Spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration in relation to environmental conditions in a vineyard of northern Italy

In the current climate change perspective, a thorough knowledge of carbon budgets of vineyards and orchards may play an important role in improving sequestration capacity of these crops. Some research efforts have focused on vineyard soil respiration (RS), but there is a lack of information about the magnitude of actual carbon fluxes in relation to soil management. The purpose of the investigation was to study the spatial and temporal variability of RS and the partitioning between main components – autotrophic (RA) and heterotrophic (RH) respiration. In a commercial vineyard in Northern Italy, an automated soil CO2 flux measurement system has been deployed on inter-row (grass covered soil), vine row (bare soil) and on trenched areas, intended to eliminate root contribution on total RS and quantify actual RH. Average RS fluxes measured in vine rows were about 57% of inter-row. The contribution of RA was about 67% of total RS. The remarkable relevance of these findings for the improvement of vineyard C budget may result in the development of more sustainable cultivation practices.