Autotrophic respiration modulates the carbon isotope composition of soil respiration in a mixed forest

Carbon isotopic composition of soil respired CO2 (soil δ13CR) has been regarded as a good indicator of the linkages between aboveground processes and soil respiration. However, whether δ13CR of autotrophic or heterotrophic component of soil respiration dominates the temporal variability of total soil δ13CR was rarely examined by previous studies. In this study, carbon isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 (δ13Cair) and soil δ13CR in control (with roots) and trenched (without roots) plots were measured in a temperated mixed forest. A 13C isotopic profile system and an automated soil respiration system were used for δ 13Cair and soil δ13CR measurements, respectively. We found that soil δ13CR in the control plots changed substantially in the growing season and it was more negative (by ~0.6‰) than that in the trenched plots, while soil δ13CR in the trenched plots showed a minor temporal variability. This suggests that δ13CR from the autotrophic respiration is the key decider of the seasonal variation pattern of the soil δ13CR. Moreover, the seasonal variation of soil δ13CR in the control plots showed a similar pattern with the seasonal variation of δ13Cair. A significant time-lag was found between δ13Cair and soil δ13CR, showing that soil δ13CR generally lagged behind δ13Cair 15 days. This result supports the hypothesis that soil respiration is closely related to carbon assimilation at the leaf-level and also stressed the importance of δ13Cair in shaping soil δ13CR. These findings are highly valuable to develop the process-based models of the carbon cycle of forest ecosystems. [Display omitted] •The autotrophic and heterotrophic δ13C signals of soil respired CO2 were studied.•A δ13C analyzer was connected to an automated soil CO2 flux measurement system.•The δ13C from autotrophic sources shapes the δ13C pattern of soil respiration.•The δ13C of soil respiration lagged behind the δ13C of forest air about 15 days.•Soil respiration is closely related to aboveground carbon assimilation.