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Effects of substrate availability on the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition
Author(s) -
GERSHENSON ALEXANDER,
BADER NICHOLAS E.,
CHENG WEIXIN
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01827.x
Subject(s) - substrate (aquarium) , soil water , decomposition , soil carbon , environmental science , organic matter , carbon cycle , soil organic matter , soil science , soil respiration , environmental chemistry , carbon fibers , sensitivity (control systems) , chemistry , ecology , materials science , ecosystem , biology , electronic engineering , composite number , engineering , composite material
Soil carbon is a major component in the global carbon cycle. Understanding the relationship between environmental changes and rates of soil respiration is critical for projecting changes in soil carbon fluxes in a changing climate. Although significant attention has been focused on the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition, the factors that affect this temperature sensitivity are still debated. In this study, we examined the effects of substrate availability on the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in several different kinds of soils. We found that increased substrate availability had a significant positive effect on temperature sensitivity, as measured by soil Q 10 values, and that this effect was inversely proportional to original substrate availability. This observation can be explained if decomposition follows Michaelis–Menten kinetics. The simple Q 10 model was most appropriate in soils with high substrate availability.