Xylem transport of root-derived CO2 caused a substantial underestimation of belowground respiration during a growing season.

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that a potentially large portion of root-respired CO2 can move internally through tree xylem, but these reports are relatively scarce and have generally been limited to short observations. Our main objective was to provide a continuous estimate of the quantity and variability of root-respired CO2 that moves either internally through the xylem (FT ) or externally through the soil to the atmosphere (FS ) over most of a growing season. Nine trees were measured in a Populus deltoides stand for 129days from early June to mid-October. We calculated FT as the product of sap flow and dissolved [CO2 ] in the xylem (i.e., [CO2 *]) and calculated FS using the [CO2 ] gradient method. During the study, stem and soil CO2 concentrations, temperature, and sap flow were measured continuously. We determined that FT accounted for 33% of daily total belowground CO2 flux (i.e., FS +FT ; FB ) during our observation period that spanned most of a growing season. Cumulative daily FT was lower than FS 74% of the time, equivalent to FS 26% of the time, and never exceeded FS . One-third of the total CO2 released by belowground respiration over most of the growing season in this forest stand followed the FT pathway rather than diffusing into the soil. The magnitude of FT indicates that measurements of FS alone substantially underestimate total belowground respiration in some forest ecosystems by systematically underestimating belowground autotrophic respiration. The variability in FT observed during the growing season demonstrated the importance of making long-term, high-frequency measurements of different flux pathways to better understand physiological and ecological processes and their implications to global change.