore, warmer and drier conditions, likely to become more common in this region under future climate change, were associated with significantly higher respiration in the shallow soils of the coast, but not in the Andes. A higher proportion of autotrophic respiration was found in the Coastal Range forest probably due to a much higher fine root biomass in this site. However, fine root productivity, an important contributor of belowground carbon fluxes, was a little lower (not significantly) in the coastal site (0.81 ± 0.60 vs. 1.50 ± 0.42 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1), indicating a longer root residence time in forests from this area. Soil CO2 effluxes from these forests and their root productivity are at the lower end of values recorded for other mature and old‐growth temperate wet forests worldwide. The intrinsic longevity and the particularly poor soils and rainy conditions where these forests grow may influence these facts. Interannual climate variability appears to be especially important for soil respiration in the Coastal Range due to the more Mediterranean climate influence and shallow, poor water retention soils in this area.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1640autotrophic and heterotrophic respirationclimate changeCO2 effluxfine root productivityold‐growth forestssouthern South America |
| spellingShingle | Rocio Urrutia‐Jalabert Yadvinder Malhi Antonio Lara Soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in Fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern Chile Ecosphere autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration climate change CO2 efflux fine root productivity old‐growth forests southern South America |
| title | Soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in Fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern Chile |
| title_full | Soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in Fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern Chile |
| title_fullStr | Soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in Fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern Chile |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in Fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern Chile |
| title_short | Soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in Fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern Chile |
| title_sort | soil respiration and mass balance estimation of fine root production in fitzroya cupressoides forests of southern chile |
| topic | autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration climate change CO2 efflux fine root productivity old‐growth forests southern South America |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1640 |
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