Author
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Skinner, Robert |
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Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2013 Publication Date: 11/3/2013 Citation: Skinner, R.H. 2013. Water, temperature, and defoliation effects on perennial grassland respiration. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. p 1. Interpretive Summary: An interpretive summary is not required. akm Technical Abstract: Changes in respiration can have a profound effect on ecosystem C balance. This talk will present results from eddy covariance studies describing environment and management effects on ecosystem C flux from cool- and warm-season perennial grasslands. In addition, stable C isotope studies that partitioned belowground respiration between the rhizosphere and free-living soil organisms will provide estimates of whole-plant respiration in undisturbed field plots. Although respiration and photosynthesis can be closely coupled at the whole-field scale, changes in respiration rather than photosynthesis drive the net ecosystem C balance in many ecosystems and often less than 20% of assimilated C is harvested from perennial grasslands. During much of the year, respiration can be greater than photosynthetic uptake resulting in a net loss of C from the ecosystem. Ecosystem respiration tends to be less susceptible than photosynthesis to drought stress whereas both are equally responsive to N fertilization. Implications of changes in respiration rate on yield and ecosystems services such as soil C sequestration will be discussed. |
