Procedural Approaches to Field Determination of Root and Microbial Respiration Contribution to CO2 Emission by Permafrost-Affected Soils

Abstract

In the discontinuous cryolithozone in the north of Western Siberia in forest and tundra biogeocoenoses, two field methods for individual determination of root and microbial soil respiration were tested: plant shading and root exclusion (comparison of the plots with vegetation and without it). The proportion of of root respiration in the total soil respiration in the forest biogeocoenosis was 7–50%; in the tundra, 10–50%. The plant shading method has been physiologically substantiated, is the least time-consuming, and the least damaging to soil function (moisture and temperature do not change). The proposed modification of the method (root exclusion on natural objects) demonstrated a satisfactory result, but it is not universal due to the specifics of objects.