Soil Respiration in Drying of an Organic Soil

Abstract

Drying of soil was linearly related to time, soil volume decreased and ratio of air within the soils increased. Respiration was related with decreasing humidity, storage of CO2 in soil water results in RQ < 0.5 in the larger soil items at least for a while. Rate of drying decreased in the second part of the process. RQ increased as the CO2 stored was aerated when its solvent-water evaporated and access of air into the soil increased; eventually RQ = 1.0 in the last days of the experiment. Respiration of the experimental soil stopped when GWC reached 0.15. ΣRQ for the whole process is about 0.7, a bit higher in experiments with less soil suggesting less anoxia.