Latitudinal distribution of soil CO2 efflux and temperature along the Dalton Highway, Alaska

In this paper, we investigate spatial variations in soil CO2 efflux and carbon dynamics across five sites located between 65.5°N and 69.0°N in tundra and boreal forest biomes of Alaska. Growing and winter mean CO2 effluxes for the period 2006–2010 were 261 ± 124 (Coefficients of Variation: 48%) and 71 ± 42 (CV: 59%) gCO2/m2, respectively. This indicates that winter CO2 efflux contributed 24% of the annual CO2 efflux over the period of measurement. In tundra and boreal biomes, tussock is an important source of carbon efflux to the atmosphere, and contributes 3.4 times more than other vegetation types. To ensure that representativeness of soil CO2 efflux was determined, 36 sample points were used at each site during the growing season, so that the experimental mean fell within ±20% of the full sample mean at 80% and 90% confidence levels. We found that soil CO2 efflux was directly proportional to the seasonal mean soil temperature, but inversely proportional to the seasonal mean soil moisture level, rather than to the elevation-corrected July air temperature. This suggests that the seasonal mean soil temperature is the dominant control on the latitudinal distribution of soil CO2 efflux in the high-latitude ecosystems of Alaska.