Calorespirometry of terrestrial organisms and ecosystems

Lars Wadsö; Lee D Hansen

doi:10.1016/j.ymeth.2014.10.024

Calorespirometry of terrestrial organisms and ecosystems

Methods. 2015 Apr:76:11-19. doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2014.10.024. Epub 2014 Oct 28.

Authors

Lars Wadsö¹, Lee D Hansen²

Affiliations

¹ Building Materials, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: lars.wadso@byggtek.lth.se.
² Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. Electronic address: lee_hansen@byu.edu.

PMID: 25448296
DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2014.10.024

Abstract

Calorespirometry is the simultaneous measurement of heat and gas exchange from biological systems. Such measurements can be used to assess fundamental properties of many different types of systems from small ecosystems to isolated tissues. Techniques for calorespirometric measurements on terrestrial (non-aquatic) samples are described. Methods and models for evaluation of carbon conversion efficiencies, growth rates, and responses to environmental variables from calorespirometric measurements are described. A realistic model of the system under study is essential in the evaluation. Calorespirometry allows testing of models for tissues, individual organisms, and ecosystems.

Keywords: Calorimetry; Carbon dioxide; Efficiency; Growth; Oxygen; Thornton’s constant.

MeSH terms

Animals
Calorimetry, Indirect / methods*
Ecosystem*
Energy Metabolism
Models, Theoretical
Oxygen / metabolism*

Substances

Oxygen