title: Carbon isotopic composition of forest soil respiration in the decade following bark beetle and stem girdling disturbances in the Rocky Mountains.
abstract: Bark beetle outbreaks are widespread in western North American forests, reducing primary productivity and transpiration, leading to forest mortality across large areas and altering ecosystem carbon cycling. Here the carbon isotope composition (δ(13) C) of soil respiration (δJ ) was monitored in the decade after disturbance for forests affected naturally by mountain pine beetle infestation and artificially by stem girdling. The seasonal mean δJ changed along both chronosequences. We found (a) enrichment of δJ relative to controls (<1 ‰) in near-surface soils in the first 2 years after disturbance; (b) depletion (1‰ or no change) during years 3-7; and (c) a second period of enrichment (1-2‰) in years 8-10. Results were consistent with isotopic patterns associated with the gradual death and decomposition of rhizosphere organisms, fine roots, conifer needles and woody roots and debris over the course of a decade after mortality. Finally, δJ was progressively more (13) C-depleted deeper in the soil than near the surface, while the bulk soil followed the well-established pattern of (13) C-enrichment at depth. Overall, differences in δJ between mortality classes (<1‰) and soil depths (<3‰) were smaller than variability within a class or depth over a season (up to 6‰).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.|Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Allison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, 1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Trahan
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, 1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
authors.forename: David J P
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bowling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057486:Carbon Cycle; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D001517:Coleoptera; D003120:Colorado; D065928:Forests; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D012987:Soil
keywords: Abies lasiocarpa; Dendroctonus ponderosae; Picea engelmannii; Pinus contorta; carbon cycle; chronosequence; decomposition