The Effects of Aboveground Herbivory on Root Traits and Root Decomposition ...

• Main Author: Chavez, Emily A.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Utah State University 2024
• Subjects: Yukon; Kuskokwim
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26076/88ef-3581; https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd2023/119

Soil holds more carbon (C) than the Earth's atmosphere and vegetation combined. Soil loses carbon through soil respiration and releases CO2 from the soil. The soil respiration rate can vary based on the chemistry of the plant litter inputs and physical factors, such as soil temperature and nutrient content. In Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta, grazing by geese affects the chemistry of plants and the soil's physical qualities, thus altering the rate of soil respiration. Although we know that goose herbivory leads to changes in the rate of soil respiration, we know very little about how goose herbivory affects the inputs of plant roots. Roots are an important factor in soil respiration because roots contribute a substantial amount of C to the soil. This knowledge gap limits our ability to truly understand C cycling processes like root decomposition, which may influence soil respiration in the YK Delta. To better understand how goose herbivory affects root C and soil respiration, we collected C. subspathacea ...