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Soil respiration in forest plantations can be greatly affected by management practices such as irrigation. In northwest China, soil water is usually a limiting factor for the development of forest plantations. This study aims to examine the effects of irrigation intensity on soil respiration from three poplar clone plantations in this arid area.

The experiment included three poplar clones subjected to three irrigation intensities (without, low and high). Soil respiration was measured using a Li-6400-09 chamber during the growing season in 2007.

Mean soil respiration rates were 2.92, 4.74 and 3.49 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) for control, low and high irrigation treatments, respectively. Soil respiration decreased once soil water content was below a lower (14.8 %) or above an upper (26.2 %) threshold. When soil water content ranged from 14.8 % to 26.2 %, soil respiration increased and correlated with soil temperature. Fine root also played a role in the significant differences in soil CO2 efflux among the three treatments. Furthermore, the three poplar hybrid clones responded differently to irrigation regarding fine root production and soil CO2 efflux.

Irrigation intensity had a strong impact on soil respiration of the three poplar clone plantations, which was mainly because fine root biomass and microbial activities were greatly influenced by soil water conditions. Our results suggest that irrigation management is a main factor controlling soil carbon dynamics in forest plantation in arid regions.