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Functioning and Management of European Beech Ecosystems pp 337–351Cite as

Soil Respiration

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Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 208))

Abstract

The recent discussion about global climate change has intensified the role of soils which may act as a sink or a source of carbon under changing environmental conditions (Schulze 2000; Valentini 2003). A decrease of organic carbon by 10% in the whole world soils would be equivalent to all the anthropogenic CO2 emitted over 30 years (Kirschbaum 2000). It is generally argued that with an increase in global warming both net primary production (NPP) and decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) will increase (Kirschbaum 1995, 2000). The issue is which of these processes are stimulated by increasing temperature. Soil respiration includes heterotrophic respiration and autotrophic respiration, and their temperature sensitivities will largely determine the effect of a warmer world on net carbon flux between soils and atmosphere (Boone et al. 1998). However, there is increasing evidence that soil respiration is determined more by carbohydrate supply than by temperature (Högberg et al. 2001). A reliable technique of measuring respiration that provides temporal and spatial variations in the soil and autotrophic respiration is required for assessing ecosystem levels effects. Another issue is whether forest soils, which have been affected by acid and nitrogen deposition or liming, will react differently to changing climate. We will therefore consider: (1) methodological aspects of assessing soil respiration by using chambers, (2) ways to obtain reliable flux estimates with consideration of temporal and spatial variations, (3) evaluation of annual CO2 fluxes from three beech forest soils, (4) the contribution of autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration to soil respiration, (5) the temperature sensitivity of autotrophic respiration and heterotrophic respiration, and (6) the effect of liming and N-fertilisation and stand harvesting by the formation of small gaps on soil respiration.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science of Tropical Ecosystems, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    R. Brumme

  2. Department of Soil Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Dr.-Hans-Frisch-Str. 1-3, 95448, Bayreuth, Germany

    W. Borken

  3. Department of Soil Science of Temperate and Boreal Ecosystems, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    J. Prenzel

Authors
  1. R. Brumme
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  2. W. Borken
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  3. J. Prenzel
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Correspondence to R. Brumme .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science of Tropical Ecosystems, Georg-August- University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Rainer Brumme

  2. Department of Soil Science of Temperate and Boreal Ecosystems, Georg-August- University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Partap K. Khanna

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Brumme, R., Borken, W., Prenzel, J. (2009). Soil Respiration. In: Brumme, R., Khanna, P.K. (eds) Functioning and Management of European Beech Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 208. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/b82392_18

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