Annual soil respiration under experimental drought and warming at Clocaenog forest (1999-2016)

The data consists of annual values of soil respiration for plots subjected to climate change manipulations between 1999 and 2016. Data were collected from the climate change field site Climoor that is located in Clocaenog forest, Northeast Wales. The experimental field site consists of three untreated control plots (Plots 3, 6 and 9), three plots where the plant canopy air is artificially warmed during night time hours (Plots 1, 2 and 7) and three plots where rainfall is excluded from the plots at least during the plant growing season (March to September, Plots 4, 5 and 8).

Annual soil respiration values were calculated from fortnightly measurements of soil respiration. Soil respiration, milligrammes of Carbon dioxide - C per square metre per hour (mg CO2-C m-2 hr-1) was measured in the same pre-installed opaque soil collars. An infra-red gas analyser was used to measure the Carbon dioxide efflux. Annual soil respiration was calculated as sum of seasonal Carbon dioxide emissions.

The Climoor field experiment intends to answer questions regarding the effects of warming and drought on ecosystem processes. Plot level soil respiration measurements are important to investigate soil carbon dynamics and changes in soil carbon cycling and storage under the imposed climatic treatments.

More detailed information about the field site, measurements and related datasets can be found in the supporting documentation.