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Tree species’ influences on soil carbon dynamics revealed with natural abundance 13C techniques

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Abstract

Background and aims

The carbon (C) sequestration potential of land-use practices is increasingly important. Trees sequester atmospheric C into biomass and above and belowground litter but may also prime the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). We compared the influence of Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore) and Larix x. europlepsis (Hybrid Larch) on soil C decomposition.

Methods

We used natural abundance 13C to partition soil-surface CO2 efflux into root and SOM sources. CO2 was sampled from incubated root-free soil and from live tree roots using in-situ chambers. Combined surface efflux δ13CO2 was measured using dynamic chambers and cavity-ringdown spectroscopy.

Results

Under Sycamore, CO2 emissions were dominated (80–90 %) by root respiration. SOM contributed 10–20 % with a mean residence time of centuries. Under Larch, 24–33 % of total CO2 efflux was root respiration, the remainder originating from an SOM pool with a turnover time of decades. Total soil C stocks were similar between the two plot types. Root-respired δ13CO2 was consistently different by c. 2 ‰ between the species.

Conclusions

The decomposition rate of soil C and its mean residence time are markedly different under the two tree species. Species differences in root-respired δ13CO2 may reflect plant C allocation or respiratory fractionation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

    Helen S. K. Snell & David Robinson

  2. The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, UK

    Helen S. K. Snell & Andrew J. Midwood

Authors
  1. Helen S. K. Snell
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  2. David Robinson
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  3. Andrew J. Midwood
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Correspondence to Helen S. K. Snell.

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Responsible Editor: Klaus Butterbach-Bahl.

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Snell, H.S.K., Robinson, D. & Midwood, A.J. Tree species’ influences on soil carbon dynamics revealed with natural abundance 13C techniques. Plant Soil 400, 285–296 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2731-y

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