No diurnal variation in rate or carbon isotope composition of soil respiration in a boreal forest

This study evaluated the diurnal variability in the rate and stable carbon isotope ratio ((delta)13C) of soil respiration in a northern boreal forest, measured with opaque chambers after the removal of understory vegetation. The experiment was conducted in June and August 2004 at the Picea abies L. Karst-dominated Flakaliden Research Forest in northern Sweden, using unfertilized girdled-tree plots and unfertilized non-girdled tree plots. Soil respiration and (delta)13C of soil-respired carbon dioxide (CO2) were measured every 4 hours on 6 plots, with a total of 11 sampling times over each 48 hour period. The purpose was to clarify an earlier study regarding the origin of diurnal patterns of soil CO2 flux. This study explored whether the diurnal patterns were the result of photosynthetic CO2 uptake during the day by the understory or whether there were underlying trends in soil respiration driven by plant root allocation. The sampling campaigns undertaken in this study investigated whether diurnal variations in soil respiration rate and (delta)13C exist in this ecosystem when no understory vegetation is present. Shoot photosynthesis and environmental parameters were measured simultaneously. Despite significant variations in climatic conditions and shoot photosynthetic rates in non-girdled trees, no diurnal patterns in soil respiration rates and (delta)13C were noted in either treatment. The lack of detectable diurnal changes in both treatments indicates that modeling of daily boreal forest carbon balances based on single instantaneous measurements are unlikely to be misconstrued by substantial diurnal trends. However, it was suggested that spatial variable should be accounted for, given the large standard errors. The impact of tree girdling on soil respiration rates also emphasized the significance of canopy photosynthesis in driving soil processes. 37 refs., 2 figs