This article was downloaded by: [Zhanli Wang] On: 27 July 2015, At: 02:40 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/sagb20 Driving factors of temporal variation in agricultural soil respiration Yang Wangabc, Manfred Bölterd, Qingrui Changa, Rainer Duttmannb, Annette Scheltzd, James F. Petersene & Zhanli Wangcf a College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China b Department of Geography, Division of Physical Geography: Landscape Ecology and Geoinformation Science (LGI), Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Ludewig-Meyn-Str. 14, 24098 Kiel, Germany c Click for updates State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China d Institute for Ecosystem Research, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Olshausenstr. 75, 24118 Kiel, Germany e Geography Department, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA f Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China Published online: 27 Apr 2015. To cite this article: Yang Wang, Manfred Bölter, Qingrui Chang, Rainer Duttmann, Annette Scheltz, James F. Petersen & Zhanli Wang (2015) Driving factors of temporal variation in agricultural soil respiration, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science, 65:7, 589-604, DOI: 10.1080/09064710.2015.1036305 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09064710.2015.1036305 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science, 2015 Vol. 65, No. 7, 589–604, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09064710.2015.1036305 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Driving factors of temporal variation in agricultural soil respiration Yang Wanga,b,c, Manfred Bölterd, Qingrui Changa, Rainer Duttmannb, Annette Scheltzd, James F. Petersene and Zhanli Wangc,f* aCollege of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China; bDepartment of Geography, Division of Physical Geography: Landscape Ecology and Geoinformation Science (LGI), Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Ludewig-Meyn-Str. 14, 24098 Kiel, Germany; cState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China; dInstitute for Ecosystem Research, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Olshausenstr. 75, 24118 Kiel, Germany; eGeography Department, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA; fInstitute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China (Received 21 January 2015; accepted 26 March 2015) Investigations of diurnal and seasonal variations in soil respiration support modeling of regional CO2 budgets and therefore in estimating their potential contribution to greenhouse gases. This study quantifies temporal changes in soil respiration and their driving factors in grassland and arable soils located in Northern Germany. Field –2 –1 measurements at an arable site showed diurnal mean soil respiration rates between 67 and 99 mg CO2 m h with a hysteresis effect following changes in mean soil temperatures. Field soil respiration peaked in April at 5767 –2 –1 –2 –1 mg CO2 m day , while values below 300 mg CO2 m day were measured in wintertime. Laboratory incubations were carried out in dark open flow chambers at temperatures from 5°C to 40°C, with 5°C intervals, and soil moisture was controlled at 30%, 50%, and 70% of full water holding capacity. Respiration rates were higher in grassland soils than in arable soils when the incubating temperature exceeded 15°C. The respiration rate difference between them rose with increasing temperature. Monthly median values of incubated soil –1 –1 respiration rates ranged from 0 to 26.12 and 0 to 7.84 µg CO2 g dry weight h , respectively, in grassland and arable land. A shortage of available substrate leads to a temporal decline in soil respiration rates, as indicated by a decrease in dissolved organic carbon. Temporal Q10 values decreased from about 4.0 to below 1.5 as Downloaded by [Zhanli Wang] at 02:40 27 July 2015 temperatures increased in the field. Moreover, the results of our laboratory experiments confirmed that soil temperature is the main controlling factor for the Q10 values. Within the temperature interval between 20°C and 30°C, Q10 values were around 2 while the Q10 values of arable soils were slightly lower compared to that of grassland soils. Thus, laboratory studies may underestimate temperature sensitivity of soil respiration, awareness for transforming laboratory data to field conditions must therefore be taken into account. Keywords: soil respiration; temperature sensitivity of soil respiration; bacterial biomass; dissolved organic carbon; diurnal change; seasonal change Introduction ecosystems play critical roles in affecting the chemical and microbial properties of soil and they further Research on soil respiration in agricultural ecosys- tems and its controlling factors is of growing import- regulate the patterns of soil respiration (Merino et al. ance (Li et al. 2010), as the IPCC estimated that 2004; Wang et al. 2011). Different limiting factors agriculture contributed 10–12% of the global anthro- exist for soil respiration in grasslands and arable pogenic greenhouse gas emissions; a rate of 5.1–6.1 lands, related to different plant biomass inputs, tillage Gt CO2-eq/year in 2005 (Smith et al. 2007). Different methods, and fertilizer applications (Iqbal et al. 2010; land use and management practices in agricultural Koga et al. 2011). Higher CO2 emissions are *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] © 2015 Taylor & Francis 590 Y. Wang et al. generally observed from soils in grasslands compared provide an estimate of additional temperature-related to those of arable lands. This is interconnected with carbon release from soils. the development of soil microbial communities, their To characterize the soil respiration of an ecosys- activities, and soil nutrient availability (Insam & tem, temporal variability is a critical factor (Vargas Haselwandter 1989; Murugan et al. 2014). As et al. 2011; Moriyama et al. 2013). During the reported by De Vries et al. (2013), production of growing season, changes in plant growth and carbon CO2 in situ was significantly greater in grassland inputs from plants occur, both of which are pivotal –2 –1 (median value was around 3 g CO2 m day ) than driving factors of soil respiration (Yang & Cai 2006; in arable land (median value was around 1.5 g CO2 Jia & Zhou 2009). Diurnal and seasonal soil respira- – – m 2 day 1) due to higher soil carbon content and tion variability have been intensively reported in increased earthworm biomass. temperate forests and other dominantly natural Conversion from grasslands into biofuel croplands environments; however, limited research has been has been increasing in recent years for a substantial performed in agricultural soils derived from glacial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (Hertel et al. tills (Jarosz et al. 2008; Schaefer et al. 2009; Han et al. 2010; Vázquez-Rowe et al. 2014). In order to comply 2014). Moreover, in northern temperate grasslands, with the “20–20–20” targets of the European Union, soil respiration patterns are inconsistent as reported – – renewable sources should provide 20% of energy between 1090 and 1752 g C m 2 year 1 during six production by 2020 (European Commission 2009). continuous years of the study by Peichl et al. (2012). Between 2005 and 2011 in Germany, there was an Thus, there is a need for addressing temporal changes increase of 0.53 million hectares acreage of silage in biotic and abiotic factors relative to soil respiration maize despite expecting a continuous expansion by in temperate agricultural soils. 2020, for biogas production (Duttmann et al. 2013). Our study