Soil Respiration

Soil Respiration Soil respiration represents CO2 release at the soil surface from microbial respiration during litter and soil organic matter decomposition and rhizosphere respiration by live roots and their symbionts. This flux is the largest terrestrial source of CO2 to the atmosphere (68-80 Pg C yr-1). It is largely affected by temperature, water content, and substrate availability including current photosynthesis. Under global change, soil respiration plays a critical role in regulating global carbon cycling and then feeds back to climate change. Our work focuses on responses of soil respiration and its components to climate change. Book Description The global environment is constantly changing and our planet is getting warmer at an unprecedented rate. The study of the carbon cycle, and soil respiration, is a very active area of research internationally because of its relationship to climate change. It is crucial for our understanding of ecosystem functions from plot levels to global scales. Although a great deal of literature on soil respiration has been accumulated in the past several years, the material has not yet been synthesized into one place until now. This book synthesizes the already published research findings and presents the fundamentals of this subject. Including information on global carbon cycling, climate changes, ecosystem productivity, crop production, and soil fertility, this book will be of interest to scientists, researchers, and students across many disciplines. Book Details Hardcover: 328 pages Publisher: Academic Press (August 15, 2006) Language: English ISBN: 0120887827 Buy it from Amazon