Abstract
The oxidative ratio (OR) of organic material integrates the ratio of CO2 sequestered in biomass vs. O2 produced over longer timescales, but the temporal and spatial variability within a single ecosystem has received very limited attention. Between October 2017 and October 2019, we repeatedly sampled leaves, twigs, bark, outer stem wood, understorey vegetation and litter in a temperate beech forest close to Leinefelde (Germany) for OR measurements across a seasonal and spatial gradient. Plant component OR ranged from 1.004 ± 0.010 for fine roots to 1.089 ± 0.002 for leaves. Inter- and intra-annual differences for leaf and twig OR exist, but we found no correlation with sampling height within the canopy. Leaf OR had the highest temporal variability (minimum 1.069 ± 0.007, maximum 1.098 ± 0.002). This was expected, since leaf biomass of deciduous trees only represents the signal of the current growing season, while twig, stem and litter layer OR integrate multiple years. The sampling years 2018 and 2019 were unusually hot and dry, with low water availability in the summer, which could especially affect the August leaf OR. Total above-ground OR is dominated by the extremely stable stem OR and shows little variation (1.070 ± 0.02) throughout the two sampling years, even when facing extreme events.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Plant component oxidative ratio ranged from 1.004 ± 0.010 in fine roots to 1.089 ± 0.002 in leaves in a beech forest.
Verbatim
e0“temperate beech forest close to Leinefelde (Germany)”
e1“Plant component OR ranged from 1.004 ± 0.010 for fine roots to 1.089 ± 0.002 for leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf and twig oxidative ratio differed between years and within years in the beech forest.
Verbatim
e0“temperate beech forest close to Leinefelde (Germany)”
e2“Inter- and intra-annual differences for leaf and twig OR exist, but we found no correlation with sampling height within the canopy”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf and twig oxidative ratio showed no correlation with sampling height within the canopy.
Verbatim
e0“temperate beech forest close to Leinefelde (Germany)”
e2“Inter- and intra-annual differences for leaf and twig OR exist, but we found no correlation with sampling height within the canopy”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf oxidative ratio had the highest temporal variability, with minimum 1.069 ± 0.007 and maximum 1.098 ± 0.002.
Verbatim
e0“temperate beech forest close to Leinefelde (Germany)”
e3“Leaf OR had the highest temporal variability (minimum 1.069 ± 0.007, maximum 1.098 ± 0.002)”
Claim · model-written summary
The high temporal variability of leaf oxidative ratio is expected because leaf biomass of deciduous trees represents only the current growing season.
Verbatim
e3“Leaf OR had the highest temporal variability (minimum 1.069 ± 0.007, maximum 1.098 ± 0.002)”
e4“This was expected, since leaf biomass of deciduous trees only represents the signal of the current growing season, while twig, stem and litter layer OR integrate multiple years”
Claim · model-written summary
Low summer water availability in 2018 and 2019 could especially affect the August leaf oxidative ratio in beech.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“temperate beech forest close to Leinefelde (Germany)”
e5“The sampling years 2018 and 2019 were unusually hot and dry, with low water availability in the summer, which could especially affect the August leaf OR”
Claim · model-written summary
Total above-ground oxidative ratio in beech showed little variation (1.070 ± 0.02) throughout the two sampling years, even under extreme events.
Verbatim
e0“temperate beech forest close to Leinefelde (Germany)”
e6“Total above-ground OR is dominated by the extremely stable stem OR and shows little variation (1.070 ± 0.02) throughout the two sampling years, even when facing extreme events”
Claim · model-written summary
Stem oxidative ratio is extremely stable and dominates total above-ground oxidative ratio in beech.
Verbatim
e0“temperate beech forest close to Leinefelde (Germany)”
e6“Total above-ground OR is dominated by the extremely stable stem OR and shows little variation (1.070 ± 0.02) throughout the two sampling years, even when facing extreme events”