Using respiration quotients to track changing sources of soil respiration seasonally and with experimental warming

Hicks Pries, Caitlin; Angert, Alon; Castanha, Cristina; Hilman, Boaz; Torn, Margaret S.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3045-2020

Articles | Volume 17, issue 12

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3045-2020

© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3045-2020

© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 17, issue 12

Research article

|

17 Jun 2020

Research article |

| 17 Jun 2020

Using respiration quotients to track changing sources of soil respiration seasonally and with experimental warming

Caitlin Hicks Pries, Alon Angert, Cristina Castanha, Boaz Hilman, and Margaret S. Torn

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3045-2020-supplement

Data sets

Blodgett Forest CA Warming Experiment Soil Gas Well Data March 2014 to June 2017 C. Hicks Pries, A. Angert, C. Castanha, B. Hilman, and M. S. Torn https://doi.org/10.15485/1596312

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Short summary

The apparent respiration quotient (ARQ) changes according to which substrates microbes consume, allowing sources of soil respiration to be traced. In a forest soil warming experiment, ARQ had a strong seasonal pattern that reflected a shift from respiration being fueled by sugars and organic acids derived from roots during the growing season to respiration being fueled by dead microbes during winter. ARQ values also changed with experimental warming.