title: Impact of environmental factors and biological soil crust types on soil respiration in a desert ecosystem.
abstract: The responses of soil respiration to environmental conditions have been studied extensively in various ecosystems. However, little is known about the impacts of temperature and moisture on soils respiration under biological soil crusts. In this study, CO2 efflux from biologically-crusted soils was measured continuously with an automated chamber system in Ningxia, northwest China, from June to October 2012. The highest soil respiration was observed in lichen-crusted soil (0.93 ± 0.43 µmol m-2 s-1) and the lowest values in algae-crusted soil (0.73 ± 0.31 µmol m-2 s-1). Over the diurnal scale, soil respiration was highest in the morning whereas soil temperature was highest in the midday, which resulted in diurnal hysteresis between the two variables. In addition, the lag time between soil respiration and soil temperature was negatively correlated with the soil volumetric water content and was reduced as soil water content increased. Over the seasonal scale, daily mean nighttime soil respiration was positively correlated with soil temperature when moisture exceeded 0.075 and 0.085 m3 m-3 in lichen- and moss-crusted soil, respectively. However, moisture did not affect on soil respiration in algae-crusted soil during the study period. Daily mean nighttime soil respiration normalized by soil temperature increased with water content in lichen- and moss-crusted soil. Our results indicated that different types of biological soil crusts could affect response of soil respiration to environmental factors. There is a need to consider the spatial distribution of different types of biological soil crusts and their relative contributions to the total C budgets at the ecosystem or landscape level.
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Feng
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Yuqing
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Jia
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Wu
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Tianshan
authors: T
authors: Zha
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Shugao
authors: S
authors: Qin
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Ben
authors: B
authors: Wang
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Chenxi
authors: C
authors: Shao
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Jiabin
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Yanchi Research Station, College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
authors: Keyu
authors: K
authors: Fa
mesh_terms: D044002:Bryophyta / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003889:Desert Climate; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D008011:Lichens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide