1.
Belowground C Allocation Estimated as
Soil Respiration Minus Aboveground
Litter Inputs
Sarah Abbott with Tim Fahey, Ruth Yanai,
Alex Young, and Shiyi Li

2.
(Raich & Nadelhoffer, 1989)
Introduction: Belowground Carbon Allocation
Litter
Respiration
Belowground
Carbon
Allocation
Belowground
Carbon
Allocation
Respiration - Litterfall =
Assumption: Steady State

3.
Methods
Li-Cor: Measures Soil Flux Litter Baskets
7 respiration collars per plot
13 stands
5 litter baskets per plot
13 stands

4.
Nitrogen Depresses Soil Respiration
Average Soil Respiration (‘15, ’16, ‘17, ‘18) .

5.
Average Litterfall (‘15, ’16, ‘17).
Phosphorus Depresses Leaf Litter Production

6.
Calculating belowground C allocation requires
putting both of these in the same units and
estimating year-round soil respiration--stay tuned!
RESULTS
N decreases soil respiration
(and likely belowground C allocation)
P decreases leaf production
(does this relate to greater diameter growth?)
Can we conclude that P matters more aboveground
and N matters more belowground?