Effects of soil compaction, rain exposure and their interaction on Soil Carbon Dioxide emission

Soils release more carbon per annum than current global anthropogenic emissions (Luo and Zhou, 2006). Soils emit carbon dioxide through mineralization and decomposition of organic matter and respiration of roots and soil organism (Houghton 2007) Evaluation of the effects of abiotic factors on microbial activity is of major importance in the context of mitigation greenhouse gases emissions. One of the key greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO2) and previous studies demonstrate that soil CO2 emission is significantly affected by temperature and soil water content. There are a limited number of studies that examine the impact of bulk density and soil surface characteristics as a result of exp…