Soil respiration in pits and mounds following an experimental forest blowdown
- Univ. of Calfornia, Davis, CA (United States)
- Allegheny College, Meadville, PA (United States)
Extensive uprooting of trees by windthrow can create areas of severe soil disturbance in temperate forests. Specifically, uprooted trees leave shaded pits and mounds of exposed roots and mineral soil. To assess the contribution of pit and mound microenvironments to overall soil respiration in an experimental hurricane blowdown at the Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research site (MA), summer CO{sub 2} effluxes were measured on pit, mound, and undisturbed microsites. Mean CO{sub 2} effluxes were 45.4, 80.1, and 99.0 mgC m{sup -2} h{sup -1} for pit, mound, and control microsites, respectively. Although soil respiration is lower in areas of disturbed soil than in undisturbed areas, the total efflux contribution (5.3%) form pits and mounds to the overall flux rate at the site was small. The area-weighted soil respiration estimate is 3.1% lower than the estimate obtained using flux measurements from control locations alone. Measurements taken from undisturbed plots represent a small but systematic overestimate of soil respiration across the site. 25 refs., 1 fig.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 458667
- Journal Information:
- Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 60, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Nov-Dec 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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