Rewetting CO2 pulses in Australian agricultural soils and the influence of soil properties

Abstract

An incubation study determined the effect of one dry–rewetting (DRW) event on the turnover of carbon (C), phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Thirty-two soils were collected from different climatic regions of southern Australia, varying in soil type, land use and agronomic management history. We hypothesised that respiration and nutrient pulses are related to soil physio-chemical properties. Respiration (CO2 release) was measured intensively for 90 h after rewetting. C mineralisation (C min) model fitting was used to describe the amount of mineralisable C (Co90 h) and the proportional mineralisation rate (k). Compared to constantly moist soils, 13 soils showed increases in both Co90 h and k, indicating that DRW increased the amount of mineralisable C and the rate at which C was mineralised over the 90-h period. In 17 soils, k was increased but not Co90 h, showing an increase in C mineralisation rate but no change in the amount of mineralisable C. Two soils showed a reduction in k with no change in Co90 h, possibly due to low C contents and small microbial biomass. Only one soil exhibited no change in either Co90 h or k. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the magnitude of the increase in mineralisable C in response to the DRW event (∆Co90 h = Co90 h DRW − Co90 h moist) was primarily explained by clay content (39%); however, inclusion of nine soil physio-chemical properties explained more of the variation in ∆Co90 h than any of the properties alone. Five of the nine physio-chemical variables present in the multiple-regression model were related to C content or composition. Pulses in available N and P were not related to ∆Co90 h.