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Potential effects of warming on soil respiration and carbon sequestration in a subtropical forest

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Abstract

Aims

Subtropical ecosystems are receiving unprecedented changes in temperature as a consequence of anthropogenic activities, which potentially affects soil respiration (R s) and carbon (C) sequestration. Due to the large amounts of C store and cycle in subtropical forests, investigations about how R s and C sequestration respond to warming will be critical for our understanding of future global-scale climate and biogeochemical cycling.

Methods

In this study, we transferred soil samples and plant seedlings collected from a mixed forest to the growth chambers in two sites (300 m and 30 m a.s.l.), which induced an artificial warming of ca. 1 °C between the two corresponding forest mesocosms. We tested whether the modification of abiotic factors induced by the downward translocation could alter R s and soil C sequestration. We also investigated the effects on the biotic factors by including root biomass and soil microbial biomass.

Results

Our results showed that R s was greater in the warm site than in the control site, which were related to the higher aboveground biomass, litterfall and root biomass. R s showed a significantly positive exponential relationship with soil temperature. The downward translocation tended to decrease soil C sequestration, which was attributed to the decreased C use efficiency of soil microorganisms and increased root growth under downward translocation.

Conclusion

R s responded strongly to downward translocation, suggesting that climate warming exacerbated R s and tended to reduce soil C sequestration. The ability of subtropical forests to act as CO2 sink may be reduced under climate warming.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31370530, 31570482 and 31400382).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Yiyong Li, Guoyi Zhou, Wenjuan Huang, Juxiu Liu & Xiong Fang

  2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yiyong Li & Xiong Fang

Authors
  1. Yiyong Li
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  2. Guoyi Zhou
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  4. Juxiu Liu
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  5. Xiong Fang
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Correspondence to Juxiu Liu.

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Responsible Editor: Per Ambus.

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Li, Y., Zhou, G., Huang, W. et al. Potential effects of warming on soil respiration and carbon sequestration in a subtropical forest. Plant Soil 409, 247–257 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2966-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2966-2

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