Comparisons of respiration rate and environmental variables for mat and non-mat soil were conducted between July 2008 to Nov 2009 in a 0.1ha plot adjacent lower Lookout Creek, approximately 700m downstream from Lookout Camp (44 deg 13”25’N, 122 deg 15”30’W, 484m above sea level). The predominant overstory species are Psuedotsuga menziesii, Tsuga heterophylla, and Thuja Plicata. Associated ectomycorrhizal communities were measured over the 1.5 year period and data collection for the study is complete. Soil respiration was measured using LiCOR instrumentation, and analyses were performed computationally by correlating soil respiration with known environmental metrics (moisture, temperature, etc.) measured in other studies (TW006, MV001, etc.).
Barbara J Bond, Claire Phillips, Fox Sparky Peterson
The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an the incremental increase in soil respiration associated with the formation, function, and persistence of rhizomorphic ectomycorrhizal mats, and to determine which environmental factors (temperature, moisture, etc.) had direct influences on soil respiration. Knowing the patterns and drivers of soil respiration from heterotrophs is key to understanding forest function and the connectivity between soil and vegetative organisms.