Soil respiration

Soil respiration is a useful indicator of global carbon balance and terrestrial carbon exchange with the atmosphere. Different soil carbon pools metabolize at variable rates based on environmental constraints on microbiological activity. Respiration is thus primarily controlled by climatic effects (temperature and hydrology) and soil management. Soil respiration can be measured both on site and in laboratory, with each method possessing distinct advantages and disadvantages relating to actual or potential respiration rates. These tests help us understand the importance of soil respiration as an indicator of soil conditions and C cycling and enable some predictions of changes in soil carbon under climate change.