High temporal resolution tracing of photosynthate carbon from the tree canopy to forest soil microorganisms
Half of the biological activity in forest soils is supported by recent tree photosynthate, but no study has traced in detail this flux of carbon from the canopy to soil microorganisms in the field. Using (CO2)-C-13, we pulse-labelled over 1.5 h a 50-m(2) patch of 4-m-tall boreal Pinus sylvestris forest in a 200-m(3) chamber. Tracer levels peaked after 24 h in soluble carbohydrates in the phloem at
