Effects of biochar addition on dynamics of soil respiration and temperature sensitivity in a Phyllostachys edulis forest

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2017.0098

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Recent studies have shown that artificial addition of biochar is an effective way to mitigate atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. However, it is still unclear how biochar addition influences soil respiration in Phyllostachys edulis forests of subtropical China. Our objectives were to examine the effects of biochar addition on the dynamics of soil respiration, soil temperature, soil moisture, and the cumulative soil carbon emission, and to determine the relationships of soil respiration with soil temperature and moisture.
Methods We conducted a two-year biochar addition experiment in a subtropical P. edulis forest from 2014.05 to 2016.04. The study site is located in the Miaoshanwu Nature Reserve in Fuyang district of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in southern China. The biochar addition treatments included: control (CK, no biochar addition), low rate of biochar addition (LB, 5 t·hm^-2), medium rate of biochar addition (MB, 10 t·hm^-2), and high rate of biochar addition (HB, 20 t·hm^-2). Soil respiration was measured by using a LI-8100 soil CO₂ efflux system.
Important findings Soil respiration was significantly reduced by biochar addition, and exhibited an apparent seasonal pattern, with the maximum occurring in June or July (except LB in one of the replicated stand) and the minimum in January or February. There were significant differences in soil respiration between the CK and the treatments. Annual mean soil respiration rate in the CK, LB, MB and HB were 3.32, 2.66, 3.04 and 3.24 μmol·m^-2·s^-1, respectively. Compared with CK, soil respiration rate was 2.33%-54.72% lower in the LB, 1.28%-44.21% lower in the MB, and 0.09%-39.22% lower in the HB. The soil moisture content was increased by 0.97%-75.58% in LB, 0.87%-48.18% in MB, and 0.68%-74.73% in HB, respectively, compared with CK. Soil respiration exhibited a significant exponential relationship with soil temperature and a significant linear relationship with combination of soil temperature and moisture at the depth of 5 cm; no significant relationship was found between soil respiration and soil moisture alone. The temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) value was reduced in LB and HB. Annual accumulative soil carbon emission in the LB, MB and HB was reduced by 7.98%-35.09%, 1.48%-20.63%, and -4.71%-7.68%, respectively. Biochar addition significantly reduced soil carbon emission and soil temperature sensitivity, highlighting its role in mitigating climate change.

http://jtp.cnki.net/bilingual/detail/html/ZWSB201711006

Key words: biochar addition, soil respiration, Phyllostachys edulis, temperature sensitivity, soil temperature, soil moisture

Xiao-Gai GE, Ben-Zhi ZHOU, Wen-Fa XIAO, Xiao-Ming WANG, Yong-Hui CAO, Ming YE. Effects of biochar addition on dynamics of soil respiration and temperature sensitivity in a Phyllostachys edulis forest[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2017, 41(11): 1177-1189.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2017.0098

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2017/V41/I11/1177

Figures/Tables 10

Table 1 General characteristics of the forest stands studied ((mean ± SD)

林分 Stand	海拔 Elevation (m)	树高 Tree height (m)	胸径 DBH (cm)	坡度 Slope (°)	坡向 Aspect	凋落物层厚度 LLD (cm)	土壤有机碳 SOC (g·kg^-1)	总氮 TN (g·kg^-1)	总磷 TP (g·kg^-1)
1	141	12.8	10.2	10	S	2.04	33.10 ± 9.06	2.86 ± 0.79	0.56 ± 0.93
2	115	13.0	10.3	15	S	2.22	30.1 ± 8.04	2.59 ± 0.48	0.37 ± 1.03
3	86	13.3	10.7	20	S	2.47	28.8 ± 8.21	2.38 ± 0.29	0.43 ± 1.09
4	157	12.2	10.1	20	S	2.60	34.1 ± 8.04	2.59 ± 0.29	0.72 ± 1.09

Fig. 1 Monthly dynamics of soil respiration in Phyllostachys edulis forest stands with different biochar addition treatments (mean ± SD). CK, control; LB, low rate of biochar addition (5 t·hm-2); HB, high rate of biochar addition (20 t·hm-2); MB, medium rate of biochar addition (10 t·hm-2).

Fig. 2 The characteristics of soil respiration in growing and non-growing seasons in Phyllostachys edulis forest stands with different biochar treatments (mean ± SD). Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among biochar treatments within seasons, and different capital letters indicate significant differences among seasons within biochar treatments. CK, control; LB, low rate of biochar addition (5 t·hm-2); HB, high rate of biochar addition (20 t·hm-2); MB, medium rate of biochar addition (10 t·hm-2).

Table 2 Two-way ANOVA for the effects of biochar addition treatments and seasons on soil respiration in Phyllostachys edulis forest stands

林分 Stands	季节 Season		生物质炭添加 Biochar addition		季节×生物质炭添加 Season × biochar addition
林分 Stands	F	p	F	p	F	p
林分1 Stand 1	673.41	0.00	16.66	0.00	7.64	0.00
林分2 Stand 2	731.47	0.00	13.36	0.00	2.30	0.08
林分3 Stand 3	695.20	0.00	1.54	0.204	0.77	0.51
林分4 Stand 4	655.78	0.00	1.14	0.334	0.64	0.60

Fig. 3 The effects of biochar addition on monthly soil moisture in Phyllostachys edulis forest stands. The Y-axis means the percent of soil moisture difference by biochar addition to the control. (CK-LB)/CK, (CK-MB)/CK, (CK-HB)/CK mean the decreased (minus value indicates a increase) percent of soil moisture on LB, MB and HB treatment, compared with control treatment. The abbreviations are the same as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 The characteristics of monthly soil temperaturein Phyllostachys edulis forest stands with different biochar addition treatments. CK, control; LB, low rate of biochar addition (5 t·hm-2); HB, high rate of biochar addition (20 t·hm-2); MB, medium rate of biochar addition (10 t·hm-2).

Fig. 5 Relationships between soil respiration and soil temperature in Phyllostachys edulis forest stands with different biochar addition treatments. CK, control; LB, low rate of biochar addition (5 t·hm-2); HB, high rate of biochar addition (20 t·hm-2); MB, medium rate of biochar addition (10 t·hm-2). Q10, soil temperature sensitivity.

Table 3 Regression models of soil respiration (y) with soil temperature (x) and moisture (W) in Phyllostachys edulis forest stands with different biochar addition treatments

林分 Stand	CK			LB
林分 Stand	拟合方程 Fitted equation	R²	p	拟合方程 Fitted equation	R²	p
1	y = 0.025e^0.095^x(2.609W - 0.066W²)	0.80	^**	y = 0.067e^0.097^x(0.523W - 0.012W²)	0.79	^**
2	y = 0.029e^0.088^x(2.372W - 0.056W²)	0.76	^**	y = 0.112e^0.093^x(0.437W - 0.010W²)	0.69	^**
3	y = 0.018e^0.085^x(3.968W - 0.096W²)	0.72	^**	y = 0.098e^0.072^x(0.819W - 0.020W²)	0.72	^**
4	y = 0.030e^0.077^x(2.828W - 0.060W²)	0.73	^**	y = 0.021e^0.093^x(0.387W- 0.068W²)	0.80	^**
林分 Stand	MB			HB
林分 Stand	拟合方程 Fitted equation	R²	p	拟合方程 Fitted equation	R²	p
1	y = 0.080e^0.086^x(0.653W - 0.012W²)	0.65	^**	y = 0.091e^0.083^x(0.510W - 0.008W²)	0.65	^**
2	y = 0.024e^0.091^x(1.776W - 0.035W²)	0.76	^**	y = 0.096e^0.078^x(0.769W - 0.017W²)	0.71	^**
3	y = 0.009e^0.086^x(6.901W - 0.157W²)	0.73	^**	y = 0.032e^0.079^x(2.237W - 0.049W²)	0.74	^**
4	y = 0.062e^0.090^x(1.059W - 0.025W²)	0.69	^**	y = 0.015e^0.095^x(3.825W - 0.087W²)	0.86	^**

Fig. 6 Relationships of soil temperature sensitivity (Q10) with soil temperature and moisture in Phyllostachys edulis forest stands with biochar addition.

Fig. 7 The effects of biochar addition on annual cumulative soil respiration in Phyllostachys edulis forest stands (mean ± SD). Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among biochar treatments within forest stands. CK, control; LB, low rate of biochar addition (5 t·hm-2); MB, medium rate of biochar addition (10 t·hm-2); HB, high rate of biochar addition (20 t·hm-2). (CK-LB)/CK, (CK-MB)/CK, (CK-HB)/CK mean the decrease percent of annual cumulative soil respiration on LB, MB and HB treatment, compared with control treatment.

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