Plant Roots and Phenology Drive the Spatio-Temporal Variability of Boreal Forest Floor Respiration

TL;DR

This study shows that plant roots and seasonal changes in plant activity are key drivers of carbon release from the forest floor in boreal forests.

Contribution

The study challenges the physicochemical model of soil respiration by demonstrating the critical role of plant roots and phenology in boreal forest floor respiration.

Findings

Plant roots account for over 60% of total carbon efflux in boreal forest floors.

Root exclusion experiments confirm the mycorrhizal bridge's role in spatial respiration patterns.

Seasonal respiration peaks are driven by plant phenology, not static root biomass.

Abstract

Understanding the drivers of soil carbon efflux is critical for predicting forest carbon cycles under climate change. This study investigates how plant roots and phenology govern the spatio-temporal variability of boreal forest floor respiration (Rf) in an ectomycorrhizal-dominated forest. By analyzing stabilized soil carbon fluxes (NEE, Ra, and Rh) one year after root exclusion in northern Sweden, we challenge the passive physicochemical paradigm. Results show that the spatial distribution and magnitude of Rf are primarily driven by plant roots, with Ra accounting for >60% of total efflux. The collapse of respiration in trenched plots confirms the mycorrhizal bridge as the essential conduit for these spatial patterns. Regarding temporal variability, we identified a biological pulse driven by plant phenology. After temperature-normalization, Ra maintained a strong seasonal peak in July and August. Notably, static drivers like fine root biomass failed to explain spatial variation (R < 0.3, p > 0.05), whereas dynamic NEE showed significant positive correlations (R = 0.52, p < 0.0001). This holistic perspective suggests that the forest floor operates as an integrated metabolic continuum, where root activity and phenological pump are the main regulating factors on carbon release. Future models should reposition plant–fungal phenology as the primary engine of soil metabolism.

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