Effects of a warmer climate and forest composition on soil carbon cycling, soil organic matter stability and stocks in a humid boreal region

Abstract

The maintenance of the large soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of the boreal forest under climate change is a matter of concern. In this study, major soil carbon pools and fluxes were assessed in 22 closed-canopy forests located along an elevation and latitudinal climatic gradient expanding 4 ∘C in mean annual temperature (MAT) for two important boreal conifer forest stand types: balsam fir (Abies balsamea), a fire avoider, and black spruce (Picea mariana), a fire-tolerant species. SOC stocks were not influenced by a warmer climate or by forest type. However, carbon fluxes, including aboveground litterfall rates, as well as total soil respiration (Rs) and heterotrophic (Rh) and autotrophic soil respiration (Ra), were linearly related to temperature (cumulative degree days >5 ∘C). The sensitivity of soil organic matter (SOM) degradation to temperature, assessed by comparing Q10 (rate of change for a T increase of 10 ∘C) of soil respiration and Rs10 (soil respiration rates corrected to 10 ∘C), did not vary along the temperature gradient, while the proportion of bioreactive carbon and nitrogen showed higher values for balsam fir and for warmer sites. Balsam fir forests showed a greater litterfall rate, a better litter quality (lower C : N ratio) and a higher Rs10 than black spruce ones, suggesting that their soils cycle a larger amount of C and N under a similar climate regime. Altogether, these results suggest that a warmer climate and a balsam fir forest composition induce a more rapid SOC turnover. Contrary to common soil organic matter stabilisation hypotheses, greater litter input rates did not lead to higher total SOC stocks, and a warmer climate did not lead to the depletion of bioreactive soil C and N. Positive effects of warming both on fluxes to and from the soil as well as a potential saturation of stabilised SOC could explain these results which apply to the context of this study: a cold and wet environment and a stable vegetation composition along the temperature gradient. While the entire study area is subject to a humid climate, a negative relationship was found between aridity and SOM stocks in the upper mineral soil layer for black spruce forests, suggesting that water balance is more critical than temperature to maintain SOM stocks.