Decomposition of Norway spruce needles and fine roots : production of CO2 and DOC
The relative amounts of CO2 and DOC lost during decomposition of spruce needles and fine roots are poorly known. However, knowledge about this division is crucial for our understanding of carbon cycling in boreal forest ecosystems. In this paper, decomposition of Norway spruce needles and fine roots...
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| Formato: | L3 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés sueco |
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SLU/Dept. of Soil and Environment
2008
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| Sumario: | The relative amounts of CO2 and DOC lost during decomposition of spruce needles and fine roots are poorly known. However, knowledge about this division is crucial for our understanding of carbon cycling in boreal forest ecosystems. In this paper, decomposition of Norway spruce needles and fine roots has been studied in a three-week-long column incubation experiment. Five different substrates were used; fresh needle litter, aged needles from the litter layer, seven-year-old roots from litterbag studies, fresh roots from mineral soil, and dead roots from mineral soil. Production of CO2 and DOC from the substrates, DOC quality and adsorption of DOC to ferrihydrite was studied. Respiration rate was highest for needles and fresh material, while DOC production was highest from needles in a later decomposition stage and from fresh roots. Most carbon was lost as CO2 from fresh needle litter, while DOC dominated carbon losses from seven-year-old roots from litterbag studies. The fraction of hydrophobic compounds in DOC and the proportion of DOC adsorbed to ferrihydrite were largest for substrates in late decomposition stages. Respiration rate seemed to be dependent on substrate origin (needle or root) while DOC production, DOC quality and adsorption were independent of origin. |
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