易分解有机碳对不同恢复年限森林土壤激发效应的影响

土壤有机碳库作为陆地生态系统最大的碳库,其微小的改变都将引起大气CO_2浓度的急剧改变。易分解有机碳的输入可以通过正/负激发效应加快/减缓土壤有机碳(SOC)的矿化,并最终影响土壤碳平衡。以长汀县不同恢复年限森林(裸地、5年、15年、30年马尾松林以及天然林)土壤为研究对象,通过室内培养向土壤中添加~(13)C标记葡萄糖研究易分解有机碳输入对不同恢复阶段森林土壤激发效应的影响。研究结果表明,易分解有机碳输入引起的土壤激发效应的方向和强度因不同恢复阶段而异。易分解有机碳输入的初期对各恢复阶段森林土壤均产生正的激发效应,然而随着时间的推移,15年、30年马尾松林以及天然林相继出现负的激发效应。从整个培养期(59 d)来看,易分解有机碳的输入促进了裸地与5年生马尾松林土壤有机碳的矿化,有机碳的矿化量分别提高了131%±27%与25%±5%;但是减缓了15年生马尾松林土壤有机碳的矿化,使其矿化量减少了10%±1%;然而,易分解有机碳输入对30年生马尾松林及天然林土壤有机碳的矿化则无明显影响。土壤累积激发碳量与葡萄糖添加前后土壤氮素的改变百分比呈显著正相关关系(R~2=0.44,P0.05),表明易分解有机碳输入诱导的土壤激发效应受土壤氮素可利用性的调控,土壤微生物需要通过分解原有土壤有机碳释放的氮素来满足自身的需求。     

Decomposition of Organic Carbon in Fine Soil Particles Is Likely More Sensitive to Warming than in Coarse Particles: An Incubation Study with Temperate Grassland and Forest Soils in Northern China

It is widely recognized that global warming promotes soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition, and soils thus emit more CO₂ into the atmosphere because of the warming; however, the response of SOC decomposition to this warming in different soil textures is unclear. This lack of knowledge limits our projection of SOC turnover and CO₂ emission from soils after future warming. To investigate the CO₂ emission from soils with different textures, we conducted a 107-day incubation experiment. The soils were sampled from temperate forest and grassland in northern China. The incubation was conducted over three short-term cycles of changing temperature from 5°C to 30°C, with an interval of 5°C. Our results indicated that CO₂ emissions from sand (>50 µm), silt (2–50 µm), and clay (<2 µm) particles increased exponentially with increasing temperature. The sand fractions emitted more CO₂ (CO₂-C per unit fraction-C) than the silt and clay fractions in both forest and grassland soils. The temperature sensitivity of the CO₂ emission from soil particles, which is expressed as Q₁₀, decreased in the order clay>silt>sand. Our study also found that nitrogen availability in the soil facilitated the temperature dependence of SOC decomposition. A further analysis of the incubation data indicated a power-law decrease of Q₁₀ with increasing temperature. Our results suggested that the decomposition of organic carbon in fine-textured soils that are rich in clay or silt could be more sensitive to warming than those in coarse sandy soils and that SOC might be more vulnerable in boreal and temperate regions than in subtropical and tropical regions under future warming.     

Temperature Sensitivity and Basal Rate of Soil Respiration and Their Determinants in Temperate Forests of North China

The basal respiration rate at 10°C (R₁₀) and the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (Q₁₀) are two premier parameters in predicting the instantaneous rate of soil respiration at a given temperature. However, the mechanisms underlying the spatial variations in R₁₀ and Q₁₀ are not quite clear. R₁₀ and Q₁₀ were calculated using an exponential function with measured soil respiration and soil temperature for 11 mixed conifer-broadleaved forest stands and nine broadleaved forest stands at a catchment scale. The mean values of R₁₀ were 1.83 µmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ and 2.01 µmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹, the mean values of Q₁₀ were 3.40 and 3.79, respectively, for mixed and broadleaved forest types. Forest type did not influence the two model parameters, but determinants of R₁₀ and Q₁₀ varied between the two forest types. In mixed forest stands, R₁₀ decreased greatly with the ratio of coniferous to broadleaved tree species; whereas it sharply increased with the soil temperature range and the variations in soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil total nitrogen (TN). Q₁₀ was positively correlated with the spatial variances of herb-layer carbon stock and soil bulk density, and negatively with soil C/N ratio. In broadleaved forest stands, R₁₀ was markedly affected by basal area and the variations in shrub carbon stock and soil phosphorus (P) content; the value of Q₁₀ largely depended on soil pH and the variations of SOC and TN. 51% of variations in both R₁₀ and Q₁₀ can be accounted for jointly by five biophysical variables, of which the variation in soil bulk density played an overwhelming role in determining the amplitude of variations in soil basal respiration rates in temperate forests. Overall, it was concluded that soil respiration of temperate forests was largely dependent on soil physical properties when temperature kept quite low.     

Carbon quality and soil microbial property control the latitudinal pattern in temperature sensitivity of soil microbial respiration across Chinese forest ecosystems

Understanding the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of soil organic C (SOC) decomposition is critical to quantifying the climate–carbon cycle feedback and predicting the response of ecosystems to climate change. However, the driving factors of the spatial variation in Q₁₀ at a continental scale are fully unidentified. In this study, we conducted a novel incubation experiment with periodically varying temperature based on the mean annual temperature of the soil origin sites. A total of 140 soil samples were collected from 22 sites along a 3,800 km long north–south transect of forests in China, and the Q₁₀ of soil microbial respiration and corresponding environmental variables were measured. Results showed that changes in the Q₁₀ values were nonlinear with latitude, particularly showing low Q₁₀ values in subtropical forests and high Q₁₀ values in temperate forests. The soil C:N ratio was positively related to the Q₁₀ values, and coniferous forest soils with low SOC quality had higher Q₁₀ values than broadleaved forest soils with high SOC quality, which supported the “C quality temperature” hypothesis. Out of the spatial variations in Q₁₀ across all ecosystems, gram‐negative bacteria exhibited the most importance in regulating the variation in Q₁₀ and contributed 25.1%, followed by the C:N ratio (C quality), fungi, and the fungi:bacteria ratio. However, the dominant factors that regulate the regional variations in Q₁₀ differed among the tropical, subtropical, and temperate forest ecosystems. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of C quality and microbial controls over Q₁₀ value in China's forest ecosystems. Meanwhile, C dynamics in temperate forests under a global warming scenario can be robustly predicted through the incorporation of substrate quality and microbial property into models.     

武夷山低海拔和高海拔森林土壤有机碳的矿化特征

研究不同海拔土壤有机碳矿化对深入认识不同海拔森林土壤有机碳动态变化具有重要意义.本文以武夷山低海拔和高海拔森林土壤为研究对象,通过室内模拟其在各自年平均气温(17、9℃)条件下的矿化培养试验,探讨土壤有机碳矿化特征的差异.结果表明:培养126 d后,尽管高海拔森林土壤的有机碳含量显著高于低海拔森林土壤,但低海拔和高海拔森林土壤在各自环境温度背景下的有机碳累积矿化量并无显著差异.一级动力学方程均能较好地模拟高低海拔森林土壤有机碳矿化特征,高海拔和低海拔森林土壤有机碳潜在矿化量(CP)和矿化速率常数均无显著差异,但低海拔土壤C_P/SOC值和矿化率显著高于高海拔土壤,表明在环境温度背景下,低海拔土壤固碳能力低于高海拔土壤.随着培养时间增加,高海拔土壤微生物生物量碳和微生物熵显著高于低海拔土壤,表明高海拔土壤微生物的碳同化量高于低海拔土壤微生物,有利于有机碳的积累.高海拔森林土壤中的β-葡萄糖甘酶和纤维素水解酶高于低海拔森林土壤,说明高海拔土壤微生物可能更多地分解活性碳.未来气候变暖可能暗示着会降低高海拔土壤有机碳固碳能力和微生物碳利用效率,从而导致土壤有机碳储量下降.     

小兴安岭两种森林类型土壤有机碳库及周转

采用室内培养法测定了不同温度下(8、18、28 ℃)小兴安岭原始阔叶红松林和阔叶次生林土壤有机碳的矿化速率和矿化量,并用三库一级动力学模型对有机碳各库进行拟合.结果表明： 基于单位干土质量的阔叶次生林土壤有机碳矿化速率和累计矿化量均大于原始红松林,但有机碳累计矿化量占总有机碳的比率小于原始红松林.2种森林类型土壤活性碳库和缓效碳库随土层加深而减小,其占总有机碳的比例增加.尽管阔叶次生林土壤活性和缓效碳库均大于原始红松林,但其占总有机碳的比例却小于原始红松林,而土壤惰性碳库及其比例均大于原始红松林,表明阔叶次生林土壤有机碳整体上更稳定.土壤活性碳库平均驻留时间(MRT)为9～24 d,且随土层加深而缩短,而缓效碳库MRT为7～42 a,且随土层加深而延长.土壤活性碳库及其占总有机碳的比例随温度升高而线性增加,缓效碳库则降低;原始红松林土壤活性碳随温度的增速大于阔叶次生林,表明原始红松林土壤有机碳库对温度变化反应更敏感.     

Temperature responses of carbon mineralization in conifer forest soils from different regional climates incubated under standard laboratory conditions

¹⁴C‐labelled straw was mixed with soils collected from seven coniferous forests located on a climatic gradient in Western Europe ranging from boreal to Mediterranean conditions. The soils were incubated in the laboratory at 4°, 10°, 16°, 23° and 30 °C with constant moisture over 550 days. The temperature coefficient (Q₁₀) for straw carbon mineralization decreased with increasing incubation temperatures. This was a characteristic of all the soils with a difference of two Q₁₀ units between the 4–10° and the 23? 30 °C temperature ranges. It was also found that the magnitude of the temperature response function was related to the period of soil incubation. Initial temperature responses of microbial communities were different to those shown after a long period of laboratory incubation and may have reflected shifts in microbial species composition in response to changes in the temperature regime. The rapid exhaustion of the labile fractions of the decomposing material at higher temperatures could also lead to underestimation of the temperature sensitivity of soils unless estimated for carbon pools of similar qualities. Finally, the thermal optima for the organic soil horizons (Of and Oh) were lower than 30 °C even after 550 days of incubation. It was concluded that these responses could not be attributed to microbial physiological adaptations, but rather to the rates at which recalcitrant microbial secondary products were formed at higher temperatures. The implication of these variable temperature responses of soil materials is discussed in relation to modelling potential effects of global warming.     

不同培养温度下严重侵蚀红壤的有机碳矿化特征

研究侵蚀土壤有机质矿化及其温度敏感性(Q₁₀)对深入认识水土流失地区土壤有机碳动态变化具有重要意义。该文以福建省长汀县河田镇严重侵蚀区的裸露红壤为研究对象, 通过测定不同培养温度(10 ℃、20 ℃和30 ℃)下的土壤有机碳矿化速率、培养过程中微生物生物量碳(MBC)和可溶性有机碳(DOC)含量的变化, 探讨了温度对严重侵蚀红壤有机碳矿化特征的影响及其Q₁₀。结果表明: 温度对严重侵蚀红壤有机碳矿化具有显著影响, 温度越高土壤有机碳矿化速率和矿化率越高; 培养过程中土壤有机碳累积矿化量与MBC显著正相关, 与DOC极显著负相关, 说明微生物生物量和可利用碳含量显著影响土壤有机碳的矿化。尽管严重侵蚀红壤有机碳含量仅为1.54 g·kg^-1, 但培养180天的土壤有机碳的累积矿化率高达22.2%-33.3%, 表明侵蚀红壤有机碳容易被矿化。严重侵蚀红壤在10-20 ℃时的Q₁₀值为1.41, 20-30 ℃时Q₁₀值下降到1.06, 土壤有机碳质量低是导致Q₁₀值较低的重要原因, 而严重侵蚀区的红壤长期裸露使微生物对高温产生适应性是高温时Q₁₀值接近1的重要原因。因此, 在未来气候变暖的趋势下, 恢复植被覆盖对减少严重侵蚀红壤有机碳矿化损失具有重要意义。     

Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization in Relation to Soil Particle-Size Fractions after 32 Years of Chemical and Manure Application in a Continuous Maize Cropping System

Long-term manure application is recognized as an efficient management practice to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation and nitrogen (N) mineralization capacity. A field study was established in 1979 to understand the impact of long-term manure and/or chemical fertilizer application on soil fertility in a continuous maize cropping system. Soil samples were collected from field plots in 2012 from 9 fertilization treatments (M₀CK, M₀N, M₀NPK, M₃₀CK, M₃₀N, M₃₀NPK, M₆₀CK, M₆₀N, and M₆₀NPK) where M₀, M₃₀, and M₆₀ refer to manure applied at rates of 0, 30, and 60 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively; CK indicates no fertilizer; N and NPK refer to chemical fertilizer in the forms of either N or N plus phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Soils were separated into three particle-size fractions (2000–250, 250–53, and <53 μm) by dry- and wet-sieving. A laboratory incubation study of these separated particle-size fractions was used to evaluate the effect of long-term manure, in combination with/without chemical fertilization application, on the accumulation and mineralization of SOC and total N in each fraction. Results showed that long-term manure application significantly increased SOC and total N content and enhanced C and N mineralization in the three particle-size fractions. The content of SOC and total N followed the order 2000–250 μm > 250–53μm > 53 μm fraction, whereas the amount of C and N mineralization followed the reverse order. In the <53 μm fraction, the M₆₀NPK treatment significantly increased the amount of C and N mineralized (7.0 and 10.1 times, respectively) compared to the M₀CK treatment. Long-term manure application, especially when combined with chemical fertilizers, resulted in increased soil microbial biomass C and N, and a decreased microbial metabolic quotient. Consequently, long-term manure fertilization was beneficial to both soil C and N turnover and microbial activity, and had significant effect on the microbial metabolic quotient.     

温度对不同粘粒含量稻田土壤有机碳矿化的影响

模拟了亚热带地区3种不同粘粒含量的水稻土(砂壤土、壤粘土、粉粘土)在5种温度(10、15、20、25和30℃)下的有机碳(SOC)矿化特征,分析SOC矿化对温度变化的响应.结果表明:在160d的培养期内,温度对3种水稻土SOC矿化量的影响有一定差异,30℃时砂壤土、壤粘土和粉粘土SOC矿化量分别是10℃时的3.5、5.2和4.7倍.在较低温度(≤20℃)下,SOC矿化速度较低且相对稳定;在较高温度(≥25℃)下,前期SOC矿化速度较高,随着培养时间的延长逐渐降低,并趋于稳定.3种水稻土SOC矿化的温度系数(Q10)随培养时间出现波动,砂壤土的Q10平均值最低,为1.92,壤粘土和粉粘土的Q10平均值较接近,分别为2.37和2.32;3种土壤矿化速率常数(k)与温度呈极显著的指数相关(P<0.01).3种水稻土有机碳矿化对温度变化的响应敏感度依次为壤粘土>粉粘土>砂壤土.     

Modelling the effect of temperature on carbon mineralization rates across a network of European forest sites (FORCAST)

Temperature is a major environmental variable influencing microbial respiration in soils. Thus, understanding how heterotrophic processes in soils may respond to potential increases in temperature is crucial for the prediction of the response of forest carbon budgets to climate change. We investigated carbon mineralization rates from eight European forest soils in relation to soil temperature. Mineral soil samples were collected from eight mature forest sites in the European network CARBOEUROFLUX and were incubated in the laboratory for ca. 270 days at four temperatures: 4, 10, 20 and 30°C. In all soils, carbon mineralization rates decreased over time when incubated at high temperatures of 20 and 30°C. In this study, we explore the different models available to analyse long-term incubation data. Carbon mineralization rates were best predicted by a first-order, two-compartment model that predicted carbon mineralization as a function of time and temperature using all of the incubation data. We found very small fractions (1–9%) of labile carbon in the upper mineral soils. Despite large differences among sites, we found higher carbon mineralization rates and larger amounts of labile carbon in the broadleaf than in the conifer forest soils. No significant differences in temperature sensitivity among the sites (average Q ₁₀ of 2.88 using the two-compartment model) were observed, as estimated with all methods used. Although not statistically significant, the sensitivities of the rate constant of the labile fractions tended to be higher than those for the rate constant of the recalcitrant fractions. Thus, the results of this modelling exercise suggest that despite large variation among sites, a single temperature sensitivity parameter can be used for a range of soils over the range of temperatures we used (4–30°C).     

Drivers of temperature sensitivity of decomposition of soil organic matter along a mountain altitudinal gradient in the Western Carpathians

Mountain forest soils contain an important stock of carbon. Their altitudinal gradient can serve as a model for research on the potential risk of increased emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, in a positive feedback of global warming. Using soil samples collected at three elevations (600, 900, and 1200 m a.s.l.) from five separate slopes of the Carpathian Mountains (Poland), we studied the effects of soil physical, chemical and microbial properties controlling the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀ values) of organic matter decomposition in forest soils. Data of soil basal respiration rate measured in laboratory conditions at six different temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C) were fitted to a Gaussian function. The modelled soil respiration rates differed between altitudes at temperature exceeding 15 °C, and the respiration rate of soil from 1200 m a.s.l. was higher than in soils from the two lower elevations. Based on the modelled respiration values, we calculated Q₁₀ values in the low (Q₁₀L, 0–10 °C), medium (Q₁₀M, 10–20 °C) and high (Q₁₀H, 20–30 °C) temperature ranges. The Q₁₀ values did not differ between elevations. Q₁₀L and Q₁₀M were negatively related only with the C:N ratio. Temperature sensitivity of decomposition of soil organic matter was not affected by bacterial activity and functional diversity (assessed using Biolog^® ECO plates), microbial biomass or community structure (inferred from phospholipid fatty acid assays). Our findings support a kinetics-based theory of the higher temperature sensitivity of more chemically recalcitrant soil organic matter, put forward by other authors.     

Long term fertilization effects on soil organic carbon pools in a sandy loam soil of the Indian sub-Himalayas

An understanding of the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) as affected by farming practices is imperative for maintaining soil productivity and mitigating global warming. Results of a long-term (32 years) experiment in the Indian Himalayas under rainfed soybean (Glycine max L.)- wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation was analyzed to determine the effects of mineral fertilizer and farmyard manure (FYM) application at 10 Mg?ha^-1 on SOC stocks and depth distribution of the labile and recalcitrant pools of SOC. Results indicate all treatments increased SOC contents over the control. The annual application of NPK significantly (P?<?0.05) enhanced total SOC, oxidizable soil organic C and its fractions over the control plots. The increase in these SOC fractions was greater with the NPK + FYM treatment. Nearly 16% (mean of all treatments) of the estimated added C was stabilized into SOC both in the labile and recalcitrant pools, preferentially in the 0?C30 cm soil layer. However, the labile:recalcitrant SOC ratios of applied C stabilized was largest in the 15?C30 cm soil layer. About 62% of total SOC was present in the labile pool. Plots under the N + FYM and NPK + FYM treatments contained a larger proportion of total SOC in the recalcitrant pool than the plots with mineral or no fertilizer, indicating that FYM application promoted SOC stabilization.     

Temperature Sensitivity of Microbial Respiration of Fine Root Litter in a Temperate Broad-Leaved Forest

The microbial decomposition respiration of plant litter generates a major CO₂ efflux from terrestrial ecosystems that plays a critical role in the regulation of carbon cycling on regional and global scales. However, the respiration from root litter decomposition and its sensitivity to temperature changes are unclear in current models of carbon turnover in forest soils. Thus, we examined seasonal changes in the temperature sensitivity and decomposition rates of fine root litter of two diameter classes (0–0.5 and 0.5–2.0 mm) of Quercus serrata and Ilex pedunculosa in a deciduous broad-leaved forest. During the study period, fine root litter of both diameter classes and species decreased approximately exponentially over time. The Q₁₀ values of microbial respiration rates of root litter for the two classes were 1.59–3.31 and 1.28–6.27 for Q. serrata and 1.36–6.31 and 1.65–5.86 for I. pedunculosa. A significant difference in Q₁₀ was observed between the diameter classes, indicating that root diameter represents the initial substrate quality, which may determine the magnitude of Q₁₀ value of microbial respiration. Changes in these Q₁₀ values were related to seasonal soil temperature patterns; the values were higher in winter than in summer. Moreover, seasonal variations in Q₁₀ were larger during the 2-year decomposition period than the 1-year period. These results showed that the Q₁₀ values of fine root litter of 0–0.5 and 0.5–2.0 mm have been shown to increase with lower temperatures and with the higher recalcitrance pool of the decomposed substrate during 2 years of decomposition. Thus, the temperature sensitivity of microbial respiration in root litter showed distinct patterns according to the decay period and season because of the temperature acclimation and adaptation of the microbial decomposer communities in root litter.     

Temperature and vegetation effects on soil organic carbon quality along a forested mean annual temperature gradient in North America

Both climate and plant species are hypothesized to influence soil organic carbon (SOC) quality, but accurate prediction of how SOC process rates respond to global change will require an improved understanding of how SOC quality varies with mean annual temperature (MAT) and forest type. We investigated SOC quality in paired hardwood and pine stands growing in coarse textured soils located along a 22 °C gradient in MAT. To do this, we conducted 80‐day incubation experiments at 10 and 30 °C to quantify SOC decomposition rates, which we used to kinetically define SOC quality. We used these experiments to test the hypotheses that SOC quality decreases with MAT, and that SOC quality is higher under pine than hardwood tree species. We found that both SOC quantity and quality decreased with increasing MAT. During the 30 °C incubation, temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) values were strongly and positively related to SOC decomposition rates, indicating that substrate supply can influence temperature responsiveness of SOC decomposition rates. For a limited number of dates, Q₁₀ was negatively related to MAT. Soil chemical properties could not explain observed patterns in soil quality. Soil pH and cation exchange capacity (CEC) both declined with increasing MAT, and soil C quality was positively related to pH but negatively related to CEC. Clay mineralogy of soils also could not explain patterns of SOC quality as complex (2 : 1), high CEC clay minerals occurred in cold climate soils while warm climate soils were dominated by simpler (1 : 1), low CEC clay minerals. While hardwood sites contained more SOC than pine sites, with differences declining with MAT, clay content was also higher in hardwood soils. In contrast, there was no difference in SOC quality between pine and hardwood soils. Overall, these findings indicate that SOC quantity and quality may both decrease in response to global warming, despite long‐term changes in soil chemistry and mineralogy that favor decomposition.     

Differences in SOM Decomposition and Temperature Sensitivity among Soil Aggregate Size Classes in a Temperate Grasslands

The principle of enzyme kinetics suggests that the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition is inversely related to organic carbon (C) quality, i.e., the C quality-temperature (CQT) hypothesis. We tested this hypothesis by performing laboratory incubation experiments with bulk soil, macroaggregates (MA, 250–2000 μm), microaggregates (MI, 53–250 μm), and mineral fractions (MF, <53 μm) collected from an Inner Mongolian temperate grassland. The results showed that temperature and aggregate size significantly affected on SOM decomposition, with notable interactive effects (P<0.0001). For 2 weeks, the decomposition rates of bulk soil and soil aggregates increased with increasing incubation temperature in the following order: MA>MF>bulk soil >MI(P <0.05). The Q₁₀ values were highest for MA, followed (in decreasing order) by bulk soil, MF, and MI. Similarly, the activation energies (E_a) for MA, bulk soil, MF, and MI were 48.47, 33.26, 27.01, and 23.18 KJ mol⁻¹, respectively. The observed significant negative correlations between Q₁₀ and C quality index in bulk soil and soil aggregates (P<0.05) suggested that the CQT hypothesis is applicable to soil aggregates. Cumulative C emission differed significantly among aggregate size classes (P <0.0001), with the largest values occurring in MA (1101 μg g⁻¹), followed by MF (976 μg g⁻¹) and MI (879 μg g⁻¹). These findings suggest that feedback from SOM decomposition in response to changing temperature is closely associated withsoil aggregation and highlights the complex responses of ecosystem C budgets to future warming scenarios.     

Seasonality,Rather than Nutrient Addition or Vegetation Types,Influenced Short-Term Temperature Sensitivity of Soil Organic Carbon Decomposition

The response of microbial respiration from soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition to environmental changes plays a key role in predicting future trends of atmospheric CO₂ concentration. However, it remains uncertain whether there is a universal trend in the response of microbial respiration to increased temperature and nutrient addition among different vegetation types. In this study, soils were sampled in spring, summer, autumn and winter from five dominant vegetation types, including pine, larch and birch forest, shrubland, and grassland, in the Saihanba area of northern China. Soil samples from each season were incubated at 1, 10, and 20°C for 5 to 7 days. Nitrogen (N; 0.035 mM as NH₄NO₃) and phosphorus (P; 0.03 mM as P₂O₅) were added to soil samples, and the responses of soil microbial respiration to increased temperature and nutrient addition were determined. We found a universal trend that soil microbial respiration increased with increased temperature regardless of sampling season or vegetation type. The temperature sensitivity (indicated by Q₁₀, the increase in respiration rate with a 10°C increase in temperature) of microbial respiration was higher in spring and autumn than in summer and winter, irrespective of vegetation type. The Q₁₀ was significantly positively correlated with microbial biomass and the fungal: bacterial ratio. Microbial respiration (or Q₁₀) did not significantly respond to N or P addition. Our results suggest that short-term nutrient input might not change the SOC decomposition rate or its temperature sensitivity, whereas increased temperature might significantly enhance SOC decomposition in spring and autumn, compared with winter and summer.     

Nitrogen mineralization dynamics in grass monocultures

Although Wedin and Tilman (1990) observed large differences in in situ N mineralization among monocultures of five grass species, the mechanisms responsible were unclear. In this study, we found that the species did not change total soil C or N, and soil C: N ratio (range 12.9–14.1) was only slightly, but significantly, changed after four years. Nor did the species significantly affect the total amount of N mineralized (per g soil N) in year-long aerobic laboratory incubations. However, short-term N mineralization rates in the incubations (day 1–day 17) differed significantly among species and were significantly correlated with annual in situ mineralization. When pool sizes and turnover rates of potentially mineralizable N (N_o) were estimated, the best model treated N_o as two pools: a labile pool, which differed among species in size (N_l, range 2–3% of total N) and rate constant (h, range 0.04–0.26 wk^–1), and a larger recalcitrant pool with a constant mineralization rate across species. The rate constant of the labile pool (h) was highly correlated with annual in situ N mineralization (+0.96). Therefore, plant species need only change the dynamics of a small fraction of soil organic matter, in this case estimated to be less than 3%, to have large effects on overall system N dynamics.     

Vulnerability of wetland soil carbon stocks to climate warming in the perhumid coastal temperate rainforest

The perhumid coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) of southeast Alaska has some of the densest soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in the world (>300 Mg C ha^?1) but the fate of this SOC with continued warming remains largely unknown. We quantified dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) yields from four different wetland types (rich fen, poor fen, forested wetland and cedar wetland) using controlled laboratory incubations of surface (10 cm) and subsurface (25 cm) soils incubated at 8 and 15 °C for 37 weeks. Furthermore, we used fluorescence characterization of DOC and laboratory bioassays to assess how climate-induced soil warming may impact the quality and bioavailability of DOC delivered to fluvial systems. Soil temperature was the strongest control on SOC turnover, with wetland type and soil depth less important in controlling CO₂ flux and extractable DOC. The high temperature incubation increased average CO₂ yield by ~40 and ~25% for DOC suggesting PCTR soils contain a sizeable pool of readily biodegradable SOC that can be mineralized to DOC and CO₂ with future climate warming. Fluxes of CO₂ were positively correlated to both extractable DOC and percent bioavailable DOC during the last few months of the incubation suggesting mineralization of SOC to DOC is a strong control of soil respiration rates. Whether the net result is increased export of either carbon form will depend on the balance between the land to water transport of DOC and the ability of soil microbial communities to mineralize DOC to CO₂.