Soil respiration is a key ecosystem process. It is represented by the production of carbon dioxide by organic metabolic processes. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to depeen our understanding upon the effect of mineral and organic fertilizers on soil respiration in the presence of soil fauna. Pots were filled with sandy loam and clay loam soil. Silphium perfoliatum dry material was spread on the soil surface. Manure and N15P15K15 fertilizers were applied and soil fauna was inoculated. During one week we measured soil respiration with a closed dynamic chamber. The highest values were registered in the treatments with soil fauna and manure in a range between 0.30-0.70 g/m2/h especially in the first day of measurments in both soils. The highest soil respiration avareges per week was in the treatments with manure and soil fauna 0.42 g/m2/h in sandy loam and 0.44 g/m2/h in clay loam. On the other hand the lowest walues were in unfertilized treatment without fauna 0.20 g/m2/h in sandy loam and 0.28 g/m2/h in clay loam. The highest registered CO2 levels were in clayey soil, with organic fertilizer and soil fauna.

Silphium perfoliatum, mineral fertilizer, organic fertilizer

Presentation: oral