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Type: Journal Article
Author(s): Evan S. Kane; David W. Valentine; Gary J. Michaelson; J. D. Fox; Chien-Lu Ping
Publication Date: 2006

Small changes in C cycling in boreal forests can change the sign of their C balance, so it is important to gain an understanding of the factors controlling small exports like water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) fluxes from the soils in these systems. To examine this, we estimated WSOC fluxes based on measured concentrations along four replicate gradients in upland black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP) productivity and soil temperature in interior Alaska and compared them to concurrent rates of soil CO2efflux. Concentrations of WSOC in organic and mineral horizons ranged from 4.9 to 22.7 g C m-2 and from 1.4 to 8.4 g C m-2, respectively. Annual WSOC fluxes (4.5-12.0 g C m-2 y-1) increased with annual soil CO2 effluxes (365-739 g C m-2 y-1) across all sites (R2=0.55. p=0.02), with higher fluxes occurring in warmer, more productive stands. Although annual WSOC flux was relatively small compared to total soil CO2 efflux across all sites (<3%), its relative contribution was highest in warmer, more productive stands which harbored less soil organic carbon. The proportions of relatively bioavailable organic fractions (hydrophilic organic matter and low molecular weight acids) were highest in WSOC in colder, low-productivity stands whereas the more degraded products of microbial activity (fulvic acids) were highest in wanner, more productive stands. These data suggest that WSOC mineralization may be a mechanism for increased soil C loss if the climate warms and therefore should be accounted for in order to accurately determine the sensitivity of boreal soil organic C balance to climate change.

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Citation: Kane, Evan S.; Valentine, D.W.; Michaelson, G.J.; Fox, J.D.; Ping, C.L. 2006. Controls over pathways of carbon efflux from soils along climate and black spruce productivity gradients in interior Alaska. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38(6):1438-1450.

Cataloging Information

Topics:
Regions:
Keywords:
  • black spruce
  • boreal forests
  • C - carbon
  • carbon balance
  • climate change
  • climatology
  • CO2 - carbon dioxide
  • coniferous forests
  • DOC - dissolved organic carbon
  • evapotranspiration
  • forest management
  • mineral soil
  • nutrient cycling
  • organic matter
  • organic soils
  • Picea mariana
  • Picea mariana
  • Picea spp.
  • productivity
  • respiration
  • soil carbon
  • soil composition
  • soil management
  • soil moisture
  • soil nutrients
  • soil organic matter
  • soil properties
  • soil temperature
  • soils
  • statistical analysis
  • water
  • water balance
Tall Timbers Record Number: 19769Location Status: In-fileCall Number: Fire FileAbstract Status: Fair use, Okay, Reproduced by permission
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 4331

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.