The effect of postfire regeneration pattern on soil respiration in the boreal forest of China

Abstract Background As the second largest carbon flux between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems, soil respiration involves multiple components of ecosystem production. Revealing soil respiration in forests with different postfire regeneration patterns is critical for determining appropriate restoration strategies in response to increasing wildfire disturbances. Here, we examined the influence of five postfire regeneration patterns (L: Larix gmelinii monocultures, LB: L. gmelinii and Betula platyphylla mixed plantations, P: Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica monocultures, PB: P. sylvestris var. mongolica and B. platyphylla mixed plantations, N: naturally regenerated forests) on soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and total respiration (Rs). Methods Trenching was implemented to monitor soil heterotrophic respiration. We used partial least squares path modeling methods to estimate the different environmental factors regulating soil respiration across forest types. Results The results showed that forest type and season had significant effects on Rs and Rh. Rh was the dominant part of Rs for all forest types (68.84 ~ 90.20%). Compared to naturally regenerated forests, Rs and Rh under L, LB, and PB had higher rates ( P < 0.05), while Rs and Rh under P had lower rates ( P < 0.05). The temperature sensitivities of Rs under different forest types were 2.316 (L), 1.840 (LB), 1.716 (P), 1.665 (PB), and 2.096 (N). Conclusions Forests regenerated with artificial participation established their plant communities visibly faster than naturally regenerated forests. Mixed species plantation regeneration demonstrated an improvement in soil respiration compared to naturally regenerated forests but had a lower temperature sensitivity of soil respiration than their respective monocultures. Soil temperature and moisture dominated the influence factors on soil respiration throughout the broader seasonal shifts. However, for a single season, forest productivity and soil properties have a greater impact on soil respiration. This study extends our knowledge of the interaction mechanism between soil respiration and environmental variables in boreal forests and contributes to improving confidence in global carbon cycling model predictions.