Belowground carbon dynamics in Scots pine stands
Ryhti K. (2022). Belowground carbon dynamics in Scots pine stands. https://doi.org/10.14214/df.333
Abstract
Boreal forest soils are globally one of the most extensive carbon storages, whereas soil respiration (CO2 efflux) forms the largest carbon flux from the ecosystem to the atmosphere. Current changes in the world climate may have unpredictable effects on belowground carbon processes, and thereby, on the carbon balance of boreal forests.
To better understand the various processes in soil and to quantify the potential changes in the carbon cycle, forest-floor respiration (RFF) was partitioned into five different components, and tree-root respiration (RR) was estimated, using four different methods in a mature boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand in southern Finland. Non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations in tree roots were determined, and carbon allocation to belowground by trees was estimated with the whole-tree carbon model ‘CASSIA’. In addition, RR and heterotrophic soil respiration (RH) were separated using root exclusion in seven coniferous forests along a latitudinal gradient in Northern and Central Europe.
The RR comprised almost half of the RFF, the RH almost a third, and ground vegetation and respiration of mycorrhizal hyphae the remaining fifth in the boreal Scots pine stand. While the annual RR decreased throughout the first three study years, the RH increased when the mycorrhizal roots were excluded from the treatments. The RR and most of the NSC concentrations were higher in the warmer years and lower in the cooler, as estimated with most of the methods. Three methods resulted in rather similar RR estimations, while the RR estimated with root incubation was significantly lower. The RR was over 50% of the annual photosynthesis in the northernmost forest stand, whereas in the southernmost stand it was only up to 15%. Carbon allocation to the belowground, as modelled with CASSIA was a third of the annual photosynthesis on average and almost 5% for the symbiotic mycorrhizae.
Keywords
boreal forest;
roots;
Pinus sylvestris;
soil respiration;
CO2;
non-structural carbohydrate (NSC)
Published 29 November 2022
Views 2487
Available at https://doi.org/10.14214/df.333 | Download PDF
Original articles
Ryhti K, Kulmala L, Pumpanen J, Isotalo J, Pihlatie M, Helmisaari H-S, Leppälammi-Kujansuu, J, Kieloaho A-J, Bäck J, Heinonsalo J (2021) Partitioning of forest floor CO2 emissions reveals the belowground interactions between different plant groups in a Scots pine stand in southern Finland. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 297, article id 108266.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2020.108266
Mäki M, Ryhti K, Fer I, Ťupek B, Vestin P, Roland M, Lehner I, Köster E, Lehtonen A, Bäck J, Heinonsalo J, Pumpanen J, Kulmala L (2022) Heterotrophic and rhizospheric respiration in coniferous forest soils along a latitudinal gradient. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 317, article id 108876.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.108876
Ryhti K, Schiestl-Aalto P, Tang Y, Rinne-Garmston K, Ding Y, Pumpanen J, Biasi C, Saurer M, Bäck J, Kulmala L (2022) Effects of variable temperature and moisture conditions on respiration and nonstructural carbohydrate dynamics of tree roots. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 323, article id 109040.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.109040
Schiestl-Aalto P, Ryhti K, Mäkelä A, Peltoniemi M, Bäck J, Kulmala L (2019) Analysis of the NSC storage dynamics in tree organs reveals the allocation to belowground symbionts in the framework of whole tree carbon balance. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 2, article id 17.