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Partitioning in trees and soil (PiTS) - a experimental approach to improve knowledge of forest carbon dynamics

Journal Article · · Tree Physiology
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  1. ORNL
  2. University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Summary The dynamics of rapid changes in carbon (C) partitioning within forest ecosystems are not well understood, which limits improvement of mechanistic models of C cycling. Our objective was to inform model processes by describing relationships between C partitioning and accessible environmental or physiological measurements, with a special emphasis on belowground C flux. We exposed eight 7-year-old loblolly pine trees to air enriched with 13CO2 and then implemented adjacent light shade (LS) and heavy shade (HS) treatments in order to manipulate C uptake and flux. A soil pit was dug adjacent to the trees to provide greater access belowground. The impacts of shading on photosynthesis, plant water potential, sap flow, basal area growth, root growth, and soil C exchange rate (CER) were assessed for each tree over a three-week period. The progression of the 13C label was concurrently tracked from the atmosphere through foliage, phloem, roots, and soil CO2 efflux. The HS treatment significantly reduced C uptake, sap flow, stem growth and root standing crop, and resulted in greater residual soil water content to 1 m depth. Sap flow was strongly correlated with CER on the previous day, but not the current day, with no apparent treatment effect on the relationship. The 13C label was immediately detected in foliage on label day (half-life = 0.5 d), progressed through phloem by day 2 (half-life = 4.7 d), roots by day 2-4, and subsequently was evident as respiratory release from soil which peaked between days 3-6. The 13C of soil CO2 efflux was strongly correlated with phloem 13C on the previous day, or two days earlier. These data detail the timing and relative magnitude of C flux through a young pine stand in relation to environmental conditions. Refinement of belowground sampling will be necessary to adequately separate and quantify the flux of recently fixed C into roots, and fate of that new C as respiratory, mycorrhizal or exudative release, storage or partitioning into new root biomass.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Sponsoring Organization:
SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1044652
Journal Information:
Tree Physiology, Journal Name: Tree Physiology Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 32; ISSN 0829-318X; ISSN TRPHEM
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (12)

Specificity of plant-microbe interactions in the tree mycorrhizosphere biome and consequences for soil C cycling journal June 2014
In situ 13 CO 2 pulse labelling of field-grown eucalypt trees revealed the effects of potassium nutrition and throughfall exclusion on phloem transport of photosynthetic carbon journal September 2015
Forest carbon allocation modelling under climate change journal November 2019
Responses of Intrinsic Water-use Efficiency and Tree Growth to Climate Change in Semi-Arid Areas of North China journal January 2018
Ectomycorrhizal fungi reduce the light compensation point and promote carbon fixation of Pinus thunbergii seedlings to adapt to shade environments journal August 2017
Progress and challenges in using stable isotopes to trace plant carbon and water relations across scales journal January 2012
Soil CO2 efflux in an old-growth southern conifer forests (Agathis australis) – magnitude, components, and controls posted_content April 2016
The Comparative Photosynthetic Responses of Pinus caribaea var. caribaea and Pinus tropicalis, from Western Cuba journal January 2020
Dynamic linking of 14C partitioning with shoot growth allows a precise determination of plant-derived C input to soil journal September 2016
Soil CO 2 efflux in an old-growth southern conifer forest ( Agathis australis ) – magnitude, components and controls journal January 2016
Forest carbon allocation modelling under climate change text January 2019
Carbon isotopic tracing of sugars throughout whole‐trees exposed to climate warming journal August 2019

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Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
AIR
BIOMASS
CARBON
ECOSYSTEMS
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE
FORESTS
LEAVES
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PINES
SAMPLING
SHADING
SOILS
STORAGE
TREES
WATER