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Measurement of rhizosphere respiration and organic matter decomposition using natural 13C

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Abstract

Due to the limitations in methodology it has been a difficult task to measure rhizosphere respiration and original soil carbon decomposition under the influence of living roots. 14C-labeling has been widely used for this purpose in spite of numerous problems associated with the labeling method. In this paper, a natural 13C method was used to measure rhizosphere respiration and original soil carbon decomposition in a short-term growth chamber experiment. The main objective of the experiment was to validate a key assumption of this method: the δ13C value of the roots represents the δ13C value of the rhizosphere respired CO2. Results from plants grown in inoculated carbon-free medium indicated that this assumption was valid. This natural 13C method was demonstrated to be advantageous for studying rhizosphere respiration and the effects of living roots on original soil carbon decomposition.

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  1. Biological Sciences Center, Desert Research Institute, P.O. Box 60220, 89506, Reno, NV, USA

    Weixin Cheng

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  1. Weixin Cheng
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Cheng, W. Measurement of rhizosphere respiration and organic matter decomposition using natural 13C. Plant Soil 183, 263–268 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011441

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011441

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