Soil microbial respiration responses to changing temperature and substrate availability in fertile grassland
Yoshitaka Uchida A C , Timothy J. Clough A , Francis M. Kelliher A B and Robert R. Sherlock AA Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
B AgResearch, Lincoln Research Centre, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch 8149, New Zealand.
C Corresponding author. Email: yoshitaka.uchida@lincolnuni.ac.nz
Australian Journal of Soil Research 48(5) 395-403 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR09206
Submitted: 18 November 2009 Accepted: 26 March 2010 Published: 6 August 2010
Abstract
A relationship between soil respiration rate (Rs) and temperature (Ts), has been understood to be predicated on carbon (C) substrate availability. However, unlike Ts, C availability in soils is not a state variable that can be readily measured. The C in soils has come from plants, so the C supply rate can be affected by the weather and nutrient supply. We studied a fertile soil beneath pasture, measuring Rs across a temperate – climate range of Ts. Our objectives were to: (1) quantify the synchrony of diurnal changes in Ts and Rs beneath pasture under conditions favourable for plants, (2) quantify responses of microbial respiration (Rm) to the removal of plants and depletion of C supply over time at various Ts, and (3) determine if Rm was related to water-soluble (WSC, 20°C) and hot-water-soluble C (HWSC, 80°C) contents. At a grassland site, Rs increased with Ts as predicted by an Arrhenius type relationship. Sampled soil was incubated at 3°, 9°, and 24°C and Rm was measured over 14 days. In addition soil samples were pre-incubated at 3° or 9°C for both 5 and 14 days, then incubated at 24°C for 1 day and Rm was measured. On day 2, Rm was less than predicted at 24° and 9°C, respectively, suggesting a C availability limitation. The time courses of Rm, revealed that at 24°C, Rm utilised C that was not utilised at lower Ts, indicating that evidently recalcitrant C was available to microbes at a warmer temperature. The responses of Rm at 24°C after the pre-incubation treatments were identical for the 3°C and 9°C pre-incubation treatments, although significantly more C was respired during pre-incubation at 9°C. The WSC and HWSC contents were unaffected by Ts, so did not provide useful measures of the C substrate available for Rm.
Additional keywords: carbon, pasture, water soluble carbon, soil temperature.
Acknowledgment
This research was supported by the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Capability Fund.
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