Effect of tree harvest, silvopastoral practices, and microclimate conditions on forest floor CO2 efflux in a sessile oak (Quercus petraea agg. [Matt.] Liebl.) forest

International audienceContext: Soil respiration is a large source of CO2 released to the atmosphere and is sensitive to forest management practices and weather.Aims: To determine effects of harvest, ancient practices and weather in a newly established coppice forest on Rf.MethodsRf, temperature, and moisture were measured during 1 year before and 2 years after harvest.Results: Pasturing and raking had no effect on Rf. It tended to increase during the first season after harvest. In the second year after harvest, differences in Rf between control and harvested plots became much greater because of intensively developing herbaceous vegetation on harvested plots. No difference between the control and harvested plots was found during severely dry conditions. Following intensive rain pulses, Rf was larger in the control than in the harvested plots.Conclusion: Findings indicate that the Rf response is not uniform in time and depends on microclimate, particularly on soil moisture. This may be crucial for estimation of the harvest impact on soil processes especially under changing climate