We investigated the carbon dynamics and budget in a grassland of Miscanthus sinensis, which is widely distributed in Japan, over a 2‐year period (2000–2001). Plant biomass began to increase from May and peaked in September, then decreased towards the end of the growing season (October). Soil respiration rates also exhibited seasonal fluctuations that reflected seasonal changes in soil temperature and root respiration. The contribution of root respiration to total soil respiration was 22–41% in spring and summer, but increased to 52–53% in September. To determine the net ecosystem production (carbon budget), we estimated annual net primary production, soil respiration, and root respiration. Net primary production was 1207 and 1140 g C m−2 in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Annual soil respiration was 1387 g C m−2 in 2000 and 1408 g C m−2 in 2001; root respiration was 649 and 695 g C m−2 in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Moreover, some of the carbon fixed as net production (457–459 g C m−2) is removed by mowing in autumn in this grassland. Therefore, the annual carbon budget was estimated to be −56 g C m−2 in 2000 and − 100 g C m−2 in 2001. These results suggest that the Miscanthus sinensis grassland in Japan can act as a source of CO2.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.