Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Davis, California » Crops Pathology and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #181200
Title: EFFECTS OF LAND USE ON SOIL RESPIRATION: CONVERSION OF OAK-WOODLANDS TO VINEYARDS

Author
item CARLISLE, ELI - UC DAVIS, VIT & ENOLOGY
item Steenwerth, Kerri
item SMART, DAVID - UC DAVIS, VIT & ENOLOGY

Submitted to: Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2006
Publication Date: 8/1/2006
Citation: Carlisle, E.C., Steenwerth, K.L., Smart, D.R. 2006. Effects of land use on soil respiration: conversion of oak-woodlands to vineyards. Environmental Quality. Vol. 35, 1396-1404.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We examined constraints on soil CO2 respiration in natural oak woodlands, and adjacent vineyards that were converted approximately 30 years ago from oak woodlands in the Oakville Region of Napa Valley, California. All sites were located on the same soil type, a Bale (variant) gravelly loam (Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Cumulic Ultic Haploxeroll) and dominated by C3 vegetation. Seasonal soil CO2 efflux was greatest at the oak woodland sites, although during the summer drought the rates of soil CO2 efflux measured from oak sites were generally similar to those measured from the vineyards. Soil profile CO2 concentrations at the oak woodland sites were lower below 15 cm, in spite of the fact that CO2 efflux rates were higher. Soil gas diffusion coefficients for the oak sites were larger than for the vineyard sites, and this indicated the apparent discrepancy in soil profile CO2 concentration may be caused by a diffusion limitation. Vineyard soil CO2 was more depleted in 13CO2 below 25 cm in the soil profile during the active growing season as indicated by more negative '13C ratios. This result indicated that different C sources were being oxidized in vineyard soils. Soil profile [CO2] and '13C values showed substantial temporal changes over the course of a year. Annual C losses were less from the vineyard soils (7.02 ± 0.58 Mg C ha-1 yr -1) as compared to the oak soils (15.67 ± 1.44 Mg C ha-1 yr-1), and both were comparable to losses reported in previous investigations.