Soil plus root respiration and microbial biomass following water, nitrogen, and phosphorus application at a high arctic semi desert

In order to investigate the effects of anticipated increased precipitation and changing soil nutrient levels on soil CO2 efflux from high arctic semi desert, a field experiment was carried out in Northeast Greenland. Water, phosphorus, and nitrogen were added to plots in a fully factorial design. Soil microbial biomass carbon was analysed after one year, and respiration from soil plus roots was measured in situ throughout the third growing season after initiation of the experiment. Soil plus root respiration was enhanced by up to 47%, and the microbial biomass by 24%, by the weekly water additions, but not by nutrient additions. The direct effect of increased soil moisture on CO2 efflux suggests that future changes of precipitation levels and patterns may strongly affect below-ground respiration in arctic semi deserts, with direction of responses depending upon amounts and frequencies of precipitation events. Morover, low CO2 emission at low light intensities regardless of treatment suggests that the major part of the below-ground respiration originated from turnover of recently fixed C. Hence, the more recalcitrant soil organic matter C pool may not change in proportion to changes in below-ground respiration rate.