“…In the terrestrial ecosystem, R s rate is profoundly influenced by both biotic 2010). Thinning may affect R s rate by influencing root biomass (Brumme, 1995;Peng and Thomas, 2006;Tang et al, 2005b), soil microclimate (Galhidy et al, 2006;Gray et al, 2002;Pang et al, 2013), belowground C allocation (Selig et al, 2008;Tian et al, 2010;Zu et al, 2009), and microbial community structure (Arunachalam and Arunachalam, 2000;Zhang and Zak, 1998;Zu et al, 2009). Thinning may cause the immediate decrease in R s rate due to the decrease in respiration from tree roots (Tang et al, 2005b).…”