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Partitioning of belowground C in young sugar maple forest

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Abstract

Background and aims

Trees allocate a high proportion of assimilated carbon belowground, but the partitioning of that C among ecosystem components is poorly understood thereby limiting our ability to predict responses of forest C dynamics to global change drivers.

Methods

We labeled sugar maple saplings in natural forest with a pulse of photosynthetic 13C in late summer and traced the pulse over the following 3 years. We quantified the fate of belowground carbon by measuring 13C enrichment of roots, rhizosphere soil, soil respiration, soil aggregates and microbial biomass.

Results

The pulse of 13C contributed strongly to root and rhizosphere respiration for over a year, and respiration comprised about 75 % of total belowground C allocation (TBCA) in the first year. We estimate that rhizosphere carbon flux (RCF) during the dormant season comprises at least 6 % of TBCA. After 3 years, 3.8 % of the C allocated belowground was recovered in soil organic matter, mostly in water-stable aggregates.

Conclusions

A pulse of carbon allocated belowground in temperate forest supplies root respiration, root growth and RCF throughout the following year and a small proportion becomes stabilized in soil aggregates.

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Acknowledgements

For their assistance with field and laboratory work on this study, the authors thank P. Bohlen, M. Fisk, J. Maerz, J. Beem-Miller, F. Chen, M. Dempsey, T. Feldpausch, A. Heinz, L. Martel, and L. Stoschek. We appreciate the insightful comments of two anonymous reviewers of an earlier draft of this Ms. This research was supported by a grant from the Ecosystem Studies Program, National Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Bruckner Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Timothy J. Fahey, Joseph B. Yavitt & Ruth E. Sherman

  2. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 2801 Sharon Turnpike, Box AB, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA

    Peter M. Groffman

  3. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Guoliang Wang

Authors
  1. Timothy J. Fahey
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  2. Joseph B. Yavitt
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  4. Peter M. Groffman
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  5. Guoliang Wang
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Correspondence to Timothy J. Fahey.

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Responsible Editor: Eric Paterson.

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Fahey, T.J., Yavitt, J.B., Sherman, R.E. et al. Partitioning of belowground C in young sugar maple forest. Plant Soil 367, 379–389 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1459-1

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