1. Introduction
Forests are the largest terrestrial carbon sinks and reservoirs, playing an important role in CO
2 regulation in the atmosphere. Their carbon cycle is specified by a large-scale and long-lasting (from dozens to hundreds of years) woody pool. It is estimated at 30 Gt C for the forests of Russia, and 240 Mt are annually added to it. Mobilization of woody pool carbon, shown by biological decomposition of woody debris (WD), is the main process of the forest ecosystem carbon cycle. The WD reservoir is almost 5 Gt of carbon equivalent in Russia, second to soil with 214 Mt C-CO
2 annual releases to the atmosphere [
1]. Therefore, forest ecosystems are not only C-CO
2 removers, but they also are among the largest natural sources of this greenhouse gas, whose accumulation in the atmosphere is attributed to the modern climate change [
2]. That is the rationale for intensive studies of WD decomposition and gas exchange.
Although performed in numerous areas, previous research mainly focused on CO
2-emission activity of WD and its relevance to climate [
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13,
14,
15,
16,
17,
18]. The results of these studies clearly confirm that humidity and temperature are the most important climatic drivers of CO
2 gas exchange in WD and climate change that are projected to increase precipitation and temperature [
19], which should significantly affect WD carbon respiration. Alongside the variety of research examining WD respiration, the vast majority is lacking assessment of connectivity with (1) oxygen gas exchange and (2) the activity of certain species and groups of organisms that decompose wood. In particular, only a few works available consider the relationship between communities of wood decay fungi and CO
2 emission intensity of WD [
20,
21,
22,
23,
24]. The relationship and balance of carbon–oxygen gas exchange in WD under its decomposition by xylotrophic Basidiomycetes are considered only in Solovyov’s monograph [
25].
WD is a biologically inactive dead mass, and its gas exchange is a consequence of the myco-bacterial community populating it. Xylotrophic Basidiomycetes (Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes) dominate this community, being the only organisms in the modern biosphere capable of biochemical conversion of lignocellulose. Their activity provides a major contribution to gas exchange and decomposition of WDs [
1,
26,
27,
28,
29,
30,
31,
32]. Xylotrophic Basidiomycetes are accompanied by mycophilous fungi and bacteria that are capable of developing in this specific environment formed by xylotrophic fungi [
1,
33,
34]. They include not only aerobic but also anaerobic microorganisms, so far as anaerobic conditions could locally form in timber owing to high moisture and O
2 uptake by fungi uncompensated by diffusion. Such conditions promote the formation of anaerobic bacteria and archaea, as well as the anaerobic production of CO
2 and CH
4 as gas exchange [
1,
4,
18,
20,
35]. There is evidence that methane may also be produced by xylotrophic Basidiomycetes [
36,
37], many of which can exist in oxygen-free environments [
25,
38], being
de facto electively anaerobic organisms. The latter results in a complex and diverse nature of gas exchange in WD, where qualitative and quantitative features are regulated by appropriate features of xylobiont myco-bacterial communities and the environment parameters such as temperature and humidity. In view of the recent challenge of climate change, it is evident that the investigation of gas exchange in WD as a multicomponent process and its intensity and relevance to composition of wood decay agents and climate has become highly urgent.
With this, the objectives of our work comprised the investigation of (1) contingency and balance of carbon to oxygen gas exchange in the WD; (2) intensity and efficiency of organic carbon conversion into CO2; and (3) the relation of CO2 and O2 gas exchange with climate parameters and wood decay fungi.
4. Discussion
Temperature and humidity are climatic factors that affect the quantitative and qualitative parameters of gas exchange in WD. In particular, as noted above, high moisture content of wood and high temperature promote anaerobic conditions [
1,
4,
20] Thus, in WD gas exchange, both aerobic and anaerobic CO
2 are represented. Therefore, our tasks included assessment of the relationship between CO
2 and O
2 gas exchange and carbon and oxygen balance in WD. The results showed that CO
2 emission and O
2 uptake are physiologically entwined, and their relationship did not change within the range of temperatures from +10 to +40 °C and the range of RM from 40% to 70%. Therefore, the gas exchange in WD decomposed by xylotrophic Basidiomycetes was aerobic within the entire range of temperatures and moisture typical for temperate climate zone.
It was confirmed by carbon-to-oxygen balance that the average CO
2-to-O
2 ratio was equal to 0.9, being nearly the same as the data by Solovyov [
25], who reported a 1:1 CO
2- to-O
2 ratio for wood decomposed by xylotrophic Basidiomycetes. In case the oxygen is readily available, the CO
2-to-O
2 ratio mainly depends on molecular entities decomposed in the respiration, being equal to 1.0 for carbohydrates, 0.8 for proteins and 0.7 for fats [
43]. The CO
2-to-O
2 ratio obtained in our research was within the range specific for aerobic respiration process. The presence of an anaerobic component in the gas exchange was limited, and it can be probably identified for a few cases, when the CO
2-to-O
2 ratio was 1.4–2.1, which is notably beyond the physiological normal for an aerobic process. These occurrences were rarely observed for gas exchange under the RM of 70% and temperature from +20 to +40 °C. These were specific conditions that depressed diffusion of gases (moisture) and enhanced respiration intensity (temperature). Consequently, the presence of anaerobic CO
2 in the gas exchange of WD is more an exception, and its quantity is minor. As we showed earlier [
35], occasionally and in small amounts in the gas exchange of WD decomposed by Basidiomycetes fungi CH
4, a product of strictly anaerobic processes can be present.
The CO2-to-O2 ratio illustrates the type and balance of gas exchange and the output of CO2 relative to the scale of O2 uptake, i.e., the conversion of organic carbon into carbon dioxide efficiency. The average value of the ratio (0.9) indicates a high efficiency of conversion: With each unit of oxygen uptaken, 0.9 unit of CO2 is formed and released. It means that CO2 to O2 fluxes for WD decomposed by xylotrophic Basidiomycetes are closely entwined, and they are of the corresponding scale. In our view, decomposition of WD is seen as biological combustion being accompanied with O2 uptake and CO2 release, similar to the physical and chemical combustion. So far as the biological combustion entails billions of tonnes of WD, this process becomes a globally significant CO2 source and a similar scale of O2 consumer. Thus, it is necessary to reconcile the contribution WD and its decay agents make to carbon-and-oxygen gas exchange of forest ecosystems and the entire control of the composition of the atmosphere.
According to Solovyov, for xylotrophic Basidiomycetes that decompose wood, the ratio of CO
2 emission to O
2 uptake is irrelevant to temperature, fungus species, and its physiological type (white/brown rot fungi) [
25]. Our results also showed the lack of correlation between the balance of carbon–oxygen gas exchange, the efficiency of oxidation conversion, and the species’ physiological type of wood decay fungi. Another conclusion made by Solovyov relates to the lack of a relationship of CO
2-to-O
2 ratio and temperature. It was made based on gas exchange analysis under +17 and +27 °C temperature levels [
25]. Our data confirmed that the ratio between CO
2 release and O
2 uptake did not show any relevance to the temperature range from +10 and +40 °C, which is typical for the moderate latitudes. We did not see any relevance to wood moisture in the range of RM 40% to 70%. In other words, the carbon-to-oxygen balance of WD and the efficiency of their oxidation conversion are relatively stable environmental and physiological parameters that have no link to wood decay fungi species or moisture and temperature ranges, common for temperate latitudes.
Unlike carbon-and-oxygen balance and oxidation conversion efficiency, the gas exchange intensity of woody debris was closely related to climate. Both CO
2 emission activity and the intensity of oxygen uptake were the processes, highly sensitive to temperature variability. The average Q
10 value under the +10 to +30 °C temperature range was appropriately equal to 2.0 for carbon and 1.8 for oxygen gas exchange. The moisture of wood did not affect temperature sensitivity of gas exchange. The latter indicates the independent nature of temperature as a driver of CO
2-and-O
2 gas exchange activity in WD. The literature data [
4,
7,
9,
10,
12,
30] report on the significant variability of Q
10 parameter from 1.37–3.99 [
4] to 4.06 [
10]. Our estimates fit well in this range.
In WD, the temperature is the driver that controls and also limits the intensity of CO
2- and-O
2 gas exchange. Their activity was highest at +30 and +40 °C. Chen et al. consider these temperatures optimum for gas exchange [
4]. However, they are equivalent to heat shock for the boreal inhabitants, whose life mostly occurs under +15 °C [
1]. In our view, the temperature maximum should not be treated as the highest acceptable, rather than the optimum, for CO
2-and-O
2 gas exchange for WD. With regard to moisture of
Betula wood, it is equal to 60–110 C-CO
2 μg g
−1 h
−1, being 3–5-fold higher than the actual summer temperatures (+10–+20 °C) and moisture (RM 40%) of Mid-Urals pine and birch forests. Therefore, climate warming may result in the highest 3-fold enhancement of CO
2 emission intensity of WD under the current moisture level. However, if the moisture rises, the emission enhancement may be 5 times greater than the highest. The scale of O
2 will increase accordingly.
The gas exchange intensity of WD is closely and positively related to its moisture. Our data showed that the RM changes within the 40–70%-range caused a 1.8-fold corresponding and directly related change in the level of CO2 intensity and O2 uptake. The result was equally pronounced at +10, +20, +30, and +40 °C. It confirms that the moisture is the environmental driver of gas exchange that is independent of temperature.
The temperature and moisture are independent but interacting drivers. Their strong interactions are noted in the moisture range of 91–320% [
10] and 10–160% [
44] under both low and high temperatures [
5]. Our results showed that the outcome of their interaction depends on the direction of the changes. If the direction is similar, the overall effect on carbon-and-oxygen gas exchange is summarizing. In case of different directions, there is a difference of particular effects. For oppositely directed temperature and moisture trends, the joint effect can stabilize gas exchange intensity when the influence of one driver is fully or partially compensated by the other. We believe that this phenomenon can play a very important role in the control of carbon-and-oxygen exchange intensity in WD. The precipitation is the major source of moistening of wood residues, and it displays an opposite multi-year trend in relation to temperature change, for example, in the Southern Urals [
45]. Being highly important for the carbon cycle of forest ecosystems, this phenomenon requires a detailed investigation, especially since there is also some evidence that temperature and moisture trends have no effect on intensity of WD gas exchange [
4].
The moisture and temperature are undoubtedly the most important environmental drivers of O
2 and CO
2 exchange of woody debris. However, they are just the controllers of its intensity. The wood decay Basidiomycetes are the basic condition and the impact factors that enable physiological process of gas exchange. This is confirmed by proximity (identity) of exchange parameters identified for WD decomposed by Basidiomycetes and their basidiocarps. The latter represent multifunctional biostructures with intensive respiration [
46], available for direct measurement, when superposition of effects from other microorganisms can be effectively avoided. The common features of gas exchange of basidiocarps and WD include strong temperature dependence (Q
10 = 1.9), the highest emission intensity under similar temperature levels (+30 °C), positive physiology-level correlation between O
2 and CO
2 fluxes (
r = 0.98–0.99), similar ratio of their scales (0.8–0.9), and independence from temperature, species, and physiological type of wood decay fungi. Solovyov also noted an identical O
2-and-CO
2 volumetric ratio for gas exchange of wood decomposed by xylotrophic Basidiomycetes and their basidiocarps [
25].
The close relationship of gas exchange intensity with species of wood decay Basidiomycetes is a confirmation of the role of these fungi as the main prerequisite and the biotic factor of gas exchange in WD. This may be due to both the specific features of the rate of gas exchange of the mycelium and its different biomass in wood. In our opinion, under any environmental conditions, the qualitative and quantitative parameters of O
2 and CO
2 gas exchange WD primarily depend on composition of Basidiomycetes fungi, whose physiological activity is determined by temperature and moisture. The qualitative and quantitative parameters of O
2 and CO
2 exchange primarily depend on the composition of xylotrophic Basidiomycetes, whose physiological activity is determined by temperature and moisture. The relationship between the composition of these fungi and the intensity of decomposition and gas exchange of woody debris has been noted by many authors [
21,
22,
23,
24,
33,
47].