Modelling respiration of vegetation:: evidence for a general temperature-dependent Q10

Temperature responses of rates of respiratory CO2 efflux from plants, soils, and ecosystems are frequently modelled using exponential functions with a constant Q(10) near 2.0 (fractional change in rate with a 10 degreesC increase in temperature). However, we present evidence that Q(10) declines with short-term increases in temperature in a predictable manner across diverse plant taxa. Thus, models using a constant Q(10) are biased, and use of a temperature-corrected Q(10) may improve the accuracy of modelled respiratory CO2 efflux in plants and ecosystems in response to temperature and predicted global climate changes.