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Respiratory carbon loss of calcareous grasslands in winter shows no effects of 4 years’ CO2 enrichment
Article first published online: 19 APR 2002
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2435.2002.00609.x
1365-2435/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=571713c051a4c9b4843f1aa4a484de7ca8661854 "Functional Ecology")
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How to Cite
Volk, M. and Niklaus, P. A. (2002), Respiratory carbon loss of calcareous grasslands in winter shows no effects of 4 years’ CO2 enrichment. Functional Ecology, 16: 162–166. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2435.2002.00609.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 19 APR 2002
- Article first published online: 19 APR 2002
- Received 27 July 2001; revised 5 September 2001; accepted 21 September 2001
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Keywords:
- Carbon allocation;
- carbon balance;
- CO2 gas exchange;
- dark respiration;
- soil respiration
Summary
- 1CO2 exchange measurements in long-term CO2-enrichment experiments suggest large net carbon gains by ecosystems during the growing season that are not accounted for by above-ground plant biomass. Considerable amounts of C might therefore be allocated below ground.
- 2Winter ecosystem respiration from temperate grasslands under elevated CO2 may account for the loss of a significant part of the extra C gained during the growing season. To test this hypothesis, dark respiration was assessed throughout the winter of the fourth year of CO2 enrichment in a calcareous grassland.
- 3Using these data, a model was parameterized to estimate whole-winter respiratory CO2 losses. From November to February, 154 9 g C m−2 were respired under elevated CO2 and 144 5 g C m−2 under ambient [CO2], with no significant difference between the CO2 treatments.
- 4We conclude that (i) wintertime respiration does not constitute a larger C loss from the ecosystem at elevated CO2; and (ii) the absence of respiratory responses implies no extra growing-season C inputs with month-to-year turnover times at elevated CO2.