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Environmental controls and the influence of tree species on temporal variation in soil respiration in subtropical China

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Abstract

Background and aims

The knowledge of individual tree species impacts on soil respiration based on rigorous experimental designs is limited, but is crucial to help guide selection of species for reforestation and carbon (C) management purposes.

Methods

We assessed monthly soil respiration and its components, litterfall input, fine root production and mortality under 19-year-old native coniferous Cunninghamia lanceolata and broadleaved Mytilaria laosensis plantations in sub-tropical China.

Results

Total soil respiration from October 2011 to March 2013 was significantly lower under the C. lanceolata than the M. laosensis plantation. The difference in respiration rates derived from fine roots and the litter layer explained much of the variation of total soil respiration between the two tree species. We used an exponential equation and base temperature (10 °C) to normalize soil respiration rate and its components (R10) and determined the correlation between R10 and soil moisture. Although soil moisture had a positive relationship with R10 derived from roots or litter under both C. lanceolata and M. laosensis forests, these positive correlations were masked by negative relationships between soil moisture and R10 derived from root-free soil, which resulted in a neutral correlation between total R10 and soil moisture under C. lanceolata forests. Monthly litterfall input was associated with variation in concurrent total soil respiration rate under the M. laosensis plantation and respiration rate lagging 3 months behind under the C. lanceolata plantation, which may suggest that litterfall input from M. laosensis can more rapidly produce C substrates for microbial respiration than litterfall from C. lanceolata.

Conclusions

This study highlighted that tree species-induced variation in the quality and quantity of fine roots and litterfall can impact not only the soil respiration rate but also the seasonal variation model of forest soil respiration.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. X Wen of the Xiayang forest farm for assistance in the field and Mr. Murray Davis from Scion Research in New Zealand for his helpful comments and suggestions. The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41371269), the National “973” Program of China (2014CB954002), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University and the Science Foundation for Excellent Talents of Fujian Province, China.

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  1. College of Geographical Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Zhiqun Huang, Zaipeng Yu & Minghuang Wang

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  1. Zhiqun Huang
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Correspondence to Zhiqun Huang.

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Responsible Editor: Per Ambus.

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Huang, Z., Yu, Z. & Wang, M. Environmental controls and the influence of tree species on temporal variation in soil respiration in subtropical China. Plant Soil 382, 75–87 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2141-6

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