SOIL CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS AND CLIMATE IN A HUMID SUBTROPICAL ENVIRONMENT

Soil carbon dioxide content, temperature, and moisture were measured biweekly for one year at Pigeon Mountain, GA. Levels of soil CO₂ ranged from 0.04% to 2.4% and were highest during the growing season, lowest during the winter. Soil temperature correlated positively with soil CO₂, accounting for 90% of CO₂ variation. Soil moisture variations decreased CO₂ concentration at times of high soil water content when CO₂ was flushed downward, and also at times of low soil moisture content when CO₂ production was inhibited. A predictive model of logistic form using 14-day means of daily actual evapotranspiration fit the data well (R²= 0.83). The model also tested well against soil CO₂ data acquired in the coastal plain at Rocky Point, NC. If actual evapotranspiration rates are known, the model permits estimation of soil CO₂ without preliminary field work, and can be used for studies of karst denudation, which require soil CO₂ data for seasonal and regional comparison of solution rates.