Spatial variability models of CO 2 emissions from soils colonized by grass ( Deschampsia antarctica ) and moss ( Sanionia uncinata ) in Admiralty Bay, King George Island

Abstract Soil CO 2 emission is an important part of the terrestrial carbon cycling and is influenced by several factors, such as type and distribution of vegetation. In this work we evaluated the spatial variability of soil CO 2 emission in terrestrial ecosystems of maritime Antarctica, under two co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antarctic Science
Main Authors: Mendonça, Eduardo de Sá, La Scala, Newton, Panosso, Alan Rodrigo, Simas, Felipe N.B., Schaefer, Carlos E.G.R.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2010
Subjects:
Geology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Oceanography
King George Island
Admiralty Bay
Antarc*
Antarctic Science
Antarctica
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102010000581
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102010000581
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Summary:Abstract Soil CO 2 emission is an important part of the terrestrial carbon cycling and is influenced by several factors, such as type and distribution of vegetation. In this work we evaluated the spatial variability of soil CO 2 emission in terrestrial ecosystems of maritime Antarctica, under two contrasting vegetation covers: 1) grass areas of Deschampsia antarctica Desv., and 2) moss carpets of Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske. Highest mean emission was obtained for the Deschampsia (4.13 μmol m -2 s -1 ) developed on organic-rich soil with a strong penguin influence. The overall results indicate that soil temperature is not directly related to the spatial pattern of soil CO 2 emission at the sites studied. Emission adjusted models were Gaussian and exponential with ranges varying from 1.3 to 2.8 m, depending on the studied site and vegetation cover.

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