Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil microbial biomass, activity, and diversity in a chaparral ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: This study reports the effects of long-term elevated atmospheric CO2 on root production and microbial activity, biomass, and diversity in a chaparral ecosystem in southern California. The free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) ring was located in a stand dominated by the woody shrub Adenostoma fasciculatum. Between 1995 and 2003, the FACE ring maintained an average daytime atmospheric CO2 concentration of 550 ppm. During the last two years of operation, observations were made on soil cores collected from the FACE ring and adjacent areas of chaparral with ambient CO2 levels. Root biomass roughly doubled in the FACE plot. Microbial biomass and activity were related to soil organic matter (OM) content, and so analysis of covariance was used to detect CO2 effects while controlling for variation across

SUBMITTER: Lipson DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1317410 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature