Soil respiration in a weed successional community in the high-andean forest in the Pamplonita river basin, Colombia

Soil respiration (SR) was determinated in a successional weed community with Holcus lanatus and Anthoxanthum odoratum within the high Andean region in the Pamplonita river basin (Norte de Santander, Colombia). The SR monthly averages were unimodal both in the day and night; the diurnal average was 118.44 mg CO2 m(-2) h(-1); and the nocturnal one, 140.57 mg CO2 m(-2) h(-1). The difference between these two values was attributed to an increase in sunshine and a decrease in wind between September and December 2006, which, in turn, caused an increase in evaporation rate. Nocturnal SR was correlated with night maximum temperature and relative humidity and diurnal SR was correlated with diurnal winds. The day and night accumulated SRs showed a linear trend with respect to time. The diurnal annual carbon production based on the accumulated SR was estimated between 32.67 and 40.73 and the nocturnal one, between 35.65 and 43.02 g de C m(-2).