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Topographically regulated traps of dissolved organic carbon create hotspots of soil carbon dioxide efflux in forests

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Abstract

Soil carbon pools are an essential but poorly understood factor in heterotrophic soil respiration on forested landscapes. We hypothesized that the topographically regulated distribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the dominant factor contributing to soil CO2 efflux. We tested this hypothesis by monitoring soil CO2 efflux and sampling particulate and dissolved substrates (both mobile DOC in soil solution and DOC potentially sorbed onto Fe and Al oxyhydroxides) in surface (freshly fallen leaves (FFL) and forest floor) and near-surface (A-horizon or top 10 cm of peat) soils along three hillslope transects (15°, 25° and 35° slopes) that included upland (crest, shoulder, backslope, footslope, and toeslope) and wetland (periphery and central) topographic features during the snowfree season within a sugar maple forest. We observed that median snowfree season soil CO2 efflux ranged from <1 to >5 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1. Substrates in the near-surface mineral soil were most strongly related to median soil CO2 efflux, and when combined mobile DOC and sorbed DOC together explained 78% of the heterogeneity in median soil CO2 efflux (p < 0.001). When the carbon pool in FFL (an important source of DOC to the forest soils) was included, the explanation of variance increased to 81% (p < 0.001). Topographically regulated processes created high concentrations of mobile DOC at the footslope, and high concentrations of sorbed DOC further downslope at the toeslope, forming distinct traps of DOC that can become hotspots for soil CO2 production. A reduction in the uncertainty of forest carbon budgets can be achieved by taking into consideration the topographic regulation of the substrates contributing to soil CO2 efflux.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by an NSERC Discovery Grant (IFC) as well as funding from the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Science and the Federal Panel for Energy Research and Development (IFC, FDB and RAB). Tracy Malakoff (UWO), Jamie Broad and Wayne Johns (NRCan) provided technical assistance in establishing transects and contributing to field collection. Environment Canada’s National Laboratory for Environmental Testing, Burlington, ON provided Fe and Al determinations, and the Natural Resources Canada Great Lakes Forestry Research Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, ON provided carbon analyses on soils and litter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada

    I. F. Creed & G. L. Braun

  2. Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6A 2E5, Canada

    K. L. Webster & F. D. Beall

  3. Water Science & Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Box 5050, Burlington, ON, L7R 4A6, Canada

    R. A. Bourbonnière

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  1. I. F. Creed
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  2. K. L. Webster
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  4. R. A. Bourbonnière
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Correspondence to I. F. Creed.

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Creed, I.F., Webster, K.L., Braun, G.L. et al. Topographically regulated traps of dissolved organic carbon create hotspots of soil carbon dioxide efflux in forests. Biogeochemistry 112, 149–164 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-012-9713-4

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