Carbon monoxide uptake by temperate forest soils: the effects of leaves and humus layers

Carbon monoxide (CO) fluxes between soil and atmosphere were measured between October 1990 and December 1991 in a temperate, deciduous forest near Darmstadt, Germany. Flux measurements were made with an enclosed chamber technique before and after the removal of leaves and humus from the forest floor as well as from leaves and humus alone. CO depth profiles were obtained during the period July to December, 1991. A net uptake of CO was observed under all conditions with an average of − 47.3 ± 24.0 ng CO m −2 s −1 for undisturbed forest soils, which increased significantly when the leaves or both leaves and humus were removed from the forest floor. The mean deposition velocity in undisturbed conditions was 0.027 ± 0.008 cm s −1 . Our results indicate that CO has a short lifetime within the soil and that the consumption of atmospheric CO occurs mainly in the top few centimeters of the humus layer (O horizon). We conclude that temperate forests are a significant net sink for atmospheric CO and that leaves and humus significantly affect CO fluxes. The global soil sink for atmospheric CO was estimated to be 115–230 Tg CO yr −1 . DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1998.00004.x