Heterotrophic Respiration and the Divergence of Productivity and Carbon Sequestration ; Geophysical Research Letters

Abstract

Net primary productivity (NPP) and net ecosystem production (NEP) are often used interchangeably, as their difference, heterotrophic respiration (soil heterotrophic CO2 efflux, R-SH = NPP-NEP), is assumed a near-fixed fraction of NPP. Here, we show, using a range-wide replicated experimental study in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations that R-SH responds differently than NPP to fertilization and drought treatments, leading to the divergent responses of NPP and NEP. Across the natural range of the species, the moderate responses of NPP (+11%) and R-SH (-7%) to fertilization combined such that NEP increased nearly threefold in ambient control and 43% under drought treatment. A 13% decline in R-SH under drought led to a 26% increase in NEP while NPP was unaltered. Such drought benefit for carbon sequestration was nearly twofold in control, but disappeared under fertilization. Carbon sequestration efficiency, NEP:NPP, varied twofold among sites, and increased up to threefold under both drought and fertilization. ; USDA National Institute of Food and AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA) [2011-68002-30185]; US Forest Service Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center [08-JV-11330147-038]; McIntire-Stennis Project [121209 94160] ; Published version ; This study was conducted as part of The Pine Integrated Network: Education, Mitigation, and Adaptation Project (PINEMAP) that was a Coordinated Agricultural Project funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Award #2011-68002-30185. The authors thank Foley Timber and Land Company (Florida), Ed Hurliman (Oklahoma), and the Virginia Department of Forestry, Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest (Virginia) for providing property access to install the experiments. Partial support was provided by US Forest Service Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center Grant 08-JV-11330147-038, and McIntire-Stennis Project 121209 94160. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. ; Public domain authored by a U.S. government employee