Soil Carbon Dynamics: An Integrated Methodology

by Werner L. Kutsch, Michael Bahn, Andreas Heinemeyer

Overview

Carbon stored in soils represents the largest terrestrial carbon pool and factors affecting this will be vital in the understanding of future atmospheric CO2 concentrations. This book provides an integrated view on measuring and modeling soil carbon dynamics. Based on a broad range of in-depth contributions by leading scientists it gives an overview of current research concepts, developments and outlooks and introduces cutting-edge methodologies, ranging from questions of appropriate measurement design to the potential application of stable isotopes and molecular tools. It includes a standardised soil CO2 efflux protocol, aimed at data consistency and inter-site comparability and thus underpins a regional and global understanding of soil carbon dynamics. This book provides an important reference work for students and scientists interested in many aspects of soil ecology and biogeochemical cycles, policy makers, carbon traders and others concerned with the global carbon cycle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521865616
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/07/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	298
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Werner L. Kutsch coordinates the ecosystem fluxes group at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany. He has been awarded the Horst Wiehe Award 1994 by the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (GfÖ) for an 'outstanding scientific work in the field of ecology'. His research interests lie in soil respiration, plant and microbial eco-physiology, dynamics of ecosystem fluxes, soil and ecosystem carbon balances in temperate and tropical ecosystems.

Michael Bahn is senior scientist at the Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, where he teaches ecosystem and plant ecology and ecophysiology. He has carried out research on plant resource utilization, functional biodiversity and ecosystem processes in numerous mountain ecosystems across Europe. For several years he has been particularly concerned with understanding abiotic and biotic controls on ecosystem and soil C fluxes and their components across a range of spatial and temporal scales, with a focus on global change and the plant-soil interface.

Andreas Heinemeyer has been a soil scientist for more than 10 years, first at the University of Göttingen, Germany, and then at the University of York in 2002, where he continued to work as a research associate within the UK Centre for Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics. His research focus is on relating soil carbon stocks and fluxes to climate with a particular focus on the mycorrhizal symbioses, linking plant carbon supply to soil respiration. He was the first to have continuously measured mycorrhizal soil carbon fluxes in the field and is increasingly involved in plant-soil carbon flux model developments.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors vi

Preface ix

Editorial Acknowledgements xi

1 Soil carbon relations: an overview Werner L. Kutsch Michael Bahn Andreas Heinemeyer 1

2 Field measurements of soil respiration: principles and constraints, potentials and limitations of different methods Jukka Pumpanen Bernard Longdoz Werner L. Kutsch 16

3 Experimental design: scaling up in time and space, and its statistical considerations Jens-Arne Subke Andreas Heinemeyer M. Reichstein 34

4 Determination of soil carbon stocks and changes Mirco Rodeghiero Andreas Heinemeyer Marion Schrumpf Pat Bellamy 49

5 Litter decomposition: concepts, methods and future perspectives Mirco Francesca Cotrufo Ilaria Del Galdo Daniela Piermatteo 76

6 Characterization of soil organic matter Karolien Denef Alain F. Plante Johan Six 91

7 Respiration from roots and the mycorrhizosphere Fernando E. Moyano Owen K. Atkin Michael Bahn Dan Bruhn Andrew J. Burton Andreas Heinemeyer Werner L. Kutsch Gerhard Wieser 127

8 Separating autotrophic and heterotrophic components of soil respiration: lessons learned from trenching and related root-exclusion experiments Daniel Epron 157

9 Measuring soil microbial parameters relevant for soil carbon fluxes Werner L. Kutsch Joshua Schimel Karolien Denef 169

10 Trophic interactions and their implications for soil carbon fluxes Edward Ayres Diana H. Wall Richard D. Bardgett 187

11 Semi-empirical modelling of the response of soil respiration to environmental factors in laboratory and field conditions Markus Reichstein Ivan A. Janssens 207

12 Modelling soil carbon dynamics Pete Falloon Pete Smith 221

13 The role of soils in the Kyoto Protocol Pete Smith Pete Falloon Werner L. Kutsch 245

14 Synthesis: emerging issues and challenges for an integrated understanding of soil carbon fluxes Michael Bahn Werner L. Kutsch Andreas Heinemeyer 257

15 Appendix: Towards a standardized protocol for the measurement of soil CO₂ efflux Michael Bahn Werner L. Kutsch Anderas Heinemeyer Ivan A. Janssens 272

Index 281