Carbon Isotope Ratios in Belowground Carbon Cycle Processes

Analyses of carbon isotope ratios (?13C) in soil organic matter (SOM) and soil respired CO2 provide insights into dynamics of the carbon cycle. ?13C analyses do not provide direct measures of soil CO2 efflux rates but are useful as a constraint in carbon cycle models. In many cases, ?13C analyses allow the identification of components of soil CO2 efflux as well as the relative contribution of soil to overall ecosystem CO2 fluxes. ?13C values provide a unique tool for quantifying historical shifts between C3 and C4 ecosystems over decadal to millennial time scales, which are relevant to climate change and land-use change issues. We identify the need to distinguish between ?13C analyses of SOM and those of soil CO2...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Ecological Applications, Ecological Society of America, below ground processes and global change, c3 and c4 ecosystems, carbon cycle, All tags... carbon isotope ratio, ecosystem processes, global change, soil organic carbon, soil organic matter, Fewer tags