Abstract
Moso bamboo has large potential to alleviate global warming through carbon sequestration. Since soil respiration (R (s) ) is a major source of CO(2) emissions, we analyzed the dynamics of soil respiration (R (s) ) and its relation to environmental factors in a Moso bamboo (Phllostachys heterocycla cv. pubescens) forest to identify the relative importance of biotic and abiotic drivers of respiration. Annual average R (s) was 44.07 t CO(2) ha(-1) a(-1). R (s) correlated significantly with soil temperature (P < 0.01), which explained 69.7% of the variation in R (s) at a diurnal scale. Soil moisture was correlated significantly with R (s) on a daily scale except not during winter, indicating it affected R (s) . A model including both soil temperature and soil moisture explained 93.6% of seasonal variations in R (s) . The relationship between R (s) and soil temperature during a day showed a clear hysteresis. R (s) was significantly and positively (P < 0.01) related to gross ecosystem productivity and leaf area index, demonstrating the significance of biotic factors as crucial drivers of R (s) .