| Stem CO2 efflux is a highly variable component of the carbon budget of forest ecosystems. It reflects the balance between the CO2 respired by the living stem tissues, less the CO2 dissolved in the xylem sap moving upward in the transpiration stream, plus the CO2 transported from the roots and released at the stem. Although knowledge about such fluxes at different spatial and temporal scales has markedly increased, knowledge of the effects of silviculture treatments, such as fertilization, on stem CO2 effluxes are still limited, particularly when connecting above- and belowground processes. Using measurements obtained from twin plots (one control, one fertilized) installed in five-, 12- and 23-year-old stands of Pinus radiata, the objective of this study... |
