Annual soil CO(2) efflux in a cold temperate forest in northeastern China: effects of winter snowpack and artificial nitrogen deposition

We conducted a snow depth 0 cm (non-snowpack), 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm and natural depth) gradient experiment under four quantities of nitrogen addition (control, no added N; low-N, 5 g N m(−2) yr(−1); medium-N, 10 g N m(−2) yr(−1); and high-N, 15 g N m(−2) yr(−1)) and took an-entire-year measurements of soil respiration (Rs) in Korean pine forests in northeastern China during 2013–2014. No evidence for effects of N on Rs could be found during the growing season. On the other hand, reduction of snowpack decreased winter soil respiration due to accompanied relatively lower soil temperature. We found that winter temperature sensitivities (Q(10)) of Rs were significantly higher than the growing season Q(10) under all the N addition treatments. Moderate quantities of N addition (low-N and medium-N) significantly increased temperature sensitivities (Q(10)) of Rs, but excessive (high-N) addition decreased it during winter. The Gamma empirical model predicted that winter Rs under the four N addition treatments contributed 4.8. ± 0.3% (control), 3.6 ± 0.6% (low-N), 4.3 ± 0.4% (medium-N) and 6.4 ± 0.5% (high-N) to the whole year Rs. Our results demonstrate that N deposition will alter Q(10) of winter Rs. Moreover, winter Rs may contribute very few to annual Rs budget.