Coarse woody debris respiration of Japanese red pine forests in Korea: controlling factors and contribution to the ecosystem carbon cycle

Abstract Coarse woody debris (CWD) respiration ( R CWD ) has strengths in efficient investigation of CWD decomposition rate and application into studies on ecosystem carbon (C) processes. Here, R CWD was investigated in two Japanese red pine forests to determine its response to environmental factors and CWD properties, and its contribution to the ecosystem C budget. Samples were collected based on CWD position (log or snag), species (pine or deciduous), and decay class in the Gwangneung pine forest (GPF) and the Mt. Jumbong pine forest (JPF), Korea. R CWD was measured at different incubation temperatures using a closed chamber system. Annual R CWD was estimated by developing and applying air temperature– R CWD regressions to air temperature data. In the GPF, annual estimated R CWD (g C kg −1 year −1 ) was 29.54, 3.90, and 158.95 for pine logs, pine snags, and deciduous logs, respectively. In the JPF, R CWD was 49.09 for pine logs and 14.55 for pine snags. Temperature and CWD moisture were the main drivers of R CWD . CWD species also influenced R CWD , possibly by supporting different habitats for microbes and invertebrates. R CWD in the GPF accounted for approximately 4 % of heterotrophic respiration and 54 % of the CWD decomposition rate. In the JPF, R CWD was approximately equal to the CWD decomposition rate. R CWD might constitute a minor portion of the net ecosystem production (4 % in the GPF), because of the relatively high stand productivities and small CWD masses. In the GPF, the major factor influencing R CWD was mortality, whereas moisture had the greatest influence on R CWD in the JPF.