Skip to main content

Table 4 Decomposition constant (k0, × 10− 3, day− 1) obtained through fitting the model (\( {C}_{cum}(t)={C}_0\times \left(1-{e}^{-{k}_0t}\right) \)) to cumulative mineralized carbon (C cum ) at temperature and moisture incubation conditions

From: Recalcitrant carbon controls the magnitude of soil organic matter mineralization in temperate forests of northern China

Forest type

Moisture (%)

5 °C

10 °C

15 °C

20 °C

25 °C

30 °C

Pinus

30

6.79 a

7.42 a

9.36 a

9.67 a

8.92 a

9.21 a

60

10.59 ab

12.05 a

14.62 a

14.96 ab

16.26 ab

21.27 b

90

11.90 b

14.04 a

15.40 a

19.36 b

20.43 b

25.06 b

Oak

30

6.89 a

6.72 a

10.14 a

10.08 a

8.80 a

12.85 a

60

12.30 b

13.71 a

20.05 ab

19.85 ab

25.81 b

27.53 b

90

11.68 b

16.18 a

24.71 b

25.43 b

29.31 b

33.93 b

Mixed

30

4.63 a

4.94 a

7.99 a

6.85 a

6.95 a

6.32 a

60

10.87 b

12.83 b

15.56 ab

17.23 b

20.02 b

26.43 b

90

13.56 b

15.64 b

18.99 b

22.08 b

25.91 b

32.04 b

  1. Variant lowercase letter means significant difference at P < 0.05 among moisture gradients (n = 5)