Modelling respiration of vegetation: evidence for a general temperature‐dependent <i>Q</i>₁₀

Abstract

Summary Temperature responses of rates of respiratory CO 2 efflux from plants, soils, and ecosystems are frequently modelled using exponential functions with a constant Q 10 near 2.0 (fractional change in rate with a 10 °C increase in temperature). However, we present evidence that Q 10 declines with short‐term increases in temperature in a predictable manner across diverse plant taxa. Thus, models using a constant Q 10 are biased, and use of a temperature‐corrected Q 10 may improve the accuracy of modelled respiratory CO 2 efflux in plants and ecosystems in response to temperature and predicted global climate changes.