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Plant decomposition and soil respiration in terrestrial ecosystems

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Summary

This review deals with methodological approaches, measured rates, and environmental control of two major interdependent processes regulating the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems, viz., plant decomposition and soil respiration.

Both these processes have been evaluated through indirect assessments as well as through direct measurements under the field conditions. The techniques used suffer in general from difficulties in creating conditions of natural environment during the process of measurement. Generalizations regarding the magnitude of rates in different ecosystems are difficult because of limited results or non-comparability of results from different methods.

Temperature and moisture and their interactions markedly influence both the processes. The surface feeders and soil animals have a marked influence on the decomposition. Partitioning of soil respiration into components due to live roots, microbes, and soil fauna has eluded a satisfactory solution so far.

Sommaire

Cette revue traite des approches méthodologiques, des vitesses mesurées et du contrôle des environs de deux procédés interdépendants principaux qui règlent la structure et la fonction des écosystèmes terrestes, viz, la décomposition des plantes et de la respiration du sol.

Ces deux procédés ont été évalués par des méthodes indirectes aussi bien que par des mesures directes sous le terrain. Les techniques employées souffrent en géneral des difficultés dans la création des conditions de l’environnement naturel pendant mesure. Des généralisations en ce qui concerne la grandeur des vitesses dans les différents écosystèmes sont difficiles parce que les différentes méthodes ne peuvent pas être comparées que d’une façon limitée ou non-comparable.

La température et l’humidité et leurs interactions ont une très grande influence sur les deux procédés. Les animaux et les plantes qui se nourrissent sur la surface et les animaux dans la terre ont une très grande influence sur la décomposition. La séparation de la respiration du sol en composantes causée par des microbes des racines vivantes et de la faune du sol a echappé à une solution satisfaite jusqu’à présent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Kumaun University, 263002, Naini Tal, India

    J. S. Singh

  2. Department of Botany, Kurukshetra University, 132119, Kurukshetra, India

    S. R. Gupta

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Singh, J.S., Gupta, S.R. Plant decomposition and soil respiration in terrestrial ecosystems. Bot. Rev 43, 449–528 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860844

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