Lane, RW, Menon, M, McQuaid, JB et al. (4 more authors) (2013) Laboratory analysis of the effects of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide on respiration in biological soil crusts. Journal of Arid Environments, 98. 52 - 59. ISSN 0140-1963
Abstract
Metabolic activity of Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs) is principally dependent on moisture availability, but also on temperature and light conditions. Less understood is how BSCs respond to elevated atmospheric CO2. This paper reports laboratory experimental results of elevated atmospheric CO2 on carbon fluxes for cyanobacterial BSCs. The study uses newly designed dynamic gas exchange chambers in which the internal atmosphere was controlled. CO2 flux was monitored during controlled experiments in two phases under simulated rainfall events (2 & 5mm plus control with no wetting) each lasting 3 days with a dry period in between. Phase 1 subjected crusts to 392ppm CO2 (representing ambient level) in dry air; in phase 2, the CO2 concentration was 801ppm. Both phases exhibited significant efflux (respiration) of CO2 immediately after wetting, followed by substantial influx (sequestration) of CO2. Samples subject to 2mm wetting sequestered an order of magnitude more C under elevated CO2 than at ambient CO2; for samples subject to 5mm wetting, this increase was threefold. The findings highlight the role of BSCs in future carbon budgets by enabling greater sequestration into dryland soils even under enhanced atmospheric CO2 concentrations, following both light and heavy rainfall events. .
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2013. Elsevier Ltd. NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Arid Environments. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Arid Environments, 98, (2013) DOI 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2013.07.014. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Autotrophic; Biological Soil Crust; CO2 flux double CO2; Cyanobacteria; Drylands; Heterotrophic; Kalahari; Photosynthesis; Respiration; Soil carbon sequestration |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 29 Sep 2014 12:45 |
Last Modified: | 17 Jan 2018 17:40 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2013.07.014 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2013.07.014 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:80310 |