Soil Respiration Response to Simulated Precipitation Change Depends on Ecosystem Type and Study Duration

Abstract

AbstractSoil respiration—the flow of biologically‐generated CO2 from the soil surface to the atmosphere—is a major component of global carbon cycling, but the long‐term response of this flux to altered precipitation regimes remains uncertain, due to different responses of soil respiration in distinct ecosystems with varying degrees of water limitation. We conducted a meta‐analysis to determine the role of soil characteristics (organic carbon stock and clay content), study duration, and ecosystem type (e.g., forest, grassland, etc) in modifying the response of soil respiration to precipitation change. In general, decreased precipitation (N = 128 effect size pairs) decreased soil respiration rates. In contrast, increased precipitation (N = 141) had a more variable and on‐average weak positive effect on this flux; significantly increasing soil respiration only in desert ecosystems. The long‐term response of ecosystems varied, with those that are less constrained by water‐availability (e.g., forests) showing acclimation over time to altered precipitation. Soil organic carbon stock strongly modified the response of soil respiration to decreased precipitation (p < 0.0001), but only weakly modified the response to increased precipitation (p < 0.01). Our results suggest that ecosystems with limited soil water‐holding capacity and strong inherent water‐limitation will show long‐term dynamic change in soil respiration regardless of the direction of precipitation change.