Small-scale hydrological variation determines landscape CO2 fluxes in the high arctic

We explored the influence of small-scale spatial variation in soil moisture on CO2 fluxes in the high Arctic. Of five sites forming a hydrological gradient, CO2 was emitted from the three driest sites and only the wettest site was a net sink of CO2. Soil moisture was a good predictor of net ecosyste...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biogeochemistry
Main Authors: Sjogersten, Sofie, van der Wal, Rene, Woodin, Sarah
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2006
Subjects:
Agriculture and Soil Science
Ecology and Environment
Atmospheric Sciences
Arctic
Online Access:http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/2919/
http://www.springerlink.com/content/313512327vpj0103/?p=5a1ceccb6b804d3385335e43170e8683&pi=1
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-006-9018-6
Description
Summary:We explored the influence of small-scale spatial variation in soil moisture on CO2 fluxes in the high Arctic. Of five sites forming a hydrological gradient, CO2 was emitted from the three driest sites and only the wettest site was a net sink of CO2. Soil moisture was a good predictor of net ecosystem exchange (NEE). Higher gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP) was linked to higher bryophyte biomass and activity in response to the moisture conditions. Ecosystem respiration (R e) rates increased with soil moisture until the soil became anaerobic and then R e decreased. At well-drained sites R e was driven by GEP, suggesting substrate and moisture limitation of soil respiration. We propose that spatial variability in soil moisture is a primary driver of NEE.

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