Soil respiration rates of plantation Platycladus orientalis forest in different age-groups and their relationship with environmental factors in rocky mountain area of North China
Soil respiration is an important issue in research on regional carbon budget and global change. The typical Platycladus orientalis forests in rocky mountain area of North China were taken as the research object. Soil respiration rates were determined by using the alkali absorption technique. The correlation between soil respiration and environmental factors was discussed by path analysis. The results show that: (1) the soil respiration of the mature forest (607. 821mg·m~(-2)·d~(-1)) was higher than that of the young forest (593. 046mg·m-2· d-1). Age-groups were an important factor on soil respiration of Platycladus orientalis forest. (2) Results of the single factor analysis showed that the mature forest had a better response to the change of major environmental factors than the young forest. (3) The results of path analysis showed that temperature could explain 94% of the soil respiration. The temperature had the most significant effect on soil respiration of Platycladus orientalis forest in different age-groups.