Soil carbon dioxide efflux in a mixed forest ecosystem in the Antwerp Campine region

The main objectives of this thesis were to assess soil CO 2 efflux rates in 'De Inslag', a mixed forest in Brasschaat (Belgian Campine region) and to gain insight in the below-ground responses of trees and forests to the increasing levels of atmospheric CO2.; Even within homogeneous patches, soil CO2 efflux is characterized by a large spatial variability. Whereas the differences between different vegetation types were primarily related to the differences in litter quality, we could not explain the within-vegetation type spatial variability. This was probably related to the fact that soil CO2 efflux is affected by a large number of biotic and abiotic factors. The effect of one of these factors on soil CO2 efflux is therefore likely to be confounded by the effects of the other factors.; In addition to the large spatial variability, soil CO2 efflux is also characterized by a large temporal variability. These were found to be related to soil temperature soil moisture. A basic empirical model was developed to simulate soil CO2 efflux from soil temperature and soil moisture. This model was used to estimate the mean annual (1997) soil CO2 efflux for the forest.