三源区分土壤呼吸组分研究

三源区分土壤呼吸组分是指将土壤呼吸区分为纯根呼吸、根际微生物呼吸和土壤有机质呼吸3个部分。土壤有机质呼吸、纯根呼吸和根际微生物呼吸是3种不同的生物学过程,这3种呼吸对环境变化具有不同的响应机制。区分土壤呼吸中由根系引起的自养和异养呼吸组分的研究对定量评价陆地生态系统碳平衡具有重要的意义。论述了三源区分土壤呼吸组分的意义、方法和应用,分析了不同条件下土壤呼吸组分区分的研究结果。实验室纯根和根际微生物呼吸占根源呼吸比重约为45%和55%;野外条件下约为60%和40%。最后对本研究未来的发展方向进行了展望。     

土壤呼吸对降雨变化和氮沉降交互作用响应的研究进展

土壤呼吸作为陆地生态系统碳循环的关键过程,对大气CO₂浓度变化有直接影响。研究其如何响应降雨变化、氮沉降增加等全球变化因子,成为近年全球变化领域的热点与难点。与土壤呼吸响应降雨变化或氮沉降增加单个因子相比,研究土壤呼吸对这两个因子交互作用的响应更接近真实的自然环境,可更准确地预估未来土壤碳排放的变化趋势。目前,相关研究涉及全球不同的陆地生态系统,从土壤、微生物和植物层面对其响应机理进行揭示。本文从土壤呼吸及其组分、相关的土壤性质、微生物及植物因素方面,较全面地梳理了不同陆地生态系统土壤呼吸响应降雨变化和氮沉降增加交互作用的研究进展,指出了现有研究中的不足及今后需加强的研究方向,以期为进一步揭示土壤呼吸对降雨变化和氮沉降增加交互作用的响应规律及机制提供参考。     

酸雨对中国陆地生态系统土壤呼吸影响的整合分析

通过整合分析(Meta-analysis)国内外公开发表的81篇模拟酸雨实验论文的2683条有效观测数据,量化了酸雨对中国3个主要陆地生态系统(森林、草地和农田)土壤呼吸(Rs)及其组分(自养呼吸(Ra)、异养呼吸(Rh))的影响。结果表明,酸雨显著降低了Rs(-9.6%)、Rh(-7.7%)和Ra(-11.7%);酸雨pH越低,Rs及其组分的降幅越大;野外实验对Rh和Ra的负效应大于温室实验。酸雨对Rs的负效应在农田最大(-14.7%),草地次之(-10.8%),森林最小(-8.0%);森林Rh、Ra对酸雨的响应与Rs一致,不同林型间差异不显著;草地Rh和Ra在酸雨处理下分别显著降低和增加。Rs、Rh与土壤pH显著正相关,与土壤有机碳(SOC)显著负相关;Rh和Ra分别与地上和地下生物量显著正相关。酸雨对Rs和Ra的负效应随纬度的增加而减弱,随年平均温的升高而增强,对Rs的正效应随年平均降水的降低而增强。研究表明,酸雨不仅降低了土壤pH,抑制了植物生长,减少了植物向土壤的碳输入,还降低了微生物活性,减少了Rh,导致SOC分解降低,因而未显著改变土壤碳库。研究结果将为全球变化背景下我国...     

土壤呼吸组分对气候变暖的响应研究进展

气候变暖正在深刻地改变全球碳循环过程.土壤呼吸作为全球碳循环的重要环节,连接着植物-土壤-微生物之间的碳转移过程.土壤呼吸可分为异养呼吸和根源呼吸(根系呼吸和根际微生物呼吸)等组分.土壤呼吸各组分的发生部位与利用的有机碳源不同,其对气候变暖的响应可能存在显著差异.然而,目前的研究还不能完全实现土壤呼吸各组分的精确区分和量化,气候变暖对土壤呼吸各组分的影响及其具体机制仍存在很多悬而未决的问题,这极大地限制了人们对土壤碳循环评估的精确性以及对气候变暖背景下陆地生态系统碳收支格局变化的认识.本文系统综述了目前国内外土壤呼吸组分区分技术,分析了土壤呼吸组分区分的研究结果,并论述了土壤呼吸各组分对气候变暖的响应研究进展.提出仍需发展新的土壤呼吸组分区分技术或者改进和创新现有技术,未来的研究重点应放在精确区分野外条件下根源呼吸组分,同时开展土壤呼吸组分对多种环境因子变化的响应研究,以期更全面地认识土壤碳循环过程以及全球变化背景下陆地生态系统碳收支的变化趋势.     

土壤呼吸组分分离技术研究进展

分离土壤呼吸组分是理解陆地生态系统碳循环的重要步骤,研究农田生态系统土壤呼吸组分的呼吸过程和机理对促进农业温室气体减排和碳汇增加、气候变化适应、保障粮食安全以及推动农业可持续发展都具有积极意义。本文综述了近年来土壤呼吸组分分离的理论依据、主要技术及分类,系统比较了现有技术优势、劣势和应用领域,并总结了土壤呼吸组分分离技术在国内外农田生态系统中的应用情况。由于多数分离技术在森林生态系统的相关研究中发展而来,它们在农田生态系统的应用十分有限,目前应用以同位素法、根分离法和回归法为主。由于土壤呼吸理论划分和分离方法的差异,不同研究结果之间往往难以比较。分离技术的发展有赖于土壤呼吸源分离理论的进一步发展,未来土壤呼吸组分分离研究的主要方向在于：（1）利用现有观测技术促进组分集成分析法和根分离法在农田生态系统中的应用,强化土壤呼吸组分和环境因子的同步观测,准确评估农田碳收支;（2）利用定位观测数据开展大尺度模型研究,改进和重构现有全球碳模型的碳氮过程,并在其中考虑重要的土壤呼吸过程;（3）利用FACE试验评估气候变化对土壤呼吸组分的影响和土壤-植物碳循环的适应机制;（4）分析呼吸组分与植物-土壤-养分的交互作用,评估农田管理措施的综合影响。     

The dependence of respiration on photosynthetic substrate supply and temperature: integrating leaf, soil and ecosystem measurements

Interactions between photosynthetic substrate supply and temperature in determining the rate of three respiration components (leaf, belowground and ecosystem respiration) were investigated within three environmentally controlled, Populus deltoides forest bays at Biosphere 2, Arizona. Over 2 months, the atmospheric CO₂ concentration and air temperature were manipulated to test the following hypotheses: (1) the responses of the three respiration components to changes in the rate of photosynthesis would differ both in speed and magnitude; (2) the temperature sensitivity of leaf and belowground respiration would increase in response to a rise in substrate availability; and, (3) at the ecosystem level, the ratio of respiration to photosynthesis would be conserved despite week‐to‐week changes in temperature. All three respiration rates responded to the CO₂ concentration‐induced changes in photosynthesis. However, the proportional change in the rate of leaf respiration was more than twice that of belowground respiration and, when photosynthesis was reduced, was also more rapid. The results suggest that aboveground respiration plays a key role in the overall response of ecosystem respiration to short‐term changes in canopy photosynthesis. The short‐term temperature sensitivity of leaf respiration, measured within a single night, was found to be affected more by developmental conditions than photosynthetic substrate availability, as the Q₁₀ was lower in leaves that developed at high CO₂, irrespective of substrate availability. However, the temperature sensitivity of belowground respiration, calculated between periods of differing air temperature, appeared to be positively correlated with photosynthetic substrate availability. At the ecosystem level, respiration and photosynthesis were positively correlated but the relationship was affected by temperature; for a given rate of daytime photosynthesis, the rate of respiration the following night was greater at 25 than 20°C. This result suggests that net ecosystem exchange did not acclimate to temperature changes lasting up to 3 weeks. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that the three respiration terms differ in their dependence on photosynthesis and that, short‐ and medium‐term changes in temperature may affect net carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems.     

水分对土壤呼吸的影响及机理

土壤呼吸是陆地碳循环的重要环节,在全球变化的背景下,研究水分对土壤呼吸的影响,能为探索陆地生态系统在碳循环方面的源—汇功能和揭示碳的失汇之迷提供有力的证据。综述了水分对土壤呼吸的影响及其机理。土壤呼吸是一个复杂的生态学过程,大气降水对土壤呼吸的影响结果是因时、因地而异,在湿润的生态系统或者干湿交替的生态系统中比较湿润的季节．降水事件对土壤呼吸可能会产生比较明显的抑制现象;而在干旱的生态系统或有干湿交替季节的生态系统中比较干旱的季节里,降水事件可能会强烈地激发土壤呼吸。其对土壤呼吸的影响机理包括水分对土壤孔隙中CO2替代、对CO2扩散的阻滞、对微生物活动的刺激和对微生物生物量的影响等。由于实验方法和标准的不一致以及影响土壤呼吸的因素的多样性。水分量的变化对土壤呼吸的影响很难以一个统一的方程来描述,总的来说,最优的水分状况通常是接近最大田间持水力,当土壤处于过于或过湿状态时,土壤呼吸会受到抑制。水分量的变化对土壤呼吸的影响机制在于可溶性有机质、土壤的通透性、微生物与植物根系生命活动等都随土壤水分状况不同而发生相应的改变。关于水分与土壤呼吸的关系研究今后应该主要集中在：(1)水分对根系呼吸和土壤微生物呼吸分别产生的影响;(2)全球变化后水分格局的变化对全球陆地生态系统土壤呼吸格局的潜在影响;(3)人类活动通过直接或间接改变水分状况而对土壤释放CO2的贡献率。     

秦岭火地塘林区油松林土壤呼吸时空变异

土壤呼吸是陆地生态系统碳循环的关键生态过程,土壤呼吸的时空变异及其影响因子已成为生态学研究的主要内容之一。采用红外线开路气室法和便携式微气象站,连续测定了秦岭火地塘林区天然次生油松林地不同部位土壤呼吸速率和不同土层深度土壤温度和土壤体积含水率,结果表明:(1)植物生长季,试验地上部与中部、中部与下部,土壤呼吸日均值间存在显著差异。植物休眠季,全坡面土壤呼吸日均值差异不显著。同一观测部位植物生长季与休眠季,土壤呼吸日均值差异显著。观测期内全样地土壤呼吸日均值为(38.64±6.43)gm-2d-1;(2)同一地形部位不同观测月中和不同地形部位同一观测时间,土壤呼吸月均值大多存在显著差异,植物生长季和休眠季,全样地土壤呼吸均值分别为(46.98±2.21)gm-2d-1和(35.94±1.01)gm-2d-1,全样地土壤呼吸月均值为(1.18±0.20)kgm-2月-1,休眠季土壤日均呼吸约为整个观测季的43.34%;(3)当土壤温度9.0℃时,土壤温度与土壤呼吸速率间均存在显著的指数关系。回归模型的决定系数均大于0.87,均方差根不超过0.21,模型有效性系数不小于0.85,残差系数的绝对值不超过0.007。(4)植物生长季0-5cm和5-10cm土层及植物休眠季0-5cm土层,土壤呼吸日累积值均值与相应土层深度土壤体积含水率均值间存在三次函数关系,回归模型的决定系数分别为0.456,0.513和0.143;植物休眠季5-10cm土层,土壤呼吸日累积值均值与土壤体积含水率均值间存在幂函数关系,回归模型的决定系数为0.650。     

增温和刈割对高寒草甸土壤呼吸及其组分的影响

评估土壤呼吸及其组分对增温等全球变化的响应对于预测陆地生态系统碳循环至关重要。本研究利用红外线辐射加热器(Infrared heater)装置在青藏高原高寒草甸生态系统设置增温和刈割野外控制实验。通过测定2018年生长季(5—9月)土壤呼吸和异养呼吸,探究增温和刈割对土壤呼吸及其组分的影响。研究结果表明：(1) 单独增温使土壤呼吸显著增加31.65% (P<0.05),异养呼吸显著增加27.12% (P<0.05),土壤自养呼吸没有显著改变(P>0.05);单独刈割对土壤呼吸和自养呼吸没有显著影响(P>0.05),单独刈割刺激异养呼吸增加32.54% (P<0.05);(2) 增温和刈割之间的交互作用对土壤呼吸和异养呼吸没有显著影响(P>0.05),但是对自养呼吸的影响是显著的(P<0.05),土壤呼吸和异养呼吸的季节效应显著(P<0.05);(3)土壤呼吸及其组分与土壤温度均成显著指数关系,与土壤湿度呈显著的正相关关系(P<0.05),处理影响它们的响应敏感性。本研究表明青藏高原东缘高寒草甸土壤碳排放与气候变暖存在正反馈。     

帽儿山3种森林生态系统土壤动物与土壤呼吸及其相互关系研究

土壤呼吸是森林生态系统碳循环的关键过程,土壤动物可通过自身代谢及影响微生物活动调控土壤呼吸,因此研究土壤动物与土壤呼吸的相互关系对进一步揭示生态系统碳循环的规律和机理具有重要意义。通过野外定点,以帽儿山3种森林生态系统的土壤呼吸及土壤动物为研究对象,探讨不同森林生态系统的土壤呼吸、土壤动物个体密度和生物量的时间变化规律及二者相互关系。结果表明:(1)3种森林生态系统土壤总呼吸速率与土壤异养呼吸速率均呈现先增强后减弱的时间动态变化(P<0.05),且不同森林生态系统土壤异养呼吸速率差异显著(P<0.05),表现为硬阔叶林最高,红松人工林最低;(2)3种森林生态系统土壤动物生物量也具有显著的时间动态变化(P<0.05),均在9月份达到最大,且不同森林生态系统土壤动物个体密度显著不同(P<0.05),蒙古栎林土壤动物个体密度显著小于红松人工林与硬阔叶林;(3)通过回归分析可得,土壤动物数量及生物量的增加抑制了土壤呼吸速率,尤其在生长季初期、末期。研究表明土壤动物可通过抑制微生物生命活动和降低根系呼吸从而对土壤总呼吸及异养呼吸产生负反馈作用,三者是不可分割的整体,与土壤温度、水分等环境因子共同调控着土壤呼吸。     

中国森林土壤碳储量与土壤碳过程研究进展

森林是陆地生态系统的主体,是陆地上最大的碳储库和碳吸收汇。国内外研究表明,土壤亚系统在调节森林生态系统碳循环和减缓全球气候变化中起着重要作用。但是,由于森林类型的多样性、结构的复杂性以及森林对干扰和变化环境响应的时空动态变化,至今对森林土壤碳储量和变率的科学估算,以及土壤关键碳过程及其稳定性维持机制的认识还十分有限。综述了近十几年来我国森林土壤碳储量和土壤碳过程的研究工作,主要包括不同森林类型土壤碳储量、土壤碳化学稳定性、土壤呼吸及其组分、土壤呼吸影响机制、气候变化与土地利用对土壤碳过程的影响等;评述了土壤碳过程相关科学问题的研究进展,讨论了尚未解决的主要问题,并分析了未来土壤碳研究的发展趋势,以期为促进我国森林土壤碳循环研究,科学评价森林土壤碳固持潜力及其稳定性维持机制和有效实施森林生态系统管理提供科学参考。     

Interpreting,measuring, and modeling soil respiration

This paper reviews the role of soil respiration in determining ecosystem carbon balance, and the conceptual basis for measuring and modeling soil respiration. We developed it to provide background and context for this special issue on soil respiration and to synthesize the presentations and discussions at the workshop. Soil respiration is the largest component of ecosystem respiration. Because autotrophic and heterotrophic activity belowground is controlled by substrate availability, soil respiration is strongly linked to plant metabolism, photosynthesis and litterfall. This link dominates both base rates and short-term fluctuations in soil respiration and suggests many roles for soil respiration as an indicator of ecosystem metabolism. However, the strong links between above and belowground processes complicate using soil respiration to understand changes in ecosystem carbon storage. Root and associated mycorrhizal respiration produce roughly half of soil respiration, with much of the remainder derived from decomposition of recently produced root and leaf litter. Changes in the carbon stored in the soil generally contribute little to soil respiration, but these changes, together with shifts in plant carbon allocation, determine ecosystem carbon storage belowground and its exchange with the atmosphere. Identifying the small signal from changes in large, slow carbon pools in flux dominated by decomposition of recent material and autotrophic and mycorrhizal respiration is a significant challenge. A mechanistic understanding of the belowground carbon cycle and of the response of different components to the environment will aid in identifying this signal. Our workshop identified information needs to help build that understanding: (1) the mechanisms that control the coupling of canopy and belowground processes; (2) the responses of root and heterotrophic respiration to environment; (3) plant carbon allocation patterns, particularly in different forest developmental stages, and in response to treatments (warming, CO₂, nitrogen additions); and (4) coupling measurements of soil respiration with aboveground processes and changes in soil carbon. Multi-factor experiments need to be sufficiently long to allow the systems to adjust to the treatments. New technologies will be necessary to reduce uncertainty in estimates of carbon allocation, soil carbon pool sizes, and different responses of roots and microbes to environmental conditions.     

全球变暖背景下土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性:证据、机理和争议

土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性被认为是决定陆地生态系统对全球变暖反馈作用的潜在重要机制,可能显著改变未来的气候变化趋势,然而学术界对于这一机制是否真实存在尚有分歧。阐述了土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性概念,从证据、机理和争议3方面对已有研究进展进行了综述和分析。土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性是微生物在群落尺度上对温度变化的适应性,具有坚实的生物学与生态学理论基础,研究者们运用各类指标已在许多实验中证实土壤微生物物种及群落的呼吸过程能够在高温环境产生适应性变化。土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性机理涉及生物膜结构变化、酶活性变化、微生物碳分配比例变化和微生物群落结构变化等方面。关于土壤微生物呼吸热适应性的争议可能是由研究方法、微生物物种及环境条件的差异引起的。根据对已有研究的分析,认为土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性是真实存在的,未来的研究可进一步探索土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性机理,深入研究环境和全球变化对土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性影响,定量评估土壤微生物呼吸的热适应性对陆地生态系统反馈过程的影响。     

森林土壤呼吸及其对全球变化的响应

森林土壤呼吸是全球碳循环的重要流通途径之一 ,其动态变化将直接影响全球 C平衡。森林土壤呼吸由自养呼吸和异养呼吸组成 ,不同森林类型、测定季节和测定方法等直接影响其所占比例。土壤温度和湿度是影响森林土壤呼吸的最主要因素 ,共同解释了森林土壤呼吸变化的大部分。因树种组成、生产力和枯落物数量等不同而使不同森林类型土壤呼吸速率表现出明显差异。采伐对森林土壤呼吸的影响结果有增加、降低或无影响 ,因采伐方式、森林类型、采伐迹地上植被恢复进程和气候条件等而异。火烧一般导致土壤呼吸速率降低。因肥料种类、施用剂量和立地条件不同 ,施肥对森林土壤呼吸的影响出现增加、降低或无影响等不同结果。大气 CO2 浓度升高和升温均可促进森林土壤呼吸。 N沉降有可能刺激了土壤呼吸 ,而酸沉降则可能降低了土壤呼吸。臭氧浓度和 UV-B辐射强度亦会在一定程度上影响森林土壤呼吸。但目前全球变化对森林土壤呼吸的综合影响尚不清楚 ,深入探讨森林土壤呼吸的调控因素及其对全球变化和营林措施的响应等仍是今后努力的主要方向。     

Forest soil CO2 flux: uncovering the contribution and environmental responses of ectomycorrhizas

Forests play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, being considered an important and continuing carbon sink. However, the response of carbon sequestration in forests to global climate change remains a major uncertainty, with a particularly poor understanding of the origins and environmental responses of soil CO₂ efflux. For example, despite their large biomass, the contribution of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi to forest soil CO₂ efflux and responses to changes in environmental drivers has, to date, not been quantified in the field. Their activity is often simplistically included in the ‘autotrophic’ root respiration term. We set up a multiplexed continuous soil respiration measurement system in a young Lodgepole pine forest, using a mycorrhizal mesh collar design, to monitor the three main soil CO₂ efflux components: root, extraradical mycorrhizal hyphal, and soil heterotrophic respiration. Mycorrhizal hyphal respiration increased during the first month after collar insertion and thereafter remained remarkably stable. During autumn the soil CO₂ flux components could be divided into ∼60% soil heterotrophic, ∼25% EM hyphal, and ∼15% root fluxes. Thus the extraradical EM mycelium can contribute substantially more to soil CO₂ flux than do roots. While EM hyphal respiration responded strongly to reductions in soil moisture and appeared to be highly dependent on assimilate supply, it did not responded directly to changes in soil temperature. It was mainly the soil heterotrophic flux component that caused the commonly observed exponential relationship with temperature. Our results strongly suggest that accurate modelling of soil respiration, particularly in forest ecosystems, needs to explicitly consider the mycorrhizal mycelium and its dynamic response to specific environmental factors. Moreover, we propose that in forest ecosystems the mycorrhizal CO₂ flux component represents an overflow ‘CO₂ tap’ through which surplus plant carbon may be returned directly to the atmosphere, thus limiting expected carbon sequestration from trees under elevated CO₂.     

北方森林土壤呼吸和木质残体分解释放出的CO2通量

北方森林因其面积大、土壤碳储量高以及对全球暖化响应敏感而在全球碳平衡和气候系统中起着至关重要的作用。土壤呼吸和木质残体分解释放出的 CO2 通量是北方森林生态系统输入大气圈的最主要的碳源。量化这个通量并深刻理解其中的机理过程 ,是评价和预测北方森林在全球变化中的作用必不可少的内容。综述了北方森林生态系统土壤呼吸和木质残体分解释放出的 CO2 通量随生态系统类型及环境条件而变化的一般格局以及自养呼吸和异氧呼吸在土壤表面 CO2 通量中的相对贡献 ;分析了影响北方森林土壤呼吸的主要生物物理因子 ;讨论了该领域研究存在的问题和今后的研究方向 ;并强调木质残体分解释放出的 CO2 通量虽然在以往的森林生态系统碳平衡研究中常被忽略 ,但在火灾频繁的北方森林中不容忽视     

杉木林年龄序列地下碳分配变化

  森林地下碳分配在森林碳平衡和碳吸存中具有重要作用, 而揭示人工林生长过程中地下碳分配变化对于人工林碳汇估算和碳汇管理等有重要意义。通过采用年龄序列方法研究了杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)林生长过程中地下碳分配变化特点。年龄序列为福建省南平7 a生(幼龄林)、16 a生(中龄林)、21 a生(近熟林)、41 a生(成熟林)和88 a生(老龄林)的杉木林。细根净生产力测定采用连续土芯法, 根系呼吸测定采用壕沟法, 生物量增量测定采用异速生长方程, 地上年凋落物量采用凋落物收集框测定。结果表明: 杉木林细根净生产力在中龄林前没有显著差异, 维持在较高水平; 但此后则显著下降。细根净生产力/地上凋落物量比值随林龄增加而显著下降。老龄林的根系呼吸显著低于其它林龄林分, 根系呼吸与细根生物量间呈显著线性相关。中龄林和近成熟林的地下碳分配(Total belouground carbon allocation, TBCA)显著高于幼龄林和成熟林, 而老龄林的则最低。中龄林、近成熟林和成熟林的地上部分净生产力/TBCA比值显著高于幼龄林和老龄林, 而杉木林的根系碳利用效率(RCUE)则呈现出随林龄增加而降低的趋势。     

Responses of belowground communities to large aboveground herbivores: Meta‐analysis reveals biome‐dependent patterns and critical research gaps

The importance of herbivore–plant and soil biota–plant interactions in terrestrial ecosystems is amply recognized, but the effects of aboveground herbivores on soil biota remain challenging to predict. To find global patterns in belowground responses to vertebrate herbivores, we performed a meta‐analysis of studies that had measured abundance or activity of soil organisms inside and outside field exclosures (areas that excluded herbivores). Responses were often controlled by climate, ecosystem type, and dominant herbivore identity. Soil microfauna and especially root‐feeding nematodes were negatively affected by herbivores in subarctic sites. In arid ecosystems, herbivore presence tended to reduce microbial biomass and nitrogen mineralization. Herbivores decreased soil respiration in subarctic ecosystems and increased it in temperate ecosystems, but had no net effect on microbial biomass or nitrogen mineralization in those ecosystems. Responses of soil fauna, microbial biomass, and nitrogen mineralization shifted from neutral to negative with increasing herbivore body size. Responses of animal decomposers tended to switch from negative to positive with increasing precipitation, but also differed among taxa, for instance Oribatida responded negatively to herbivores, whereas Collembola did not. Our findings imply that losses and gains of aboveground herbivores will interact with climate and land use changes, inducing functional shifts in soil communities. To conceptualize the mechanisms behind our findings and link them with previous theoretical frameworks, we propose two complementary approaches to predict soil biological responses to vertebrate herbivores, one focused on an herbivore body size gradient, and the other on a climate severity gradient. Major research gaps were revealed, with tropical biomes, protists, and soil macrofauna being especially overlooked.     

Annual variation in soil respiration and its components in a coppice oak forest in Central Italy

In order to investigate the annual variation of soil respiration and its components in relation to seasonal changes in soil temperature and soil moisture in a Mediterranean mixed oak forest ecosystem, we set up a series of experimental treatments in May 1999 where litter (no litter), roots (no roots, by trenching) or both were excluded from plots of 4 m². Subsequently, we measured soil respiration, soil temperature and soil moisture in each plot over a year after the forest was coppiced. The treatments did not significantly affect soil temperature or soil moisture measured over 0–10 cm depth. Soil respiration varied markedly during the year with high rates in spring and autumn and low rates in summer, coinciding with summer drought, and in winter, with the lowest temperatures. Very high respiration rates, however, were observed during the summer immediately after rainfall events. The mean annual rate of soil respiration was 2.9 µ mol m^?2 s^?1, ranging from 1.35 to 7.03 µmol m^?2 s^?1. Soil respiration was highly correlated with temperature during winter and during spring and autumn whenever volumetric soil water content was above 20%. Below this threshold value, there was no correlation between soil respiration and soil temperature, but soil moisture was a good predictor of soil respiration. A simple empirical model that predicted soil respiration during the year, using both soil temperature and soil moisture accounted for more than 91% of the observed annual variation in soil respiration. All the components of soil respiration followed a similar seasonal trend and were affected by summer drought. The Q₁₀ value for soil respiration was 2.32, which is in agreement with other studies in forest ecosystems. However, we found a Q₁₀ value for root respiration of 2.20, which is lower than recent values reported for forest sites. The fact that the seasonal variation in root growth with temperature in Mediterranean ecosystems differs from that in temperate regions may explain this difference. In temperate regions, increases in size of root populations during the growing season, coinciding with high temperatures, may yield higher apparent Q₁₀ values than in Mediterranean regions where root growth is suppressed by summer drought. The decomposition of organic matter and belowground litter were the major components of soil respiration, accounting for almost 55% of the total soil respiration flux. This proportion is higher than has been reported for mature boreal and temperate forest and is probably the result of a short‐term C loss following recent logging at the site. The relationship proposed for soil respiration with soil temperature and soil moisture is useful for understanding and predicting potential changes in Mediterranean forest ecosystems in response to forest management and climate change.     

小兴安岭5种林型土壤呼吸时空变异

原始阔叶红松林、谷地云冷杉林、阔叶红松择伐林、次生白桦林、人工落叶松林是小兴安岭乃至东北地区的重要森林类型。采用红外气体分析法比较测定了这几种森林类型的土壤呼吸及其相关环境因子,分析探讨了这几种森林类型土壤呼吸的时空变异。结果表明:各林型土壤呼吸与5 cm深土壤温度(T5)呈显著的指数相关,并且土壤呼吸与土壤温度、土壤湿度及其相互作用的回归模型可以解释各林型土壤呼吸约71%的季节变异。生长季平均土壤呼吸速率为次生白桦林(3.59μmolCO.2m-.2s-1)>谷地云冷杉林(3.52μmolCO.2m-.2s-1)>阔叶红松择伐林(3.44μmolCO.2m-.2s-1)>原始阔叶红松林(2.58μmolCO.2m-.2s-1)>人工落叶松林(2.29μmolCO.2m-.2s-1),说明土壤呼吸对原始阔叶红松林人为干扰的响应是不同的。各林型Q10值介于1.84(人工落叶松林)—2.32(次生白桦林)之间。在整个生长季,各林型之间土壤呼吸的变异系数变化幅度为19.74%—37.39%,而各林型内土壤环间其变化幅度为32.13%—60.20%,显著大于样地间的变化幅度14.28%—35.70%(P<0.001),说明土壤呼吸在细微尺度上的差异更大。土壤湿度可以解释各林型(阔叶红松林除外)内部土壤呼吸15.8%—33.5%的空间异质性。