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Variability in soil respiration across riparian-hillslope transitions

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Abstract

The spatial and temporal controls on soil CO2 production and surface CO2 efflux have been identified as outstanding gaps in our understanding of carbon cycling. We investigated both across two riparian-hillslope transitions in a subalpine catchment, northern Rocky Mountains, Montana. Riparian-hillslope transitions provide ideal locations for investigating the controls on soil CO2 dynamics due to strong, natural gradients in the factors driving respiration, including soil water content (SWC) and soil temperature. We measured soil air CO2 concentrations (20 and 50 cm), surface CO2 efflux, soil temperature, and SWC at eight locations. We investigated (1) how soil CO2 concentrations differed within and between landscape positions; (2) how the timing of peak soil CO2 concentrations varied across riparian and hillslope zones; and (3) whether higher soil CO2 concentrations necessarily resulted in higher efflux (i.e. did surface CO2 efflux follow patterns of subsurface CO2)? Soil CO2 concentrations were significantly higher in the riparian zones, likely due to higher SWC. The timing of peak soil CO2 concentrations also differed between riparian and hillslope zones, with highest hillslope concentrations near peak snowmelt and highest riparian concentrations during the late summer and early fall. Surface CO2 efflux was relatively homogeneous at monthly timescales as a result of different combinations of soil CO2 production and transport, which led to equifinality in efflux across the transects. However, efflux was 57% higher in the riparian zones when integrated to cumulative growing season efflux, and suggests higher riparian soil CO2 production.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest and the USDA, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, especially Ward McCaughey for research access and logistical support, field assistance from Kelsey Jencso, Becca McNamara, Kelley Conde, and Austin Allen, assistance with statistical analysis from Dr. Lucy Marshall, and colleague reviews from Dr. Catherine Zabinski and Dr. Mark Skidmore. This work was funded by the NSF Integrated Carbon Cycle Research Program (ICCR, NSF grants EAR0404130, EAR0403924, and EAR0403906) and fellowships awarded to V.J. Pacific by the Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA), Montana Water Center Student Research Grant Program, and the Big Sky Institute NSF GK-12 program. We are also thankful for comments by two anonymous reviewers and Biogeochemistry Associate Editor Jan Mulder, the incorporation of which have significantly improved the quality of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, 334 Leon Johnson Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA

    Vincent J. Pacific, Brian L. McGlynn & Diego A. Riveros-Iregui

  2. Canaan Valley Institute, P.O. Box 673, Davis, WV, USA

    Daniel L. Welsch

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Clark 211, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA

    Howard E. Epstein

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  1. Vincent J. Pacific
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Correspondence to Brian L. McGlynn.

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Pacific, V.J., McGlynn, B.L., Riveros-Iregui, D.A. et al. Variability in soil respiration across riparian-hillslope transitions. Biogeochemistry 91, 51–70 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-008-9258-8

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