Soil contribution to carbon budget of Russian forests

Published Date
15 January 2015, Vol.200:97–108, doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2014.09.017

Author 

• L. Mukhortova ^a,,,
• D. Schepaschenko ^b,c,
• A. Shvidenko ^b,a,
• I. McCallum ^b,
• F. Kraxner ^b,

• aV.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Academgorodok 50(28), 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
• bInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
• cMoscow State Forest University, 141005 Mytischi, Moscow Reg., Russia

Received 4 April 2014. Revised 18 September 2014. Accepted 21 September 2014. Available online 10 October 2014. 

Highlights

• •
  We developed a modeling system for assessing soil C and heterotrophic respiration.
• •
  The total heterotrophic soil respiration flux for the Russian forest is estimated.
• •
  Interannual variability of heterotrophic soil respiration is high for zones and regions.
• •
  It was shown that the Russian forest ecosystems serve as a carbon sink.
• •
  The allocation of sequestered carbon in European and Asian forests is different.

Abstract

The flux of CO₂ from the soil to the atmosphere–soil respiration (R_S), is one of the least known components of the terrestrial carbon cycle. R_S depends on many factors and varies substantially in time and space. High uncertainty of R_S flux valuation leads to a wide range of reported carbon budget estimates for Russian forests. We developed a modeling system for assessing soil carbon stock and heterotrophic soil respiration based on a possible maximum of relevant input indicators. The most comprehensive databases of R_S in situ measurements focused on Northern Eurasia (780 records for the region) has been used. A statistical model for assessing R_S of Russian forests and its separation in autotrophic and heterotrophic parts were elaborated based on in situ measurements, climate parameters, soil and land cover datasets. The spatial resolution of the model is 1 km². Russian forest soil accumulated 144.5 Pg C (or 17.6 kg C m⁻²) in 1 m depth, including 8.3 Pg C (or 1.0 kg C m⁻²) in the labile topsoil organic layer. The total heterotrophic soil respiration (R_H) flux for the Russian forest is estimated at 1.7 Pg C yr⁻¹ (206 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹) that comprises 65% of Net Primary Production (NPP) and together with NPP is one of two major components of the net ecosystem carbon balance comprising on average 546 Tg C yr⁻¹ (66 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹) for 2007–2009. Interannual variability or R_H in 1996–2005 was estimated at 4.1% for forests of the whole country and typically from 5 to 11% for large individual regions with an average linear trend +0.2% per year. The uncertainty of annual average of R_Hwas estimated at 8% (confidential interval 0.9).

Keywords

Carbon budget

Soil respiration

Soil organic carbon

Russia

Forest

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  Corresponding author. Tel.: +7 905 0889617; fax: +7 391 2433686.
  
  

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