Timo Mela

Soil Respiration in Three Soil Types in Agricultural Ecosystems in Finland

Seasonal changes in soil respiration (SR), soil temperature (ST) and soil water content (SWC) were monitored in three different soil types (peat, sand and clay soils) in Finnish agricultural ecosystems. Rates of CO2 emission were measured by the closed chamber method using an infrared gas analyser (IRGA) at intervals of 2-3 weeks from May to October. The seasonal changes in SR were different among the soil types: peat soil, maximum rate (650 mg CO2 m-2 h-1) in summer, positive significant relation between SR and ST and negative relation between SR and SWC; sandy soil, stable SR (300 mg CO2 m-2 h-1) without seasonal changes, positive relation between SR and SWC and no significant relation between SR and ST; clay soil, maximum rate (500 mg CO2 m-2 h-1) in summer, highly positive significant relation between SR and ST and negative relation between SR and SWC. A statistical model was developed to predict the amount of CO2 evolved from the cultivated soils based on the relationships between SR and certain abio...