Root trenching: a useful tool to estimate autotrophic soil respiration? A case study in an Austrian mountain forest

We conducted a trenching experiment in a mountain forest in order to assess the contribution of the autotrophic respiration to total soil respiration and evaluate trenching as a technique to achieve it. We hypothesised that the trenching experiment would alter both microbial biomass and microbial co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of forest research 2010-01, Vol.129 (1), p.101-109
Main Authors: Díaz-Pinés, Eugenio, Schindlbacher, Andreas, Pfeffer, Michael, Jandl, Robert, Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Sophie, Rubio, Agustín
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomass
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Carbon dioxide
Community structure
Decomposition
Efflux
Forest soils
Forestry
Growing season
Life Sciences
Microbiomes
Microorganisms
Mountain forests
Mountains
Original Paper
Plant Ecology
Plant Sciences
Respiration
Roots
Side effects
Soil microorganisms
Soil sciences
Soil structure
Soils
Trenching
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Summary:We conducted a trenching experiment in a mountain forest in order to assess the contribution of the autotrophic respiration to total soil respiration and evaluate trenching as a technique to achieve it. We hypothesised that the trenching experiment would alter both microbial biomass and microbial community structure and that fine roots (less than 2 mm diameter) would be decomposed within one growing season. Soil CO₂ efflux was measured roughly biweekly over two growing seasons. Root presence and morphology parameters, as well as the soil microbial community were measured prior to trenching, 5 and 15 months after trenching. The trenched plots emitted about 20 and 30% less CO₂ than the control plots in the first and second growing season, respectively. Roots died in trenched plots, but root decay was slow. After 5 and 15 months, fine root biomass was decreased by 9% (not statistically different) and 30%, (statistically different) respectively. When we corrected for the additional trenched-plot CO₂ efflux due to fine root decomposition, the autotrophic soil respiration rose to ~26% of the total soil respiration for the first growing season, and to ~44% for the second growing season. Soil microbial biomass and community structure was not altered by the end of the second growing season. We conclude that trenching can give accurate estimates of the autotrophic and heterotrophic components of soil respiration, if methodological side effects are accounted for, only.
ISSN:1612-4669
1612-4677
DOI:10.1007/s10342-008-0250-6