Abstract
PurposeThe aim of the study was to compare the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration rate in two soil horizons of seven types of temperate forests.Materials and methodsSoil samples were collected in O and A horizons in seven types of temperate forests, each one represented by five independent stands distributed throughout Poland. Soil respiration rates were measured at standard moisture in five temperatures (4 °C, 10 °C, 16 °C, 22 °C and 28 °C), and the first-order Q10 values were calculated for each stand. General linear models (GLM) were fitted for respiration rate and for Q10 values separately using selected soil physical-chemical properties: C:N ratio, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content and soil pH.Results and discussionThe soil respiration rate increased with temperature was the highest in O horizon of fresh mixed forest dominated by hornbeam and increased with C:N ratio, DOC content and soil pH (model p < 0.0001). In turn, model for Q10 was not significant meaning none of tested variables affected soil temperature sensitivity (p = 0.2886).ConclusionsDespite studied forest types exhibit substantial distinctness in many soil properties including respiration rate, they showed similar susceptibility to temperature increase (roughly to climate warming).
Highlights
Soil respiration is one of the most important processes of the global carbon cycling
The soil respiration rate increased with temperature was the highest in O horizon of fresh mixed forest dominated by hornbeam and increased with C:N ratio, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content and soil pH
We aimed to identify factors responsible the most for soil respiration rate temperature sensitivity in two soil organic horizons and which forest type soils could be especially susceptible to climate warming
Summary
Soil respiration is one of the most important processes of the global carbon cycling. Soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition processes are temperature dependent and may accelerate global climate warming through positive feedback (Kirschbaum 2000; Karhu et al 2010; You et al 2019). We can observe increasing interest in temperate forest studying in context of global climate warming (Huang et al 2020). Temperate forests cover 1038 Mh and the amount of C stored in soils of this biome is estimated on 100 Pg (Lal 2005), nearly twice as much is stored in vegetation. Temperate forests are characterized by high variability vegetation diversity and composition across climatic regions and gradient of soil bedrock properties (Giliam 2016; Dukunde et al 2019).
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