Topographic controls on the variability of soil respiration in a humid subtropical forest

Abstract

Knowledge of the spatial and temporal variabilities of soil respiration is important in estimating the soil carbon budget and in understanding how soils may respond to global changes. In areas with complex terrain, the topography can modify the hydrological conditions and other biophysical variables, which complicates the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soil respiration. Herein, we investigated soil respiration along topographic transects with ridge, middle slope, lower slope and valley positions in a humid subtropical mountain forest in China to assess the driving factors of the variations in soil respiration. Our results showed that there were substantial temporal and spatial variations in soil respiration. The temporal variation of soil respiration could be well explained by the dynamics of soil temperature and moisture. Soil respiration rates also showed clear topographic pattern and decreased significantly from the ridge to valley soils, with the mean rates equaled 3.43 ± 0.13, 2.64 ± 0.30, 2.13 ± 0.26 and 1.88 ± 0.24 μmol m−2 s−1 at the ridge, middle slope, lower slope, and valley, respectively. Correlation analyses revealed that the spatial variation of soil respiration could be explained by multiple variables (e.g., soil temperature, basal area of the trees, thickness of the forest floor, root biomass and stock of soil dissolved carbon, soil C/N and soil bulk density). Results from partial least squares path modeling suggested that the topography modified the fine root distribution and the lateral losses of light and dissolved organic materials that created areas of high carbon sources for soil respiration at the ridge. The topographically regulated processes further resulted in a high soil C/N at the ridge that favored SOC decomposition. The higher respiration rate for the ridge soil and its higher sensitivity to soil temperature and moisture changes suggested that the ridge position was a potential hot spot for future environmental changes. Future studies and management practices regarding the soil carbon efflux in forest ecosystems with topographical variations should take into account the topographic effects.