Plant-derived CO 2 flux from cultivated peat soils

Abstract

Methods used to estimate the CO 2 emission from soil commonly measure the total CO 2 flux. To be able to quantify the net CO 2 emission from cultivated peat soils there is a need to distinguish between soil organic matter-derived CO 2 respiration and plant-derived respiration. In this investigation we used the root exclusion method to separate the plant-derived respiration from total CO 2 emission. The plant-derived contribution was estimated to be between 27 and 63% of total CO 2 emission depending on soil type and season. We also found a relationship between soil temperature, biomass growth and CO 2 efflux, which can be used to estimate plant-derived respiration. Due to the priming effect the root exclusion method is less reliable late in the season. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.