Figure: Replacing the fixed Q10 value of 1.5 by land use specific values has considerable effects on modeled heterotrophic soil respiration. |
Dates: 01.07.2018 – 22.08.2018
Location: National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado, USA
Author name: Nele Meyer
Author position: Postdoc
Author institute: Institute for Crop Science and Resource Conservation, Soil Science and Soil Ecology
Author project (working) title: Spatio-temporal patterns of Q10 values for improved modeling of heterotrophic soil respiration
The goal of B3 during the 3rd phase of TR32 was to unravel the spatial variability of the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil respiration in the Rur Catchment. We found that Q10 is mainly a function of land use. Within the Community Land Model (CLM), however, the Q10 value is still represented as a fixed value of 1.5. Thus, we aimed at replacing the fixed Q10 value in CLM value by land use specific values.
To achieve this goal, I visited the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for three weeks in August 2018. With the help of Danica Lombardozzi, I have learned a lot about modeling and CLM during my stay in Boulder. I set up simulations for forests, grasslands, and croplands and found that the change from a fixed Q10 value to land use specific Q10 values has large effects on the modeled heterotrophic soil respiration and on total soil carbon stocks.
The stay in Boulder was not only helpful to achieve the research goals of B3, but also a perfect opportunity to broaden my modeling skills and to exchange ideas about links between measurements and modeling. I’m very glad that I had the opportunity to visit NCAR and thank the IRTG for funding.