Diel hysteresis between soil respiration and soil temperature in a biological soil crust covered desert ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: Soil respiration induced by biological soil crusts (BSCs) is an important process in the carbon (C) cycle in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, where vascular plants are restricted by the harsh environment, particularly the limited soil moisture. However, the interaction between temperature and soil respiration remains uncertain because of the number of factors that control soil respiration, including temperature and soil moisture, especially in BSC-dominated areas. In this study, the soil respiration in moss-dominated crusts and lichen-dominated crusts was continuously measured using an automated soil respiration system over a one-year period from November 2015 to October 2016 in the Shapotou region of the Tengger Desert, northern China. The results indicated that over daily cycles, the half-

SUBMITTER: Guan C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5889175 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature