Contribution of microbial activity and vegetation cover to the spatial distribution of soil respiration in mountains.

ABSTRACT: The patterns of change in bioclimatic conditions determine the vegetation cover and soil properties along the altitudinal gradient. Together, these factors control the spatial variability of soil respiration (R_S) in mountainous areas. The underlying mechanisms, which are poorly understood, shape the resulting surface CO₂ flux in these ecosystems. We aimed to investigate the spatial variability of R_S and its drivers on the northeastern slope of the Northwest Caucasus Mountains, Russia (1,260-2,480 m a.s.l.), in mixed, fir, and deciduous forests, as well as subalpine and alpine meadows. R_S was measured simultaneously in each ecosystem at 12 randomly distributed points using the closed static chamber technique. After the measurements,

SUBMITTER: Sushko S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10307969 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature