2nd Interna onal Mediterranean Science and Engineering Congress (IMSEC 2017)
Çukurova University, Congress Center, October 25-27, 2017, Adana / TURKEY Pages: 1270-1270, Paper ID:600
1270
(*) Corresponding author
Temporal Variations of Soil Respiration in Citrus Orchards in
Cukurova University
Abdullah Yaşar
1*, Mert Mehmet Güllü
1, Burak Koçak
1, Şahin Cenkseven
2,
Hüsniye Aka Sağlıker
3, Cengiz Darıcı
1Abstract
Soil respiration (Rs) is a measure of carbon dioxide (CO2) released from the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) by soil microorganisms and respiration of plant roots and soil fauna. It is an important indicator of soil health because it refl ects the level of soil microbial activity. In the short term high soil respiration rates are not always better; it may indicate an unstable system and loss of soil organic matter (SOM) because of tillage, or other factors degrading soil health. In present study, soil respirations, soil, soil surface and air temperatures of orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) and mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) orchards were measured from October 2016 to May 2017 by using the soda-lime method in Cukurova University Campus. Rs was ranged from 0.95 (January 2017) – 4.13 (May 2017) g C m-2 day-1 in orange and 0.57 (January
2017) – 4.80 (May 2017) g C m-2 day-1. Soil respirations in orange orchards were only signifi cantly higher on
October and November 2016 and lower on December 2016 and May 2017 than mandarin orchards (p<0.05). Moreover, lowest and highest Rs were measured on January and May 2017 that were signifi cantly diff erent with other months (p<0.05). Lowest and highest soil and soil surface temperatures were measured on January 2017 and October 2016, respectively in both orchards. However, air temperatures were found on January 2017 as lowest and May 2017 as highest in studied areas. All temperatures measured in this study signifi cantly and positively correlated with Rs (p<0.001). In conclusion, Rs was signifi cantly linked with temperature by aff ecting soil microbial activity and it was found that both soils in this study had similar soil respirations from October 2016 to May 2017.
