Modélisation de la réponse des flux de respiration d'un sol forestier selon les principales variables climatiques

Modelling of the response of forest soil respiration fluxes to the main climatic variables. The objective of this article is to model the carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux to the atmosphere due to soil respiration. First, we will synthesize the main components of soil respiration fluxes as found in the literature. Then, we will present a system of automatic measurements, which was set up in a forest stand in Vielsalm (Ardennes, Belgium). This system recorded measurements of soil efflux and of climatic variables every 30 minutes. Its spatial resolution was limited to six collars of 20 cm diameter in a two-meter diameter curve. The measurements were analyzed according to their climatic components: temperature and relative soil water content. We analyzed 2 2 , 9 2 6 cycles of soil respiration measurements, and we followed a strict procedure of data selection in order to characterize soil respiration fluxes according to the main environmental components. We modelized those soil temperature-dependent fluxes with a Q1 0 function and A r r h e n i u s ' law with temperature-adjusted activation energ y, which both gave very similar results. Our best estimation for Q1 0 is 3.86 and for A in Arrhenius ' l a w, 17,479. We then adjusted two line segments beneath and beyond 0 . 2 7 m3.m- 3 of water in the soil in order to describe the response of respiration fluxes to soil moisture content. The soil temperature at 4.5 cm could explain over 86 % of the soil respiration fluxes. Relative moisture content narrows this by 2 % .