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To evaluate the impact of stand age on the ecosystem's C budget, as well as the post-harvest recovery of the C storages and fluxes, a chronosequence of Scots pine stands from the clear-cut stage up to the age of 110 years was studied. An age-related trend of net primary production (NPP) demonstrated effective C accumulation in the young and middle-aged stands and their levelling out thereafter. The understorey vegetation contributed 8-46% to total NPP, being lower in the pole and middle-aged stands, but without a clear age related trend. Annual cumulative soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) demonstrated stable values along the chronosequence, varying between 3.8 and 5.4 t C ha

Thinning changes the functioning of the whole forest ecosystem, including carbon and nitrogen (N) cycling. The input of organic matter and N into soil, as well as soil temperature and moist...

Hemiboreal forests form a transitional belt between boreal and temperate forests in Eurasia, and due to long-term climate warming they could potentially expand in a northerly direction. However, carbon (C) exchange studies in this transitional forest type are scarce. In 2014–2015 we analyzed CO2 exchange in a hemiboreal mixed forest at SMEAR Estonia (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) using eddy covariance (EC), soil chamber technique and biometric methods. Employing two plots that differ in forest stand composition (mixed (MP) and coniferous (CP)) located within the footprint of the EC tower, we evaluated heterotrophic and total soil respiration (Rh and Rs, respectively). Measurements showed that C, nitrogen (N), and soil organic matter (SOM) contents in topsoil were significantly higher in the coniferous plot, and the total C stock until 20 cm of mineral soil was higher by a factor of two (i.e., 170.6 and 94.8 t C ha−1 for the CP and MP, respectively). Only in 2015 there was a significant difference in Rs between the plots, while Rh exhibited no detectable difference. The cumulative Rs during the growing season was similar for both plots (CP and MP) and years: 532 and 548 g m−2, respectively, in 2014; 636 and 592 g m−2, respectively, in 2015. The same applied to Rh: 418 and 430 g m−2, respectively, in 2014; 406 and 387 g m−2, respectively, in 2015. The forest as a whole was a C sink. In 2015, net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was -585.62 ± 45.16 g C m−2 yr−1 (the average and SD of two gap-filling methods: MDS and nonlinear regressions). Gross primary production (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (RE) were -1280.62 ± 53.36, and 696.00 ± 98.51 g C m−2 yr−1, respectively (the average and SD of two flux partitioning methods: nighttime data-based and daytime data-based). NEE and GPP suggested a greater similarity to temperate forests, while RE was closer to more boreal forest stands. The mean value of net ecosystem production (NEP) of both plots, estimated using forest stand biometric, litter and chamber data was similar to the annual NEE value: 6.3 and −5.9 t C ha−1 yr−1, respectively.

Grey alder (Alnus incana) is a highly productive indigenous tree species, potential for short-rotation forestry in the Baltic and Nordic countries. The aim of the study was to investigate t...

Clear-cutting is a conventional method of forest management which significantly changes carbon (C) cycling at the ecosystem level for a long time. Estimation of the interim period during which the ecosystem turns from a C source to a C sink is crucial for clarifying the environmental effects of management on forest C cycling. The current study provided new knowledge of C cycling in young pine stand and demonstrated the recovery of C sequestration of the forest ecosystem during the post harvesting period. We estimated the C balance in a 6-year-old Scots pine stand by using two different methods: carbon budgeting, for estimating annual net ecosystem production (NEP), and eddy covariance (EC), for estimating net ecosystem exchange (NEE). For C budgeting, the above- and belowground biomass production of the ecosystem, as well as the soil heterotrophic respiration efflux at the studied site was estimated. Annual NEE at the studied young forest ecosystem was 1.19 ± 0.36 t C ha−1, gross primary ecosystem production was 9.87 and total ecosystem respiration was 11.06 t C ha−1. Estimated NEE was in good accordance with the results of NEP (1.37 t C ha−1), which confirms the relevance of the C budgeting method. Increased annual woody biomass production is the main factor which induced the young Scots pine ecosystem to act as a C sink: annual C accumulation in tree biomass in a 6-year-old stand was 1.0 t C ha−1 but reached already 2.4 t C ha−1 in the following year. Assuming that the annual Rh flux is of the same magnitude in the subsequent years, the ecosystem will become a C sink already during a short period after clear-cut. Annual soil respiration (Rs) and heterotrophic soil respiration (Rh) were 6.0 and 4.2 t C ha−1, respectively and the Rh/Rs ratio was 0.70. However, at this stage also the understorey vegetation contributed essentially to NEP, making up 56% of the annual C uptake accumulated in the plants. The methane flux and the leached C flux were negligible, 0.004 and 0.015 t C ha−1 yr−1, respectively. Our results demonstrate that well regenerated young Scots pine stand on a former clear-cut area will be able to turn into a C sequestering ecosystem already before ten years after cutting.

Ecosystem responses to climate change are mainly predicted based on short-term studies. However, the first response can be a temporary overreaction, different from the later response of the more acclimated ecosystem. The current paper is a follow-up study of our previous article, where the effect of elevated atmospheric humidity on forest ecosystem carbon (C) balance was studied in a young silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) forest after two years of humidification. Here, we present the C balance of the same forest measured two years later when humidification treatment had been performed for four years. We revealed that the higher C sequestration capacity of the humidified birch forest ecosystem was an initial overreaction, which levelled off after four years of humidification, when the ecosystem became more acclimated to wetter conditions. Understorey production reacted rapidly and strongly by increasing belowground production more than twofold, but this reaction ceased after four years of humidification treatment. Trees responded to a lesser extent, and the initially decreased aboveground growth was recovered after four years of humidification, when the biomass allocation to tree fine-roots was increased. Our results showed that at early forest age, understorey plant production dominated in the whole ecosystem C sequestration capacity. But in the later stage, the most important C sink was biomass production of birches, and since the tree biomass production no longer differed between the treatments, C sequestration of the whole ecosystem did not differ either. The findings confirm that a preliminary reaction of an ecosystem can be different from the later response, which needs to be taken into account when prognosing the climate change consequences for carbon sequestration.

Recent studies have suggested that predawn stomatal opening may enhance early-morning photosynthesis (A) and improve the relative growth rate of trees. However, the causality between night-time stomatal conductance, A, and tree growth is disputable because stomatal opening in darkness can be mediated by previous day photosynthate loads and might be a consequence of growth-related processes like dark respiration (R). To identify linkages between night-time leaf conductance (gl_night), A, R, and tree growth, we conducted an experiment in hybrid aspen saplings grown under different air relative humidity (RH) conditions and previous day irradiance level (IR_pday). Predawn leaf conductance (gl_predawn) depended on RH, IR_pday and R (P < 0.05), whereas early-morning gross A (Agross_PAR500) depended on IR_pday and gl_predawn (P < 0.001). Daytime net A was positively related to Agross_PAR500 and leaf [N] (P < 0.05). Tree diameter and height increment correlated positively with gl at the beginning and middle of the night (P < 0.05) but not before dawn. Although our results demonstrate that gl_night was related to tree growth, the relationship was not determined by R. The linkage between gl_predawn and Agross_PAR500 was modified by IR_pday, indicating that daily CO2 assimilation probably provides feedback for stomatal opening before dawn.

Thinning is the main silvicultural method for improving stand growth and wood quality, however, despite the relevance and extensive use of thinning in forest management, its effect on stand carbon (C) balance is still poorly studied at the ecosystem level. The present case study estimated the two-year post-thinning effect on the C balance of a pole stand and a middle-aged Scots pine stand growing on mesotrophic sandy soils. Moderate thinning from below reduced the stand C storage by 21–24%, however, the amount of C accumulated in woody biomass, which was removed by logging, is expected to recover in both stands in the following four years. The reduced biomass of the trees contributed to the decreased annual net primary production (NPP) of the stand by 9–11%. The absolute value of net ecosystem production decreased by 0.9 and 0.7 t C ha−1 yr−1 in the pole and the middle-aged stand, respectively; still, both thinned plots maintained their C sink status. The production of the herbaceous understorey as well as the production of needles increased in the younger stand after thinning, but this could not compensate for C loss at the stand level. The effect of thinning on the production of mosses and dwarf shrubs was not expressed in either stand, probably due to the too short post-thinning period. Thinning did not significantly affect either total soil respiration or the heterotrophic respiration (Rh). However, it increased the contribution of Rh to total soil respiration, which can be attributed to decreased fine root biomass and root respiration, while the aboveground litterfall was not significantly changed after thinning. Fine root production, which accounted for the main belowground litter input, was significantly lower in both thinned plots. Moderate thinning in the pole and the middle-aged Scots pine stand did not change the ecosystem into a C source and the induced C loss will be compensated during a short post-thinning period.

Estimation of the carbon (C) storages and fluxes in different forest ecosystems is essential for understanding their C sequestration ability. The net ecosystem production (NEP) and the net primary production (NPP) in five downy birch ( Betula pubescens ) stands, aged between 12 and 78 years, growing on fertile well-drained Histosols, were studied. Drainage of swamp forests is a large-scale manipulation, which causes significant shifts at the ecosystems level, altering C and nutrient cycling a great deal. Young and middle-aged downy birch stands (12–30-year-old) acted as C sink ecosystems, accumulating 1.4–3.0 t C ha −1 yr −1 . In the 38-year-old stand NEP was roughly zero; annual C budget was almost in balance. The over-matured downy birch stand (78-year-old) acted as a C source emitting 0.95 t C ha −1 yr −1 . Annual woody biomass increment of the stand was the main factor which affected the forest to act as a C accumulating system. Although the highest heterotrophic respiration (Rh) values were measured in the middle-aged stands, mean soil C emission did not differ significantly between the studied stands. Annual total soil respiration (Rs) and Rh ranged from 7.4 to 8.8 t C ha −1 and 4.7 to 6.2 t C ha −1 , respectively. Soil temperature appeared to be the dominant driver of the soil CO 2 effluxes. Temperature sensitivity (Q 10 value) of respiration rates (3.0–5.5), as well as the Rh/Rs (0.6–0.7) varied irrespective of stand age. Both the annual aboveground litter (1.5–1.9 t C ha −1 yr −1 ) and fine root litter (0.9–1.5 t C ha −1 yr −1 ) input fluxes were quite similar for the studied stands. However, the annual organic C input into the soil via above- and belowground litter was smaller than the annual Rh efflux, indicating that continuous mineralization of the peat layer reduces the soil organic C pool. The main share of the C stock in the drained swamp downy birch stands was soil C; the storage of C accumulated in the woody biomass of the trees accounted for only 5–20% of the total C storage of the ecosystem.

Estimation of the carbon (C) storages and fluxes in different forest ecosystems is essential for understanding their C sequestration ability. Grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) is a fast growing tree species with a great potential for short-rotation forestry in the Nordic and Baltic countries and its stands are considered C accumulating ecosystems. We hypothesized that grey alder stands growing at fertile sites act as C sinks in the young and middle-age stages, while mature stands become C sources as a consequence of declined net primary production (NPP). Net ecosystem production (NEP) was studied in five grey alder stands aged between 9 and 40 years. It was found that the NEP of the studied grey alder stands of different ages varied from −1.98 to +4.14 t C ha−1 yr−1. The oldest grey alder stand proved to be a weak C source (−0.77 t C ha−1 yr−1). However, also young alder stands regenerated in a clear-cut area may emit C in the earlier stage, owing to previous cutting and decomposition of organic residues matter. In this aspect, the land use history is of great significance. Leaf litter accounted for the largest (44–61%) annual organic C input to soil, the fine roots contributed with 12–32% and the herbaceous understorey (aboveground + belowground), with 14–26% to it. Annual cumulative soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) in the studied stands ranged between 2.6 and 5.8 t C ha−1 yr−1; C leaching was negligible, being 10–30 kg C ha−1 yr−1. The C sequestration to soil depended on previous land use; in the first forest generation, i.e. a stand growing on previous agricultural land, the annual Corg input into soil exceeded Rh, which indicated C accumulation in soil. Although grey alder stands are generally C accumulating ecosystems, the annual biomass production of the studied stands was highly variable; thus annual NEP depended on the effect of the year rather than on stand age. The current study demonstrates that use of repeated time-series measurements applied for stands of different development stages can provide more detailed estimation of C accumulation in forest ecosystems.

Although thinning is a widely used silvicultural method, its effect on stand carbon (C) cycling is still poorly studied at the ecosystem level. The present case study estimated the two-year post-thinning effect on the C balance of a pole and a middle-aged silver birch stand. The results demonstrate the multifaceted impact of thinning on the different C fluxes of deciduous forest ecosystems. The effect of thinning on the C budget of the studied stands was modest: net ecosystem production (NEP) decreased by 1.2 and 1.6 t C ha−1 yr−1 in the pole and the middle- aged stand, respectively; still, both stands remained C sinks. Lower annual production in the thinned stands as a result of the decreased standing biomass of the trees was the main factor for reduced C sequestration capacity. Thinning increased the C accumulation of the herbaceous plants in both stands, however, it did not compensate for the lower C accumulation by the trees. In general, thinning did not affect significantly the soil respiration fluxes; the small post-thinning increase of the annual soil heterotrophic flux, 0.33–0.68 t C ha −1, was most probably related to elevated soil temperature during the active growing season. The annual aboveground litter flux, i.e. the labile C source of Rh, was not significantly changed by thinning. Fine root production and the belowground C input to the soil remained at the same level in the pole stand and decreased slightly in the middle-aged stand. We conclude that the high production ability and fast C accumulation recovery of silver birch stands growing on fertile soils leads to a balanced C budget already during the short post-thinning period.

Understanding the linkage of soil respiration (Rs) with forest development is essential for long-term C cycle models. We estimated the variation and temperature sensitivity (Q10 value) of Rs and its hetero-, (Rh) and autotrophic (Ra) components in relation to abiotic and biotic factors in Norway spruce stands of different ages, and the effect of trenching on microbial and soil characteristics. Trenching method was used to partition Rs into Rh and Ra. Ingrowth core method was used to estimate fine root production. Soil microbial biomass was measured using manometric respirometers. Rs varied in differently aged stands demonstrating non-linear response to development stage. The variation of Rs was explained by changes in biotic factors rather than by changes in soil microclimate. Rh was more sensitive to Ts than Rs or Ra. After 4 years of trenching soil pH, N, SOM and dehydrogenase activity were significantly changed in trenched plots compared to control plots. Different Q10 values of Rh and Ra in stands of different ages indicate the importance of Rs partitioning. Trenching should be used during a limited number of years because of the possible changes in chemical characteristics of soil and in the activity of soil microbial community.

Processes determining the carbon (C) balance of a forest ecosystem are influenced by a number of climatic and environmental factors. In Northern Europe, a rise in atmospheric humidity and precipitation is predicted. The study aims to ascertain the effect of elevated atmospheric humidity on the components of the C budget and on the C-sequestration capacity of a young birch forest. Biomass production, soil respiration, and other C fluxes were measured in young silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) stands growing on the Free Air Humidity Manipulation (FAHM) experimental site, located in South-East Estonia. The C input fluxes: C sequestration in trees and understory, litter input into soil, and methane oxidation, as well as C output fluxes: soil heterotrophic respiration and C leaching were estimated. Humidified birch stands stored C from the atmosphere, but control stands can be considered as C neutral. Two years of elevated air humidity increased C sequestration in the understory but decreased it in trees. Humidification treatment increased remarkably the C input to the soil. The main reason for such an increase was the higher root litter input into the soil, brought about by the more than two-fold increase of belowground biomass production of the understory in the humidification treatment. Elevated atmospheric humidity increased C sequestration in young silver birch stands, mitigating increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. However, the effect of elevated atmospheric humidity is expected to decrease over time, as plants and soil organisms acclimate, and new communities emerge.

Carbon (C) budgets were compiled for silver birch chronosequence stands by synthesizing the above- and belowground C pools and fluxes with the aim to assess the impact of age on stand C sequestration and cycling. The fine root (d Soil respiration (Rs) was measured during the two growing seasons of 2010 and 2011; the trenching method was used to estimate the contribution of heterotrophic respiration (Rh) to total soil respiration. Soil temperature was the driving environmental factor of the temporal variation of Rs and Rh. Stand age affected significantly respiration rates. Annual Rs was 6.2, 9.7 and 8.2 t C ha−1 and annual Rh was 2.97, 4.21 and 3.61 t C ha−1 in the pole, middle-aged and premature silver birch stands, respectively. The annual contribution of Rh to Rs was similar in each stand ranging from 0.43 to 0.48. Total annual net primary production (NPP) of the ecosystems of 7.4, 7.9 and 8.5 t C ha−1 year−1 was estimated in the pole, middle-aged and premature stands. After balancing the C input and output fluxes in the silver birch stands of different development stages, it appeared that they all acted as effective C sinks. Net ecosystem production (NEP) was 4.4, 3.7 and 4.9 t C ha−1 year−1 in the pole, middle-aged and premature stands, respectively. In the premature stand the second layer of the spruce contributed significantly to the increased C input. The annual organic C input into the soil through above- and belowground litter occurred to be of the same magnitude as C loss via annual heterotrophic respiration. Thus, annual increment of woody biomass in fertile silver birch stands reflects annual organic C sequestration in the ecosystem. Among the studied stands, estimated NEP values were the lowest in the middle-aged stand and the highest in the oldest stand, indicating non-linear relationship between stand NEP and stand age.

Stump removal is a novel potential source of woody biomass for renewable energy in the Nordic and Baltic countries. In Estonia, a prospective resource of Norway spruce ( Picea abies ) stumps is available for bioenergy. The main aims of the present study were to estimate the biomass and volume of harvested spruce stumps; also to evaluate nutrient and carbon loss from a site due to stump removal; and to estimate the effect of stump harvesting on soil respiration. In this pilot study an allometric model was elaborated for estimation of the biomass and volume of harvested stumps. The volume of harvested spruce stumps reached up to 130 m 3 ha −1 and potential energy content amounted to 290 MW h ha −1 . The average calorific value of different stump and root fractions varied between 19.0 and 19.3 kJ g −1 and there was no significant difference between the stump fractions. The weighted average density of the harvested spruce stumps was 430 kg m −3 . Fertile automorphic forest types were selected for this pilot study and the nitrogen (N) storage removed from clear-cuts with stumps was not appreciable, being 1.2–4.4%, in comparison with soil N storages. Removed phosphorus (P) accounted for 8–28% of total soil lactate soluble P and removed potassium (K) accounted for 6–23% of the soil K storage. The loss of carbon (C) made up 11–33% of the soil C storage. However, the concentration of lactate soluble P evidently reflected the balance between solubilized and assimilated P in the soil rather than actual P limitation. Hence, at fertile sites stump removal does not caused considerable N and C depletion, however, removal of P and K may be appreciable compared with corresponding soil storage values. Stump harvesting did not increase soil respiration intensity. Total annual soil respiration at the Oxalis site type was 4.9 and 5.1 t C ha −1 yr −1 in the uprooted and control plots, respectively. At the Myrtillus site type the respective values were lower, 3.7 and 3.9 t C ha −1 yr −1 . Also soil heterotrophic respiration in the Oxalis site type was practically the same at the uprooted and control sites, being 3.3–3.2 t C ha −1 yr −1 . However, in the Myrtillus site type the values of the heterotrophic respiration efflux was higher from the control plots than from the uprooted plot, at 2.5 and 1.8 C ha −1 yr −1 , respectively. Norway spruce stumps are a potential bioenergy resource in Estonian forests and stump harvesting at fertile autotrophic sites does not cause problems in terms of depletion of nutrients and carbon from the ecosystem.

The tree root–mycorhizosphere plays a key role in resource uptake, but also in the adaptation of forests to changing environments. The adaptive foraging mechanisms of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) and fine roots of Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris and Betula pendula were evaluated along a gradient from temperate to subarctic boreal forest (38 sites between latitudes 48°N and 69°N) in Europe. Variables describing tree resource uptake structures and processes (absorptive fine root biomass and morphology, nitrogen (N) concentration in absorptive roots, extramatrical mycelium (EMM) biomass, community structure of root-associated EcM fungi, soil and rhizosphere bacteria) were used to analyse relationships between root system functional traits and climate, soil and stand characteristics. Absorptive fine root biomass per stand basal area increased significantly from temperate to boreal forests, coinciding with longer and thinner root tips with higher tissue density, smaller EMM biomass per root length and a shift in soil microbial community structure. The soil carbon (C) : N ratio was found to explain most of the variability in absorptive fine root and EMM biomass, root tissue density, N concentration and rhizosphere bacterial community structure. We suggest a concept of absorptive fine root foraging strategies involving both qualitative and quantitative changes in the root–mycorrhiza–bacteria continuum along climate and soil C : N gradients.

The predicted increase in precipitation at northern latitudes is an important factor affecting the functioning of forest ecosystems, yet the influence of increased atmospheric humidity on the forest ecosystem carbon cycle is still largely unknown. Our objectives were to determine the effect of elevated atmospheric humidity on soil respiration in silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) plantations in a Free Air Humidity Manipulation experimental facility (FAHM). Soil respiration was monitored monthly from May to October, in 2008 and 2009 in three control and in three misting plots; soil temperature and soil moisture were measured simultaneously. Fine-root and rhizome biomass of the understory was measured by sequential soil cores. Soil microbial biomass and basal respiration were measured using manometric respirometers. After the first two years of manipulation, humidification led to lower soil respiration. Soil temperature was the main factor influencing seasonal dynamics of soil respiration, describing up to 75% of the total variation of soil respiration. Soil moisture had a weak negative effect on soil respiration. Humidification caused a remarkable increase in below-ground biomass and the production of the understory, and a 28% increase in the basal respiration of microbes. However, above-ground biomass and root turnover rate of the understory were almost unchanged. Hence, elevated atmospheric humidity significantly affects carbon cycle of deciduous forest. However, further studies are necessary for a better understanding of soil respiration response to changes in atmospheric humidity, in order to predict carbon balance in changing climate conditions.

During recent decades, studies of the carbon (C) balance of forest ecosystems have became more actual, mainly in connection with the global increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. In the present study the stand chronosequence approach was applied to analyse C sequestration dynamics. Study was made of C accumulation both in biomass and in the soil in 6–60-year-old silver birch (Betula pendula) stands growing at fertile (Oxalis) sites. As the growth of the studied stands was vigorous, their yield was higher than that presented in several yield tables for earlier periods. The C concentration (C%) in different compartments of the trees varied between 47% and 55%. However, the weighted average of C concentration in the silver birch trees was approximately 50% regardless of stand age. The average C concentration of the herbaceous understorey plants was 43.3 ± 0.5%. The soil Corg pool was independent of stand age, and so far there occurred no C accumulation during stand succession, expressed as Corg values or stage of forest floor formation. This might indicate fast Corg turnover in the soils of the Oxalis site. The total C pool in a mature silver birch stand was 185 t ha−1 of which 50% was accumulated in the aboveground part of the trees. In young birch stands the C pool in aboveground biomass and in the soil accounted for 21–39% and 53–71%, respectively, of the total C pool of a stand. In pre-mature and mature stands the corresponding share accounted for 50–59% of the aboveground C of the trees and 29–38% of the soil C pool. Due to closed canopies, the role of herbaceous understorey plants as a C sink was modest, constituting 1% or even less of the total C pool of the older stands. The annual C flux 1.6 t ha−1 yr−1 into the soil via litter fall was the largest in the middle-age stand. Our results show that the main C sink in fertile silver birch stands is located in the wooden parts of trees. The C pool in tree biomass increased with stand age, whereas the soil Corg pool remained stable. For a more profound understanding of C cycling in silver birch forest, soil respiration fluxes should be measured.

Fine root acclimation to different environmental conditions is crucial for growth and sustainability of forest trees. Relatively small changes in fine root standing biomass (FRB), morphology or mycorrhizal symbiosis may result in a large change in forest carbon, nutrient and water cycles. We elucidated the changes in fine root traits and associated ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi in 12 Norway spruce stands across a climatic and N deposition gradient from subarctic-boreal to temperate regions in Europe (68°N–48°N). We analysed the standing FRB and the ectomycorrhizal root tip biomass (EcMB, g m−2) simultaneously with measurements of the EcM root morphological traits (e.g. mean root length, root tissue density (RTD), N% in EcM roots) and frequency of dominating EcM fungi in different stands in relation to climate, soil and site characteristics. Latitude and N deposition explained the greatest proportion of variation in fine root traits. EcMB per stand basal area (BA) increased exponentially with latitude: by about 12.7 kg m−2 with an increase of 10° latitude from southern Germany to Estonia and southern Finland and by about 44.7 kg m−2 with next latitudinal 10° from southern to northern Finland. Boreal Norway spruce forests had 4.5 to 11 times more EcM root tips per stand BA, and the tips were 2.1 times longer, with 1.5 times higher RTD and about 1/3 lower N concentration. There was 19% higher proportion of root tips colonized by long-distance exploration type forming EcM fungi in the southern forests indicating importance of EcM symbiont foraging strategy in fine root nutrient acquisition. In the boreal zone, we predict ca. 50% decrease in EcMB per stand BA with an increase of 2 °C annual mean temperature. Different fine root foraging strategies in boreal and temperate forests highlight the importance of complex studies on respective regulatory mechanisms in changing climate.

Soil respiration resulting from microbial and root respiration is a major component of the forest carbon cycle. The response of soil respiration to varying environmental factors (soil temperature and soil moisture) was studied in a Norway spruce chronosequence composed of four age classes (4, 27, 36, and 84 year old) on Gleyic Podzol. Soil respiration was measured monthly with closed dynamic chamber system, soil temperature and soil moisture were measured simultaneously. Mean soil respiration rate averaged over three years was 3.3 μmol CO2 m-2s-1, ranging from 0.6 to 5.4 μmol CO2 m-2s-1, with the maximum occurring in August and the minimum in December. Stand age had a significant effect on soil respiration: the highest respiration rate was found in 27-year-old stand. Over three years an exponential relationship between soil respiration and soil temperature accounted for 68-81% of the seasonal variation, Q10 (the factor by which the respiration rate differs for a temperature interval of 10 °C) for the individual stands ranged between 4.4 and 5.4. The influence of soil moisture content on soil respiration was weak and revealed in dry conditions only. The results of this study can be used to help understand and predict the effect of harvest on soil respiration and how the respiration might respond to changing climate conditions.