Response of soil microbial respiration to varying temperature and moisture in three soils from the Siberian Arctic

The climate of the Arctic is warming at a disproportionately higher rate as compared to the lower latitudes. Temperature and, by association, soil moisture are two of the most important variables that affect the respiration of soil microbial communities. The long-term storage of carbon in terrestrial systems relies upon low rates of soil microbial respiration at high latitudes, and an increase in temperature is thought to increase these rates. However, different ecosystems should respond uniquely to changes in temperature and moisture because of their historic microbial communities. Using mason jars in the laboratory, I experimentally manipulated the temperature and moisture of soils from three distinct arctic ecosystem types (tundra, taiga, and grazed floodplain). The goal of this experimental manipulation was to see if there are differences between these systems in their response to changes in their environment. I found that temperature significantly impacts microbial respiration (μg CO₂ gOM^-1 min^-1) at all sites (p<0.001). In addition, there is a significant interaction between temperature and moisture at each site (p<0.001). However, the tundra site showed a stronger response in respiration with changes to temperature than the other two sites, as well as the strongest interaction between temperature and moisture (β_temperature= 1.5E10 ^-3; β_interaction= 1.9E10 ^-3). These findings are consistent with other observations that the soil microbial communities of the tundra grassland might be especially sensitive to warming.