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Title: Effects of soil moisture and temperature on fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane in laboratory-incubated temperate forest soils

Conference · · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)
OSTI ID:7274201
;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Allegheny College, Meadville, PA (United States)
  2. Ecosystems Center, Woods Hole, MA (United States)
  3. Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

Relative effects of soil moisture and temperature on carbon dioxide (CO[sub 2]) and methane (CH[sub 4]) fluxes between soils and the atmosphere were examined in the laboratory. Forest floor and mineral soils were collected from the Harvard Forest LTER and incubated at temperatures ranging from 5[degrees]C to 25[degrees]C, and at soil moistures ranging from 20% to nearly 100% of field moisture capacity (FMC). Forest floor CO[sub 2] effluxes were greater than mineral soil effluxes, on a per gram-soil as well as a per gram soil organic matter (OM) basis. For both soil horizons, CO[sub 2] effluxes were greatest between 50% and 80% of FMC, with the highest rates (over 25 ugC/g solid OM/h) observed in forest floor incubated at 25[degrees]C. For CH[sub 4], mineral soil OM showed greater uptake rates than forest floor OM. Uptake was generally highest (over 35 NgC/g soil OM/h) between 40% and 65% of FMC in the mineral soil, with drastically reduced levels of uptake at dry or wet soil conditions. Temperature displayed a minimal effect on uptake for both soil horizons. These results indicate that both temperature and moisture are important in controlling CO[sub 2] effluxes, but that moisture alone is the strongest controller of CH[sub 4] uptake.

OSTI ID:
7274201
Report Number(s):
CONF-940894-; CODEN: BECLAG
Journal Information:
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States), Vol. 75:2; Conference: Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting: science and public policy, Knoxville, TN (United States), 7-11 Aug 1994; ISSN 0012-9623
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English