Analysing partitioning of recently fixed and of reserve carbon in reproductive Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants

Abstract. Partitioning of recently-fixed carbon among plant organs and subsequent distribution of reserve carbon were studied by supplying whole shoots of bean plants ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with ¹⁴C-labelled CO₂ of constant specific radioactivity throughout a photoperiod. The gain of tracer carbon in each part revealed net accumulation of recently-fixed carbon from direct fixation, import or both. Growth rate coefficients describing the present pattern of plant growth were calculated from ratios of tracer carbon to total carbon present in plant organs and were used to project future plant form. The period 10–20 d after the start of flowering was marked by a major increase in partitioning of recently-fixed carbon to reproductive growth. Growth rates for the plant and its parts during this period were projected on the basis of growth rate coefficients and were found to be similar to rates measured by gravimetric growth analysis. Changes in tracer carbon recovered in individual organs after chase periods of various lengths revealed net decreases for leaves and stems. About 9% of the carbon distributed to fruits came from reserves even in the absence of obvious stress. Respiratory loss during the chase period was determined from the progressive drop in recovery of the original tracer carbon. The methods are being applied to measure current net accumulation rates in studies of sink organ physiology, and to compare partitioning of recently-fixed and of stored carbon in several plant species under defined growth conditions.     

The fate and path of assimilation products in the stem of 8-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees

Summary ¹⁴CO₂ at ambient concentration was administered to a section of an upper branch of 8-year-old Scots pines and the import of radiocarbon into the stem and roots was determined after various chase periods. ¹⁴CO₂ fixation was performed in October when export of carbon into the stems and roots was maximal. In the short-term experiments the trees were harvested 1 h, 2 days and 5 days after a 3-h ¹⁴C pulse, while chase periods of 5 or 8 months were used in the long-term experiments. Loss of ¹⁴C was initially substantial, and even after a 5-day chase had not come down to a rate which indicated decrease only by respiration. After 5 days, more than 10% of the recovered radiocarbon (53% of the ¹⁴C translocated into the stem) had entered the roots and approximately the same amount was found in the stem. Extension of the chase period beyond 5 months did not result in a further significant loss of ¹⁴C by respiration, and the bulk of the label could be localized in the cell-wall fraction. No substantial redistribution of radiocarbon prior and subsequent to the formation of the new shoots could be observed, thus indicating that the stored material was utilized for thickening the stem and roots. Radioautography of stem cross-sections revealed a narrow helical strip of ¹⁴C from the feeding branch to the root in the phloem region. In the tree harvested after bud break the utilization of the ¹⁴C-labelled material stored in the stem for the production of the first layers of earlywood and the corresponding phloem was apparent.     

Ghosts of the past: how drought legacy effects shape forest functioning and carbon cycling

Multi‐year lags in tree drought recovery, termed ‘drought legacy effects’, are important for understanding the impacts of drought on forest ecosystems, including carbon (C) cycle feedbacks to climate change. Despite the ubiquity of lags in drought recovery, large uncertainties remain regarding the mechanistic basis of legacy effects and their importance for the C cycle. In this review, we identify the approaches used to study legacy effects, from tree rings to whole forests. We then discuss key knowledge gaps pertaining to the causes of legacy effects, and how the various mechanisms that may contribute these lags in drought recovery could have contrasting implications for the C cycle. Furthermore, we conduct a novel data synthesis and find that legacy effects differ drastically in both size and length across the US depending on if they are identified in tree rings versus gross primary productivity. Finally, we highlight promising approaches for future research to improve our capacity to model legacy effects and predict their impact on forest health. We emphasise that a holistic view of legacy effects – from tissues to whole forests – will advance our understanding of legacy effects and stimulate efforts to investigate drought recovery via experimental, observational and modelling approaches.     

Stable isotope carbon study: long-term partitioning during progressive drought stress in Brassica napus var. oleifera

Abstract. Long-term carbon partitioning was analysed by stable carbon isotope labelling of CO₂ during the adaptive response of Brassica napus to progressive drought stress. This method allowed us to distinguish between the pre-existing carbon, which had accumulated before the change in CO₂ isotope composition (on 20 d) and the recent photosynthetic input occurring during the following period. Three successive adaptive phases characterized the plant response to drought. In the first period of water shortage (20–30 d), growth was progressively slowed down: the recent C input (28.3 mg per plant) was mainly allocated to mature leaves (14 mg) and roots (8.9 mg); the pre-existing C chains were partly lost by respiration (12.1 mg) and partly translocated to the apex (2.3 mg). The increase in dry matter (13.0 mg) was mainly due to the recent C input (19.1 mg) in shoots but the roots appeared also as an important sink despite their small dry matter increase (3.2 mg). Root dry matter turnover corresponded to the elimination of pre-existing C chains (6.0 mg) and their renewal with the recent C input (9.2 mg). Root sink strength was related also to the development of drought-induced short tuberized roots (0.1 mg from pre-existing C and 0.3 mg from recent C). In the second period of water stress (from 30 to 40 d), the whole plant biomass remained constant in spite of efficient allocations from pre-existing and recent C sources to two main sinks: shoot apex (3.1 and 5.4 mg, respectively) and short tuberized roots (1.0 and 0.2 mg, respectively). The hypocotyl acted as a transient storage organ for the recent C input (2.0 mg). In the third period of recovery upon rehydration (from 46 to 51 d), the short tuberized roots gave rise to a new root system using C chains from pre-existing and recent sources (1.7 and 2.8 mg, respectively). Such concomitant sink-source behaviour of tuberized roots underlines the adaptive value of drought rhizogenesis.     

Canopy CO2 enrichment permits tracing the fate of recently assimilated carbon in a mature deciduous forest

How rapidly newly assimilated carbon (C) is invested into recalcitrant structures of forests, and how closely C pools and fluxes are tied to photosynthesis, is largely unknown. A crane and a purpose-built free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) system permitted us to label the canopy of a mature deciduous forest with 13C-depleted CO2 for 4 yr and continuously trace the flow of recent C through the forest without disturbance. Potted C4 grasses in the canopy ('isometers') served as a reference for the C-isotope input signal. After four growing seasons, leaves were completely labelled, while newly formed wood (tree rings) still contained 9% old C. Distinct labels were found in fine roots (38%) and sporocarps of mycorrhizal fungi (62%). Soil particles attached to fine roots contained 9% new C, whereas no measurable signal was detected in bulk soil. Soil-air CO2 consisted of 35% new C, indicating that considerable amounts of assimilates were rapidly returned back to the atmosphere. These data illustrate a relatively slow dilution of old mobile C pools in trees, but a pronounced allocation of very recent assimilates to C pools of short residence times.     

Nitrogen allocation and carbon isotope fractionation in relation to intercepted radiation and position in a young Pinus radiata D. Don tree

The three dimensional distribution of intercepted radiation, intercellular CO₂ concentration (C_i) and late summer needle nitrogen (N) concentration were determined at the tips of all 54 branches in a 6·2-m-tall Pinus radiata D. Don tree growing in a New Zealand plantation. Measurements included above- and below-canopy irradiance, leaf stable carbon isotopic composition (δ¹³C) and tree canopy architecture. The radiation absorption component of the model, MAESTRO, was tested on site and then used to determine the branch tip distribution of intercepted radiation. We hypothesized that in branch tip needles: (i) the allocation of nitrogen and other nutrients would be closely associated with the distribution of intercepted radiation, reflecting carbon gain optimization theory, and (ii) C_i would predominantly reflect changes in photosynthetic rate (A) rather than stomatal conductance (g_s), indicating that the increase in A for a given increase in N concentration was larger than the corresponding increase in g_s. Needle nitrogen concentration was poorly related to intercepted radiation, regardless of the period over which the latter was calculated. At a given height, there was a large azimuthal variation in intercepted radiation but N concentration was remarkably uniform around the tree canopy. There was, however, a linear and positive correspondence between N concentration and δ¹³C and needle height above ground (r² = 0·73 and 0·68, respectively). The very strong linear correspondence between N concentration and C_i (r² = 0·71) was interpreted, using gas exchange measurements, as supporting our second hypothesis. Recognizing the strong apical control in P. radiata and possible effects of leaf nitrogen storage in an evergreen species, we propose that the tree leader must have constituted a very strong carbon sink throughout the growing season, and that the proximity of branch tip needles to the leader affected their photosynthetic capacity and nutrient concentration, independent of intercepted radiation. This implies an integrated internal determination of resource allocation within the tree and challenges the current convention that resources are optimally distributed according to the profile of intercepted radiation.     

Release of resource constraints allows greater carbon allocation to secondary metabolites and storage in winter wheat

The atmospheric CO₂ concentration ([CO₂]) is rapidly increasing, and this may have substantial impact on how plants allocate metabolic resources. A thorough understanding of allocation priorities can be achieved by modifying [CO₂] over a large gradient, including low [CO₂], thereby altering plant carbon (C) availability. Such information is of critical importance for understanding plant responses to global environmental change. We quantified the percentage of daytime whole‐plant net assimilation (A) allocated to night‐time respiration (R), structural growth (SG), nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and secondary metabolites (SMs) during 8 weeks of vegetative growth in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) growing at low, ambient and elevated [CO₂] (170, 390 and 680 ppm). R/A remained relatively constant over a large gradient of [CO₂]. However, with increasing C availability, the fraction of assimilation allocated to biomass (SG + NSC + SMs), in particular NSC and SMs, increased. At low [CO₂], biomass and NSC increased in leaves but decreased in stems and roots, which may help plants achieve a functional equilibrium, that is, overcome the most severe resource limitation. These results reveal that increasing C availability from rising [CO₂] releases allocation constraints, thereby allowing greater investment into long‐term survival in the form of NSC and SMs.     

Temporal dynamics of the carbon isotope composition in a Pinus sylvestris stand: from newly assimilated organic carbon to respired carbon dioxide

The (13)C isotopic signature (C stable isotope ratio; delta(13)C) of CO(2) respired from forest ecosystems and their particular compartments are known to be influenced by temporal changes in environmental conditions affecting C isotope fractionation during photosynthesis. Whereas most studies have assessed temporal variation in delta(13)C of ecosystem-respired CO(2) on a day-to-day scale, not much information is available on its diel dynamics. We investigated environmental and physiological controls over potential temporal changes in delta(13)C of respired CO(2) by following the short-term dynamics of the (13)C signature from newly assimilated organic matter pools in the needles, via phloem-transported organic matter in twigs and trunks, to trunk-, soil- and ecosystem-respired CO(2). We found a strong 24-h periodicity in delta(13)C of organic matter in leaf and twig phloem sap, which was strongly dampened as carbohydrates were transported down the trunk. Periodicity reappeared in the delta(13)C of trunk-respired CO(2), which seemed to originate from apparent respiratory fractionation rather than from changes in delta(13)C of the organic substrate. The diel patterns of delta(13)C in soil-respired CO(2) are partly explained by soil temperature and moisture and are probably due to changes in the relative contribution of heterotrophic and autotrophic CO(2) fluxes to total soil efflux in response to environmental conditions. Our study shows that direct relations between delta(13)C of recent assimilates and respired CO(2) may not be present on a diel time scale, and other factors lead to short-term variations in delta(13)C of ecosystem-emitted CO(2). On the one hand, these variations complicate ecosystem CO(2) flux partitioning, but on the other hand they provide new insights into metabolic processes underlying respiratory CO(2) emission.     

Fine-scale spatial distribution of soil organic carbon and its fractions after afforestation with Pinus sylvestris and Salix psammophila in a semiarid desert of China

半干旱沙漠中樟子松和沙柳造林后土壤有机碳及其组分的小尺度空间分布 半干旱沙漠造林有助于改善土壤功能以及增加土壤有机碳(SOC)固定,但人们对造林后SOC及其不稳定(LOC)组分的小尺度空间分布了解甚少。本研究以毛乌素沙地东南缘樟子松(Pinus sylvestris)和沙柳 (Salix psammophila)为研究对象,量化了距离树体20、80、150和240 cm处SOC、LOC组分及其相关变量的小尺度空间分布。研究结果表明,沙柳和樟子松造林显著提高了SOC、总氮(TN)、可溶性有机碳 (DOC)、微生物碳(MBC)和易氧化有机碳(ROOC)含量;在距离树体20 cm处,0–100 cm土层樟子松SOC 储量比沙柳高27.21%;在距离树体80和150 cm处,沙柳SOC储量分别比樟子松高5.50%和5.66%;与流 沙地相比,在距离树体20、80、150 和240 cm处,沙柳和樟子松SOC储量显著增加了94.90%、39.50%、 27.10%和18.50%;沙柳和樟子松ROOC分别占SOC的14.09%和18.93%。总之,造林促进了半干旱流沙地SOC的积累,樟子松比沙柳分配更多的有机质到距离树体<80 cm范围内的土体中。     

Assimilate partitioning affects 13C fractionation of recently assimilated carbon in maize

Coupling ¹³C natural abundance and ¹⁴C pulse labelling enabled us to investigate the dependence of ¹³C fractionation on assimilate partitioning between shoots, roots, exudates, and CO₂ respired by maize roots. The amount of recently assimilated C in these four pools was controlled by three levels of nutrient supply: full nutrient supply (NS), 10 times diluted nutrient supply (DNS), and deionised water (DW). After pulse labelling of maize shoots in a ¹⁴CO₂ atmosphere, ¹⁴C was traced to determine the amounts of recently assimilated C in the four pools and the δ¹³C values of the four pools were measured. Increasing amounts of recently assimilated C in the roots (from 8% to 10% of recovered ¹⁴C in NS and DNS treatments) led to a 0.3‰ ¹³C enrichment from NS to DNS treatments. A further increase of C allocation in the roots (from 10% to 13% of recovered ¹⁴C in DNS and DW treatments) resulted in an additional enrichment of the roots from DNS to DW treatments by 0.3‰. These findings support the hypothesis that ¹³C enrichment in a pool increases with an increasing amount of C transferred into that pool. δ¹³C of CO₂ evolved by root respiration was similar to that of the roots in DNS and DW treatments. However, if the amount of recently assimilated C in root respiration was reduced (NS treatment), the respired CO₂ became 0.7‰ ¹³C depleted compared to roots. Increasing amounts of recently assimilated C in the CO₂ from NS via DNS to DW treatments resulted in a 1.6‰ δ¹³C increase of root respired CO₂ from NS to DW treatments. Thus, for both pools, i.e. roots and root respiration, increasing amounts of recently assimilated C in the pool led to a δ¹³C increase. In DW and DNS plants there was no ¹³C fractionation between roots and exudates. However, high nutrient supply decreased the amount of recently assimilated C in exudates compared to the other two treatments and led to a 5.3‰ ¹³C enrichment in exudates compared to roots. We conclude that ¹³C discrimination between plant pools and within processes such as exudation and root respiration is not constant but strongly depends on the amount of C in the respective pool and on partitioning of recently assimilated C between plant pools. Section Editor: H. Lambers     

Change of growth characters and carbon stocks in plantations of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in Saihanba,Hebei, China

Aims Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica is one of the main afforestation tree species in North China. It is important to study the characters of growth and carbon (C) sequestration, which can provide scientific basis for the sustainable management. Therefore, our study aims at quantifying the growth characters and C sequestration in these middle-aged plantations, and to investigate the effect of diameter at breast height (DBH) on those dynamics. Methods We selected a middle-aged P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantation as our permanent experimental plot, which is located in Saihanba, Hebei Province, China. DBH and height of all stands in this plot were measured in 2006 and 2016. Based on the anatomical trees and allometric equation, we calculated C density and sequestration from 2006 to 2016. We also analyzed C sequestration in different DBH groups in the study area. Important findings Our results showed that the carbon sink of those middle-age (age between 28 and 38 years old) plantation would be enhanced in future, and there were differences in characters of growth and C sequestration among DBH groups. The decadal increment rate of DBH and height were 4.19% and 1.97%, and the increment rate was the lowest in the 0-10 cm DBH class. The mortality rate of the plantation was 8.39%, with 7.82% mortality occurred in 0-10 cm tree size class. The forest stands biomass carbon stocks in 2006 and 2016 were 59.04 and 109.64 t?hm^-2, respectively, and almost 87.1% of the carbon stocks were in the middle DBH-class, even though the number of trees only accounted for nearly 59.2%. The small class’s number of trees accounted for 39.1%, while the carbon stocks accounted for 8.3%. Our results also demonstrate that forests in Saihanba would continue to act as a carbon sink in the coming years. The variations among DBH groups highlights that the diameter class should be taken into consideration while assess the ecological efficiency and carbon sequestration capacity in a certain area.     

Comprehensive assessment of carbon productivity, allocation and storage in three Amazonian forests

The allocation and cycling of carbon (C) within forests is an important component of the biospheric C cycle, but is particularly understudied within tropical forests. We synthesise reported and unpublished results from three lowland rainforest sites in Amazonia (in the regions of Manaus, Tapajós and Caxiuanã), all major sites of the Large‐Scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Programme (LBA). We attempt a comprehensive synthesis of the C stocks, nutrient status and, particularly, the allocation and internal C dynamics of all three sites. The calculated net primary productivities (NPP) are 10.1±1.4 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (Manaus), 14.4±1.3 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (Tapajós) and 10.0±1.2 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (Caxiuanã). All errors bars report standard errors. Soil and leaf nutrient analyses indicate that Tapajós has significantly more plant‐available phosphorus and calcium. Autotrophic respiration at all three sites (14.9–21.4 Mg C ha yr⁻¹) is more challenging to measure, with the largest component and greatest source of uncertainty being leaf dark respiration. Comparison of measured soil respiration with that predicted from C cycling measurements provides an independent constraint. It shows general good agreement at all three sites, with perhaps some evidence for measured soil respiration being less than expected. Twenty to thirty percent of fixed C is allocated belowground. Comparison of gross primary productivity (GPP), derived from ecosystem flux measurements with that derived from component studies (NPP plus autotrophic respiration) provides an additional crosscheck. The two approaches are in good agreement, giving increased confidence in both approaches to estimating GPP. The ecosystem carbon‐use efficiency (CUEs), the ratio of NPP to GPP, is similar at Manaus (0.34±0.10) and Caxiuanã (0.32±0.07), but may be higher at Tapajós (0.49±0.16), although the difference is not significant. Old growth or infertile tropical forests may have low CUE compared with recently disturbed and/or fertile forests.     

Partitioning pattern of carbon flux in a Kobresia grassland on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau revealed by field 13C pulse‐labeling

Characterizing the carbon turnover in terrestrial ecosystems is critical for understanding and predicting carbon dynamics in ecosystems. We used in situ¹³C pulse labeling to track photosynthetic carbon fluxes from shoot to roots and to soil in a Kobresia humilis meadow on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. We found that about 36.7% of labeled carbon was translocated out from the shoots within the first 24 h after photosynthetic uptake. This is equivalent to 66.1% of total ¹³C moving out from the shoot during the 32‐day chase period, indicating a rapid and large translocation of newly fixed carbon to belowground parts in these alpine plants. 58.7% of the assimilated ¹³C was transferred belowground. At the end of the chase phase, 30.9% was retained in living roots, 3.4% in dead roots, 17.2% lost as belowground respiration and 7.3% remained in the soil. In the four carbon pools (i.e., shoots, living roots, dead roots, and soil pools), living roots consistently had the highest proportion of ¹³C in the plant–soil system during the 32 days. Based on the ¹³C partitioning pattern and biomass production, we estimate a total of 4930 kg C ha^?1 was allocated belowground during the vegetation growth season in this alpine meadow. Of this, roots accumulated 2868 kg C ha^?1 and soils accumulated 613 kg C ha^?1. This study suggests that carbon storage in belowground carbon pools plays the most important role in carbon cycles in the alpine meadow.     

Ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Pinus sylvestris seedlings respond differently to increased carbon and nitrogen availability: implications for ecosystem responses to global change

The ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbiosis can cause both positive and negative feedback with trees under elevated CO₂. Positive feedback arises if the additional carbon (C) increases both nutrient uptake by the fungus and nutrient transfer to the plant, whereas negative feedback results from increased nutrient uptake and immobilization by the fungus and reduced transfer to the plant. Because species of ECM fungi differ in their C and nitrogen (N) demand, understanding fungal species‐specific responses to variation in C and N supply is essential to predict impacts of global change. We investigated fungal species‐specific responses of ECM Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings under ambient and elevated CO₂ (350 or 700 μL L⁻¹ CO₂) and under low and high mineral N availability. Each seedling was associated with one of the following ECM species: Hebeloma cylindrosporum, Laccaria bicolor and Suillus bovinus. The experiment lasted 103 days. During the final 27 days, seedlings were labeled with ¹⁴CO₂ and ¹⁵N. Most plant and fungal parameters were significantly affected by fungal species, CO₂ level and N supply. Interactions between fungal species and CO₂ were also regularly significant. At low N availability, elevated CO₂ had the smallest impact on the photosynthetic performance of seedlings inoculated with H. cylindrosporum and the largest impact on seedlings with S. bovinus. At ambient CO₂, increasing N supply had the smallest impact on seedlings inoculated with S. bovinus and the largest on seedlings inoculated with H. cylindrosporum. At low N availability, extraradical hyphal length increased after doubling CO₂ level, but this was significant only for L. bicolor. At ambient CO₂, increasing N levels reduced hyphal length for both H. cylindrosporum and S. bovinus, but not for L. bicolor. We discuss the potential interplay of two major elements of global change, elevated CO₂ and increased N availability, and their effects on plant growth. We conclude that increased N supply potentially relieves mycorrhiza‐induced progressive N limitation under elevated CO₂.     

Growth and nutrient characteristics in bog and fen populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Nutrient content in peat and growth rate, rate of nutrient accumulation and allocation patterns in Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. from eleven natural Swedish peatlands were examined. The peatlands studied represented a wide range of climatic conditions and mire types. Whole and even-sized pines with intact root-systems were excavated to give the whole-pine budget for growth and nutrient accumulation. All samples originated from hummock communities.Pine growth and nutrient characteristics were much more variable in the minerogenous sites than in the ombrogenous sites, which indicates a larger environmental heterogeneity within the minerogenous sites. In the ombrogenous sites, rate of pine growth was constant, approximately 1 mg day^-1, and independent of latitudinal variation. There was either no relationship between latitudinal location and growth rate in the minerogenous sites, which suggests that pine growth is largely controlled by site-specific, very local conditions. The growth rate of pines was not correlated with any peat nutrient. The pines allocated a large proportion of their nutrient-pool to the metabolically active current year's growth. This is likely a trait that enables Scots pine to occupy a wide range of peatland types in which it experience a marked imbalance and shortage of nutrients.     

红壤和风沙土添加不同化学结构有机碳对外源碳去向及累积贡献的影响

植物凋落物碳输入显著影响陆地生态系统土壤CO₂排放和有机碳(SOC)形成,然而,针对不同质地土壤添加不同化学结构外源碳去向依然不清楚。本研究将¹³C标记的葡萄糖、淀粉和纤维素添加至红壤和风沙土,比较2种质地土壤添加不同化学结构外源碳在土壤释放的CO₂、SOC、可溶性有机碳(DOC)和微生物生物量碳(MBC)库的净累积量、回收率及贡献比例上的差异。结果表明: 添加外源有机碳显著提高了CO₂、SOC、DOC和MBC的δ¹³C值,且随着外源有机碳化学结构复杂性的增加,CO₂的δ¹³C峰值依次延迟出现;外源有机碳种类、土壤类型和培养时间均显著改变外源碳去向及其在各碳库的贡献比例;在风沙土中,外源有机碳更多被矿化为CO₂,且CO₂库的外源碳净累积量和回收率大小依次为葡萄糖>淀粉>纤维素;红壤添加外源碳转变为SOC的累积量和回收率显著高于风沙土,且红壤SOC库的外源碳净累积量和回收率大小顺序也为葡萄糖>淀粉>纤维素。可见,外源有机碳化学结构和土壤质地共同调控外源碳去向及累积贡献。     

南亚热带不同林龄红锥人工林碳贮量与碳固定特征

采用乡土珍贵阔叶树种改造大面积针叶人工纯林已经成为我国亚热带地区人工林近自然化经营的有效模式.采用样地调查与生物量实测方法,研究了我国南亚热带广西3个不同林龄红锥人工林(10、20和27年生)的不同器官、凋落物层和土壤层的碳含量,以及不同林龄红锥人工林的乔木层、凋落物层和土壤层碳贮量及其分配特征.结果表明:红锥不同器官碳含量为49.7％～57.9％;凋落物层碳含量为40.8％ ～ 50.5％,而且未分解层＞半分解层;土壤层(0～60 cm)碳含量随林龄增加而增大,随土层深度的增加而下降.10、20和27年生红锥人工林碳贮量分别为182.42、234.75和269.75 t·hm-2,其中,乔木层分别占19.8％、32.0％和32.8％,凋落物层分别占1.5％、1.6％和1.3％,土壤层分别占78.7％、66.4％和65.9％.3个红锥人工林的年净固碳量分别为4.70、5.64和5.18 t· hm-2.红锥具有较高的固碳能力,是发展多目标森林经营模式的理想树种.     

The fate of assimilated carbon during drought: impacts on respiration in Amazon rainforests

Interannual variations in CO₂ exchange across Amazonia, as deduced from atmospheric inversions, correlate with El Niño occurrence. They are thought to result from changes in net ecosystem exchange and fire incidence that are both related to drought intensity. Alterations to net ecosystem production (NEP) are caused by changes in gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R_eco). Here, we analyse observations of the components of R_eco (leaves, live and dead woody tissue, and soil) to provide first estimates of changes in R_eco during short-term (seasonal to interannual) moisture limitation. Although photosynthesis declines if moisture availability is limiting, leaf dark respiration is generally maintained, potentially acclimating upwards in the longer term. If leaf area is lost, then short-term canopy-scale respiratory effluxes from wood and leaves are likely to decline. Using a moderate short-term drying scenario where soil moisture limitation leads to a loss of 0.5 m² m⁻² yr⁻¹ in leaf area index, we estimate a reduction in respiratory CO₂ efflux from leaves and live woody tissue of 1.0 (±0.4) t C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Necromass decomposition declines during drought, but mortality increases; the median mortality increase following a strong El Niño is 1.1% (n=46 tropical rainforest plots) and yields an estimated net short-term increase in necromass CO₂ efflux of 0.13–0.18 t C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Soil respiration is strongly sensitive to moisture limitation over the short term, but not to associated temperature increases. This effect is underestimated in many models but can lead to estimated reductions in CO₂ efflux of 2.0 (±0.5) t C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Thus, the majority of short-term respiratory responses to drought point to a decline in R_eco, an outcome that contradicts recent regional-scale modelling of NEP. NEP varies with both GPP and R_eco but robust moisture response functions are clearly needed to improve quantification of the role of R_eco in influencing regional-scale CO₂ emissions from Amazonia.