Contribution of roots and microorganisms to CO2 emission from gray forest and soddy-podzolic soils

The contribution of roots to the annual emission of CO2 from gray forest and soddy-podzolic soils of arable land and under natural ve-etation was deterinined in terrain conditions and varied in a wide range: from 10 to 58% of CO2 emission from the soil with an average value of 33%. The contribution of root respiration to the emission of CO2 from the soil surface calculated for the growing season for all ecosystems studied comprised 44%. The part of root respiration in agricultural ecosystems closely correlated with the duration of the growing period of agricultural crops. In winter, the emission of CO2 from natural cenoses was caused mostly by he decomposition of fallen leaves and detritus in the soil rather than by the respiration of roots and soil microorganisms.