Present address: Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Rapid turnover of DOC in temperate forests accounts for increased CO2 production at elevated temperatures
Article first published online: 29 JUN 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01072.x
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How to Cite
Bengtson, P. and Bengtsson, G. (2007), Rapid turnover of DOC in temperate forests accounts for increased CO2 production at elevated temperatures. Ecology Letters, 10: 783–790. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01072.x
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Present address: Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Publication History
- Issue published online: 27 JUL 2007
- Article first published online: 29 JUN 2007
- Editor, Johannes Knops Manuscript received 21 December 2006 First decision made 19 January 2007 Second decision made 19 March 2007 Manuscript accepted 3 April 2007
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Keywords:
- Carbon dioxide enrichment;
- dissolved organic carbon turnover;
- microbial biomass;
- respiration;
- soil organic carbon;
- soil warming;
- stable isotopes
Abstract
The evidence for the contribution of soil warming to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and carbon stocks of temperate forest ecosystems is equivocal. Here, we use data from a beech/oak forest on concentrations and stable isotope ratios of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), phosphate buffer-extractable organic carbon, soil organic carbon (SOC), respiration and microbial gross assimilation of N to show that respired soil carbon originated from DOC. However, the respiration was not dependent on the DOC concentration but exceeded the daily DOC pool three to four times, suggesting that DOC was turned over several times per day. A mass flow model helped to calculate that a maximum of 40% of the daily DOC production was derived from SOC and to demonstrate that degradation of SOC is limiting respiration of DOC. The carbon flow model on SOC, DOC, microbial C mobilization/immobilization and respiration is linked by temperature-dependent microbial and enzyme activity to global warming effects of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere.