Responses of soil respiration in non-growing seasons to environmental factors in a maize agroecosystem,Northeast China

Based on continuous three-year measurements (from 2004 to 2007) of eddy covariance and related environmental factors, envi-ronmental controls on variation in soil respiration (R_s) during non-growing season were explored in a maize agroecosystem in Northeast China. Our results indicated that during non-growing seasons, daily Rs was 1.08–4.08 g CO2 m^–2 d^–1, and the lowest occurred in late November. The average R_s of non-growing season was 456.06 ± 20.01 g CO2 m^–2, accounting for 11% of the gross primary production (GPP) of the growing season. Additionally, at monthly scale, the lowest value of R_s appeared in January or February. From the beginning to the end of non-growing season, daily R_s tended to decrease first, and then increase to the highest. There was a significant quadratic curve relationship between Rs and soil temperature at 10 cm depth when soil temperature was more than 0°C (P<0.001), with the explaining ratio of 38%–70%. When soil water content was more than 0.1 m³ m^–3, soil moisture at 10 cm depth was significantly parabolically correlated with R_s (P<0.001), explaining the rate of 18%–60%. Based on all the data of soil temperature of more than 0°C, a better model for R_s was established by coupling soil temperature and moisture, which could explain the rate of up to 53%–79%. Meanwhile, the standard error of regression estimation between the values of prediction and observation for R_s could reach 2.7%–11.8%. R_s in non-growing season can account for 22.4% of R_s in growing season, indicating that it plays a critical role in assessing the carbon budget in maize agroecosystem, Northeast China.