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Process-based isotope partitioning of winter soil respiration in a subalpine ecosystem reveals importance of rhizospheric respiration

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Abstract

Deep snow in sub-alpine ecosystems may reduce or eliminate soil freezing, thus contributing to the potential for winter soil respiration to account for a significant fraction of annual CO2 efflux to the atmosphere. Quantification of carbon loss from soils requires separation of respiration produced by roots and rhizosphere organisms from that produced by heterotrophic, decomposer organisms because the former does not result in a net loss of stored carbon. Our objective was to quantify winter soil respiration rates in a sub-alpine forest and meadow, and to partition that flux into its rhizosphere and heterotrophic components. We were particularly interested in comparing early winter soil respiration to late winter/early spring soil respiration of each component because previous work has shown a consistent increase in soil respiration of subalpine systems from early winter to late winter/spring. Field data on the total soil CO2 flux and its carbon isotope composition were coupled with data from laboratory incubations using a novel process-based stable isotope mixing model implemented in a hierarchical Bayesian framework. We found that soil respiration generally increased from early to later winter and was greatest mid-summer. After correcting for the effect of wind on snowpack δ13C–CO2, the δ13C of soil-respired CO2 varied little over winter, and the contributions of rhizospheric (~35 %) and heterotrophic (~65 %) respiration were relatively constant. The significance of winter respiration from the rhizosphere and apparent coupling of increases in rhizospheric and heterotrophic respiration in late winter are likely to be important for predicting changes in soil carbon in sub-alpine ecosystems.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant and a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship awarded to CLT. JY and KO were also supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR program under Grant #EPS-0447681. In addition, valuable research assistance was provided by Bill Massman and John Frank from the USDA Forest Service. Bill Cable helped to construct the initial field sampling methods and instruments. Thanks to José Negrón for sharing tree trunk temperature data. Elise Pendall provided valuable insight into laboratory methods for stable isotope partitioning. We thank Nik Tolman, Matt Schreiner, and Lana MacDonald for assisting with snow pit digging and other field and lab work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, PO Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK, 99775-7000, USA

    Colin L. Tucker

  2. International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, PO Box 757340, Fairbanks, AK, USA

    Jessica M. Young

  3. Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Dept. 3165, 1000 E. University Ave, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA

    David G. Williams

  4. Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA

    Colin L. Tucker & David G. Williams

  5. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, PO Box 874501, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA

    Kiona Ogle

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  1. Colin L. Tucker
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Correspondence to Colin L. Tucker.

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Tucker, C.L., Young, J.M., Williams, D.G. et al. Process-based isotope partitioning of winter soil respiration in a subalpine ecosystem reveals importance of rhizospheric respiration. Biogeochemistry 121, 389–408 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-014-0008-9

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