Abstract
Biological activities in soils are often indirectly assessed by measuring gaseous carbon losses as C02. There is a fundamental difference between respiration in roots as compared with that in soil fauna and microorganisms: energy for root respiration is obtained from translocated photosynthesized carbon within the plant, while energy for soil fauna and microorganisms is obtained from mineralization of organic compounds in the soil. Conversion of soil carbon to C02 releases nutrients fixed in litter, thereby making them available to plants again. The carbon dioxide produced by microorganisms may therefore reflect the turnover of certain minerals in soil (Witkamp, 1973). It is very difficult to separate root respiration from that of microorganisms and soil fauna when measuring evolution of carbon dioxide in the field; these figures can only be used as integrated indices for total metabolism in the soil (MacFadyen, 1971). The use of respiration figures as indices of biological activities in soils may be valid for aerobic soils. Quite another situation prevails in anaerobic soils, where considerable amounts of mineralized carbon may be lost to the atmosphere as methane, and methane production has been observed by Clymo and Reddaway (1971) and Svensson (1974) as playing an important role in very wet areas of oceanic and subarctic peat bogs.
Responsible for the investigation at the Stordalen site as well as for the statistical analyses and the manuscript
Responsible for investigations at Hardangervidda 1972.
Responsible for investigations at Hardangervidda 1973.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Clymo, R. S., Reddaway, E. J. F.: Productivity of Sphagnum (bog-moss) and peat accumulation. Hidrobiologia 12,181–192 (1971).
Flanagan, P. W., Veum, A. K.: The influence of temperature and moisture on decomposition rates in tundra. In: Holding, A. J., Heal, O. W., Maclean, S. F., Flanagan, P. W. (Eds.): Soil Organisms and Decomposition in Tundra, pp. 249–278. Stockholm: IBP Tundra Biome Steering Committee 1974.
Hanssen, J. F.,Lid-Torsvik, V., Torsvik, T.: Mikrobiologi. In: IBP in Norway, Annual Report 1972, pp.75–92. Oslo: Norwegian IBP National Committee 1973. (In Norwegian.)
Hungate, R. E.: A role-tube method for cultivation of strict anaerobes. In: Norris, J. R, Ribbons, D. W. (Eds.): Methods in Microbiology, Vol.3B, pp. 117–132. London-New York: Academic Press 1969.
Kjelvik, S., Karenlampi, L.: Plant biomass and primary production of Fennoscandian subarctic and subalpine forests and of alpine willow and heath ecosystems. In: Wielgolaski, F. E. (Ed.): Fennoscandian tundra ecosystems, Part 1: Plants and microorganisms, pp. 111–120. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1975.
Kjelvik, S., Wielgolaski, F. E., Jahren, A.: Photosynthesis and respiration of plants studied by field technique. In: Wielgolaski, F. E. (Ed.): Fennoscandian tundra ecosystems, Part 1: Plants and microorganisms, pp. 184–193. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1975.
Macfadyen, A.: The soil and its total metabolism. In: Phillipson, J. (Ed.): Methods of study in quantitative soil ecology: population, production and energy flow, IBP Handbook No. 18, pp. 1–13. Oxford-Edinburgh: Blaekwell 1971.
Madsen, I., Widell, S.:A vegetation map of the Stordalen site. Progress Report 1973. Swedish IBP Tundra Biome Project Tech. Rep. 16,3–16(1974).
Rosswall, T., Veum, A. K., Karenlampi, L.: Plant litter decomposition at Fennoscandian tundra sites. In: Wielgolaski, F. E. (Ed.): Fennoscandian tundra ecosystems, Parti: Plants and microorganisms, pp. 268–278. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1975.
Sestak, Z., Catsky, J., Jarvis, P. G.: Criteria for the selection of suitable methods. In: Ses- TAK, Z., Catsky, J., Jarvis, P. G. (Eds.): Plant photosynthetic production. Manual of methods, pp. 1–49. The Hague: Junk 1971.
Skartveit, A., Ryden, B. E., Karenlampi, L.: Climate and hydrology of some Fennoscandian tundra ecosystems. In: Wielgolaski, F. E. (Ed.): Fennoscandian tundra ecosystems, Part 1: Plants and microorganisms, pp. 41–53. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1975.
Sonesson, M., Flower-ELLIS, J.G.K., Jonsson, S., Rosswall, T., Ryden, B. E.: Word model for Abisko (Stordalen) Sweden. Progress report 1972. Swedish IBP Tundra Biome Project Tech. Rep. 14,4–13(1973).
Sonesson, M., Wielgolaski, F. E., Kallio, P.: Description of Fennoscandian tundra ecosystems. In: Wielgolaski, F. E. (Ed.): Fennoscandian tundra ecosystems, Part 1: Plants and microorganisms, pp. 3–28. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1975.
Svensson, B. H.: Production of methane and carbon dioxide from a subarctic mire. Progress report 1973. Swedish IBP Tundra Biome Project Tech. Rep. 16,123–143 (1974).
Veum, A. K.: Soil description from five intensive studied IBP, PT/UM sites, Hardangervidda, South Norway. In: IBP in Norway. Annual Report 1972, pp.32–45. Oslo: Norwegian IBP National Committee 1973.
Wielgolaski, F. E.: Primary production of alpine meadow communities. In: Wielgolaski, F. E. (Ed.): Fennoscandian tundra ecosystems, Part 1: Plants and microorganisms, pp. 121–128. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1975.
Witkamp, M.: Compatibility of microbial measurements. In: Rosswall, T. (Ed.): Modern methods in the study of microbial ecology. Bull. Ecol. Res. Comm. (Stockholm) 17, 179–188 (1973).
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1975 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Svensson, B.H., Veum, A.K., Kjelvik, S. (1975). Carbon Losses from Tundra Soils. In: Wielgolaski, F.E. (eds) Fennoscandian Tundra Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 16. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80937-8_32
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80937-8_32
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-80939-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-80937-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive