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The relationship between snow depth and soil respiration in upper montane winter environments

The relationship between snow depth and soil respiration in upper montane winter environments. Claire Hierseman Winter Ecology Spring 2013 Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder. Background: Literature. Soil Respiration happens in winter ( Oechel et al 1997)

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The relationship between snow depth and soil respiration in upper montane winter environments

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  1. The relationship between snow depth and soil respiration in upper montane winter environments Claire Hierseman Winter Ecology Spring 2013 Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder

  2. Background: Literature • Soil Respiration happens in winter (Oechel et al 1997) • The differences in snow depth may relate to differences in CO2 flux (Grogan 2012). • 40-50cm of snow insulate ground temps from atmosphere (Larsen et al 2012). • In areas with greater than 1m of snow, the snow depth might be more important than other factors (Grogan 2012).

  3. Background: Field Day

  4. What is the snow depth threshold for soil respiration to occur, as measured by CO2 flux?

  5. Methods

  6. Results Linear P=0.027 Exponential P=0.027

  7. Results P-value: 0.0268 One tail unpaired t-test without equal variances

  8. Results • Controls tell an interesting story • Suggests that snowpack quality is important

  9. Discussion • Linear or exponential? Linear is most parsimonious • Threshold at approximately 30cm • Snowpack quality

  10. Conclusions • Snow depth is likely a significant factor in the amount of respiration that occurs • More precise manipulations should be done in future to articulate precise threshold

  11. Take home point • The microbes are active in winter under the snowpack • Snowpack affects the amount of respiration that is occurring

  12. Works Cited Grogan, P. “Cold season respiration across a low arctic landscape: the influence of vegetation type, snow depth, and interannual climatic variation.” Bio One 44.4 (2012): 446-456. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-44.4.446 Larsen, K., Grogan, P., Jonasson, S., and Michelsen, A. “Respiration and Microbial dynamics in two subarctic ecosystems during winter and spring thaw: effects of increased snow depth.” Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research 39.2 (2007): 28-276. Mikan, C., Schimel, J., and Doyle, A. “Temperature controls of microbial respiration in arctic tundra soils above and below freezing.” Soil Biology and Biochemistry 34 (2002): 1785-1795. Oechel, W., Vourlitis, G., and Hstings, S. “Cold season CO2 emissions from arctic soils.” Global Biogeochemcial Cycles 11.2 (1997): 163-172.

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