Converting conventional agriculture to poplar bioenergy crops: soil greenhouse gas flux

Conversion of agricultural fields to bioenergy crops can affect greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Soil GHG emissions were measured seasonally in poplar bioenergy and agricultural fields at three Northwestern US locations. A forest stand was also used at one location for comparison. A portable gas analyzer was used to measure CO₂ efflux and CH₄ and N₂O fluxes were first measured with chambers and later with gradients. Agricultural soil had 17% larger CO₂ efflux rates than poplar soil. Chamber fluxes showed no differences in CH₄ uptake but did show higher N₂O fluxes in poplar than agricultural soil. Gradient CH₄ uptake rates were highest in agricultural soil in the summer but showed no N₂O flux differences. Forest soils had smaller quarterly CO₂ efflux rates than agricultural soils and greater CH₄ uptake rates than poplar soils. The largest GHG contributor to soil GHG flux was CO₂, with those being ～1000 times larger than CH₄ flux rates and ～500 times larger than N₂O flux rates based on CO₂ equivalences. Converting conventional agricultural cropland to poplar bioenergy production does not have adverse effects on soil greenhouse gas flux and these results could be useful for modeling or life cycle analysis of land use conversion.     

Dynamics of soil-derived greenhouse gas emissions from shelterbelts under elevated soil moisture conditions in a semi-arid prairie environment

Soil moisture is known to be a major control of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural soils. However, there is little data regarding GHG exchange from the organic matter-rich soils characteristic of shelterbelts—especially under elevated soil moisture conditions. In the present study, we quantified CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O fluxes from shelterbelts under elevated soil moisture (irrigated) and semi-arid (rainfed) conditions. Studies were carried out at the Canada-Saskatchewan Irrigation Diversification Centre (CSIDC) near Outlook, Saskatchewan. Non-steady state vented chambers were used to monitor soil GHG fluxes from three shelterbelts in 2013 and 2014. The shelterbelts consisted of a single row of caragana with a north–south orientation and a single row of Scots pine with either a north–south or east–west orientation. Each shelterbelt was divided into two areas based on whether or not it received irrigation. During the 2-year study period, N₂O emissions from the irrigated shelterbelts (IR-SB) (0.93 kg N₂O-N ha^?1) were significantly greater than those from the rainfed shelterbelts (RF-SB) (0.49 kg N₂O-N ha^?1). Soil CH₄ oxidation was significantly lower in the IR-SB compared to the RF-SB (?0.85 and ?1.20 kg CH₄-C ha^?1, respectively). Irrigation activities stimulated CO₂ production/emission in 2014, but had no effect on CO₂ emissions during the much drier 2013 season. Correlation analyses indicate a strong dependence of CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes on soil moisture in both IR-SB and RF-SB sites. There was a significant relationship between N₂O emissions and soil moisture for the IR-SB sites in 2013; however, no such relationship was observed in either the IR-SB or RF-SB sites in 2014. Our study suggests that changes in precipitation patterns and soil moisture regime due to climate change could affect soil-atmosphere exchange of GHGs in shelterbelts; however, elevated soil moisture effect on GHG emissions will depend on the availability of N and C in the shelterbelts.     

Soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>, CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> and N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O emissions from production fields with planted and remnant hedgerows in the Fraser River Delta of British Columbia

Planting hedgerows on farm field edges can help mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural landscapes by sequestering carbon (C) in woody biomass and in soil. Sequestration rates however, must be assessed in terms of their overall global warming potential (GWP) which must also consider GHG emissions. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from two types of hedgerows and adjacent annual agricultural production fields, and 2) better understand how climate, soil properties and plant species configurations affect hedgerow GHG emissions. At eight study sites in the lower Fraser River delta of British Columbia, we measured emissions from soil in both planted (P-Hedgerow) and remnant hedgerows (R-Hedgerow), as well as in adjacent annual crop production fields over 1 year using a closed-static chamber method. CO₂ emissions were 59 % higher in P-Hedgerow than R-Hedgerow, yet there were no significant differences of relative emissions of CH₄ and N₂O. The environmental variables that explained the variation in emissions differed for the three GHGs. CO₂ emissions were significantly correlated with soil temperature. CH₄ and N₂O and emissions were marginally significantly correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil water-filled pore space (WFPS), respectively. Emissions were not significantly correlated with hedgerow plant species diversity. While hedgerows sequester carbon in their woody biomass, we demonstrated that it is critical to measure hedgerow emissions to accurately ascertain their overall GHG mitigation potential. Our results show that there are no CO₂e emission differences between the management options that plant new diverse hedgerows or conserve existing hedgerows.     

Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by using wood to protect against soil liquefaction

We compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a log pile (LP) to those from a sand compaction pile (SCP) and from cement deep mixing (CDM) as measures against soil liquefaction, assuming that forest and waste management scenarios influence the GHG (CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) balance of wood. We found little difference between the LP and SCP methods with respect to GHG emissions from fossil fuel and limestone consumption. However, GHG emissions from the CDM method were seven times higher than emissions from the LP method. In the GHG balance of wood, when the percentage of CH₄ emissions from carbon in underground wood was lower than 3.3%, permanent storage in the log achieved greater reductions in GHG emissions than using the waste log as fuel in place of coal or heavy oil. In order to obtain reductions in GHG emissions by replacing SCPs or CDM with LPs, sustainable forest management with reforestation and prevention of CH₄ emissions from the underground log are essential. Using reforestation, permanent storage of the log, no CH₄ emission from the log, and using logging residues instead of coal, the LP can achieve reductions in GHG emissions of 121 tonnes of CO₂ per 100 m² of improvement area by replacing CDM.     

Greenhouse gas emissions after a prescribed fire in white birch-dwarf bamboo stands in northern Japan,focusing on the role of charcoal

Forest fires affect both carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in forest ecosystems, and thereby influence the soil–atmosphere exchange of major greenhouse gases (GHGs): carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). To determine changes in the soil GHG fluxes following a forest fire, we arranged a low-intensity surface fire in a white birch forest in northern Japan. We established three treatments, having four replications each: a control plot (CON), a burned plot (BURN), and a plot burned with removal of the resulting charcoal (BURN-CHA). Soil GHG fluxes and various properties of the soil were determined on four or five occasions during a period that spanned two growing seasons. We observed increased concentrations of ammonium-N (NH₄-N) in BURN and BURN-CHA after the fire, while nitrate–N (NO₃-N) concentration was only increased in BURN-CHA after the fire. The soil CO₂ flux was significantly higher in CON than in BURN or BURN-CHA, but there was no difference in soil CH₄ uptake between the three treatments. Moreover, the N₂O flux from BURN-CHA soil was slightly greater than in CON or BURN. In BURN-CHA, the soil N₂O flux peaked in August, but there was no peak in BURN. We found temporal correlations between soil GHG fluxes and soil variables, e.g. soil temperature or NO₃-N. Our results suggest that environmental changes following fire, including the increased availability of N and the disappearance of the litter layer, have the potential to change soil GHG fluxes. Fire-produced charcoal could be significant in reducing soil N₂O flux in temperate forests.     

Agroforestry systems: sources of sinks of greenhouse gases?

The prominent role of forestry and agroforestry systems in the flux and long-term storage of carbon (C) in the terrestrial biosphere has increased global interest in these land-use options to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Preliminary assessments suggest that some agroforestry systems (e.g., agrosilvicultural) can be CO₂ sinks and temporarily store C, while other systems (e.g., ruminant-based silvopastoral systems) are probably sources of GHG (e.g., CH₄).Agroforestry systems can be significant sources of GHG emissions, especially at low latitudes. Practices such as tillage, burning, manuring, chemical fertilization, and frequent disturbance can lead to emission of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O from soils and vegetation to the atmosphere. Establishment and management of agroforestry systems incompatible with prevailing edaphic and climatic conditions can accelerate soil GHG emissions. Non-sustainable agroforestry systems are quickly degraded, and woody and herbaceous crops can become significant GHG sources. Silvopastoral systems can result in soil compaction and erosion with significant loss of labile C and N compounds to the atmosphere. Ruminant-based silvopastoral systems and rice paddy agrisilvicultural systems are well documented sources of CH₄ which significantly contribute to the global CH₄ budget.Early assessments of national and global terrestrial CO₂ sinks reveal two primary beneficial attributes of agroforestry systems: 1) direct near-term C storage (decades to centuries) in trees and soils, and, 2) potential to offset immediate GHG emissions associated with deforestation and subsequent shifting agriculture. Within the tropical latitudes, it is estimated that one ha of sustainable agroforestry can provide goods and services which potentially offset 5–20 ha of deforestation. At a global scale, agroforestry systems could potentially be established on 585–1275×10⁶ ha of technically suitable land, and these systems could store 12–228 (median 95) Mg C ha^–1 under current climate and edaphic conditions.The US Government right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Influence of plant communities and soil properties on trace gas fluxes in riparian northern hardwood forests

Wetlands contribute significant amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, yet little is known about what variables control gas emissions from these ecosystems. There is particular uncertainty about forested riparian wetlands, which have high variation in plant and soil properties due to their location at the interface between land and water. We investigated the fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and methane (CH₄) and associated understory vegetation and soil parameters at five northern hardwood riparian sites in the Adirondack Park, NY, USA. Gas fluxes were measured in field chambers 4 times throughout the summer of 2008. CO₂ flux rates ranged from 0.01 to 0.10 g C m⁻² h⁻¹, N₂O fluxes ranged from −0.27 to 0.65 ng N cm⁻² h⁻¹ and CH₄ flux rates ranged from −1.44 to 3.64 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹. Because we observed both production and consumption of N₂O and CH₄, it was difficult to discern relationships between flux and environmental parameters such as soil moisture and pH. However, there were strong relationships between ecosystem-scale variables and flux. For example, CO₂ and N₂O flux rates were most strongly related to percent plant cover, i.e., the site with the lowest vegetation cover had the lowest CO₂ and highest N₂O emissions. These ecosystem-scale predictive relationships suggest that there may be prospects for scaling information on trace gas fluxes up to landscape and regional scales using information on the distribution of ecosystem or soil types from remote sensing or geographic information system data.     

Estimation of net gain of soil carbon in a nitrogen-fixing tree and crop intercropping system in sub-Saharan Africa: results from re-examining a study

Nitrogen (N)-fixing tree and crop intercropping systems can be a sustainable agricultural practice in sub-Saharan Africa and can also contribute to resolving climate change through enhancing soil carbon (C) sequestration. A study conducted by Makumba et al. (Agric Ecosyst Environ 118:237?C243, 2007) on the N-fixing tree gliricidia and maize intercropping system in southern Malawi provides a rare dataset of both sequestered soil C and C loss as soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. However, no soil C gain and loss estimates were made so the study failed to show the net gain of soil C. Also absent from this study was potential benefit or negative impact related to the other greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) emissions from the intercropping system. Using the data provided in Makumba et al. (Agric Ecosyst Environ 118:237?C243, 2007) a C loss as soil CO₂ emissions (51.2?±?0.4?Mg?C?ha^?1) was estimated, amounting to 67.4% of the sequestered soil C (76?±?8.6?Mg?C?ha^?1 in 0?C2?m soil depth) for the first 7?years in the intercropping system. An annual net gain of soil C of 3.5?Mg?C?ha^?1?year^?1 was estimated from soil C sequestered and lost. Inclusion of the potential for N₂O mitigation [0.12?C1.97?kg?N₂O?CN?ha^?1?year^?1, 0.036?C0.59?Mg CO₂ equivalents (eq.) ha^?1?year^?1] within this intercropping system mitigation as CO₂ eq. basis was estimated to be 3.5?C4.1?Mg CO₂ eq.?ha^?1?year^?1. These results suggest that reducing N₂O emission can significantly increase the overall mitigation benefit from the intercropping system. However, significant uncertainties are associated with estimating the effect of intercropping on soil N₂O and CH₄ emissions. These results stress the importance of including consideration of quantifying soil CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ emissions when quantifying the C sequestration potential in intercropping system.     

Soil–atmosphere CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes in boreal forestry-drained peatlands

Greenhouse gas emissions from managed peatlands are annually reported to the UNFCCC. For the estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) balances on a country-wide basis, it is necessary to know how soil–atmosphere fluxes are associated with variables that are available for spatial upscaling. We measured momentary soil–atmosphere CO₂ (heterotrophic and total soil respiration), CH₄ and N₂O fluxes at 68 forestry-drained peatland sites in Finland over two growing seasons. We estimated annual CO₂ effluxes for the sites using site-specific temperature regressions and simulations in half-hourly time steps. Annual CH₄ and N₂O fluxes were interpolated from the measurements. We then tested how well climate and site variables derived from forest inventory results and weather statistics could be used to explain between-site variation in the annual fluxes. The estimated annual CO₂ effluxes ranged from 1165 to 4437 g m⁻² year⁻¹ (total soil respiration) and from 534 to 2455 g m⁻² year⁻¹ (heterotrophic soil respiration). Means of 95% confidence intervals were ±12% of total and ±22% of heterotrophic soil respiration. Estimated annual CO₂ efflux was strongly correlated with soil respiration at the reference temperature (10 °C) and with summer mean air temperature. Temperature sensitivity had little effect on the estimated annual fluxes. Models with tree stand stem volume, site type and summer mean air temperature as independent variables explained 56% of total and 57% of heterotrophic annual CO₂ effluxes. Adding summer mean water table depth to the models raised the explanatory power to 66% and 64% respectively. Most of the sites were small CH₄ sinks and N₂O sources. The interpolated annual CH₄ flux (range: −0.97 to 12.50 g m⁻² year⁻¹) was best explained by summer mean water table depth (r² = 64%) and rather weakly by tree stand stem volume (r² = 22%) and mire vegetation cover (r² = 15%). N₂O flux (range: −0.03 to 0.92 g m⁻² year⁻¹) was best explained by peat CN ratio (r² = 35%). Site type explained 13% of annual N₂O flux. We suggest that water table depth should be measured in national land-use inventories for improving the estimation of country-level GHG fluxes for peatlands.     

Effects of soil moisture and temperature on CH4 oxidation and N2O emission of forest soil

Soil samples were taken from depth of 0–12 cm in the virgin broad-leaved/Korean pine mixed forest in Changbai Mountain in April, 2000. 20 μL·L⁻¹ and 200 μL·L⁻¹ CH₄ and N₂O concentration were supplied for analysis. Laboratory study on CH₄ oxidation and N₂O emission in forest soil showed that fresh soil sample could oxidize atmospheric methane and product N₂O. Air-dried soil sample could not oxidize atmospheric methane, but could product N₂O. However, it could oxidize the supplied methane quickly when its concentration was higher than 20 μL·L⁻¹. The oxidation rate of methane was increased with its initial concentration. An addition of water to dry soil caused large pulse of N₂O emissions within 2 hours. There were curvilinear correlations between N₂O emission and temperature (r²=0.706, p<0.05), and between N₂O emission and water content (r²=0.2968, p <0.05). These suggested temperature and water content were important factors controlling N₂O emission. The correlation between CH₄ oxidization and temperature was also found while CH₄ was supplied 200 μL·L⁻¹ (r²=0.3573, p<0.05). Temperature was an important factor controlling CH₄ oxidation. However, when 20 μL·L⁻¹ CH₄ was supplied, there was no correlation among CH₄ oxidization, N₂O emission, temperature and water content. Foundation item: This paper was supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences. Biography: ZHANG Xiu-jun (1960-), female, Ph. Doctor, lecture in Laboratory of Ecological Process of Trace Substance in Terrestrial Ecosystem, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110015, P.R. China. Responsible editor: Song Funan     

Crop residue effect on crop performance,soil N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O and CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions in alley cropping systems in subtropical China

Land management practices that simultaneously improve soil properties are crucial to high crop production and minimize detrimental impact on the environment. We examined the effects of crop residues on crop performance, the fluxes of soil N₂O and CO₂ under wheat-maize (WM) and/or faba bean-maize (FM) rotations in Amorpha fruticosa (A) and Vetiveria zizanioides (V) intercropping systems on a loamy clay soil, in subtropical China. Crop performance, soil N₂O and CO₂ as well as some potential factors such as soil water content, soil carbon, soil nitrogen, microbial biomass and N mineralization were recorded during 2006 maize crop cultivation. Soil N₂O and CO₂ fluxes are determined using a closed-based chamber. Maize yield was greater after faba bean than after wheat may be due to differences in supply of N from residues. The presence of hedgerow significantly improved maize grain yields. N₂O emissions from soils with maize were considerably greater after faba bean (345 g N₂O–N ha⁻¹) than after wheat (289 g N₂O–N ha⁻¹). However, the cumulated N₂O emissions did not differ significantly between WM and FM. The difference in N₂O emissions between WM and FM was mostly due to the amounts of crop residues. Hedgerow alley cropping tended to emit more N₂O than WM and FM, in particular A. fruticosa intercropping systems. Over the entire 118 days of measurement, the N₂O fluxes represented 534 g N₂O–N ha⁻¹ (AWM) and 512 g N₂O–N ha⁻¹ (AFM) under A. fruticosa species, 403 g N₂O–N ha⁻¹ (VWM) and 423 g N₂O–N ha⁻¹ (VFM) under Vetiver grass. We observed significantly higher CO₂ emission in AFM (5,335 kg CO₂–C ha⁻¹) from June to October, whereas no significant difference was observed among WM (3,480 kg CO₂–C ha⁻¹), FM (3,302 kg CO₂–C ha⁻¹), AWM (3,877 kg CO₂–C ha⁻¹), VWM (3,124 kg CO₂–C ha⁻¹) and VFM (3,309 kg CO₂–C ha⁻¹), indicating the importance of A. fruticosa along with faba bean residue on CO₂ fluxes. As a result, crop residues and land conversion from agricultural to agroforestry can, in turn, influence microbial biomass, N mineralization, soil C and N content, which can further alter the magnitude of crop growth, soil N₂O and CO₂ emissions in the present environmental conditions.     

The effect of forest management on trace gas exchange at the pedosphere–atmosphere interface in beech (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus sylvatica</Emphasis> L.) forests stocking on calcareous soils

The effect of forest management (thinning) on in situ carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) trace gas exchange between soil and atmosphere was studied in three consecutive years at three beech forest sites, which differ in aspect [southwest (SW), northeast (NE), northwest (NW)]. At all sites adjacent thinning plots (“T”) and untreated control plots (“C”) were established. Measurements at the SW and NE sites covered the years 4–6 after thinning while at the NW site measurements covered the year before and the first 2 years after thinning. Mean N₂O fluxes were <3 μg N₂O–N m⁻² h⁻¹ at all plots except for the newly thinned NWT plot. CH₄ uptake was rather low, too. Very low CH₄ oxidation rates during dry periods are explained by physiological drought stress for CH₄ oxidizers. Heterotrophic litter decomposition constitutes the largest part of total soil respiration. On the whole, no significant positive or negative effects of the silvicultural treatment on the magnitude of CO₂-, CH₄- and N₂O-trace gas exchange could be observed at the SW site 4–6 years after thinning. Also at the NE site, no effects of thinning on CO₂ and N₂O fluxes could be demonstrated. However, at this site a significant moisture-induced lower CH₄ uptake could be shown. At the NW site forest management led to a dramatic increase in N₂O emissions in the first two summers after thinning and to distinct effects on CO₂ emissions and CH₄ uptake in the first year after the felling. The unambiguous effects of thinning at the NW site are mainly related to higher C input by dead residues leading to enhanced mineralization activity, to a shift in the competition for nutrients favoring microorganisms as compared to trees and to changes in the soil water availability at the thinned plot. Considering the data obtained from the NE and SW site we expect that with the development of an understorey vegetation at the NW site the observed effects on the magnitude of trace gas exchange due to thinning will continue to decline in the following years. Our results implicate that it is indispensable to take account of the effects of forest management in order to accurately calculate trace gas emission inventories for the investigated forest ecosystem in case thinning took place immediately before.     

Factors controlling N2O and CH4 fluxes in mixed broad-leaved/Korean pine forest of Changbai Mountain, China

Using the closed chamber technique, thein situ measurements of N₂O and CH₄ fluxes was conducted in a broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest ecosystem in Changbai Mountain, China, from June 1994 to October 1995. The relationships between fluxes (N₂O and CH₄) and some major environmental factors (temperature, soil water content and soil available nitrogen) were studied. A significant positive correlation between N₂O emission and air/soil temperature was observed, but no significant correlation was found between N₂O emission and soil water content (SWC). This result showed that temperature was an important controlling factor of N₂O flux. There was a significant correlation between CH₄ uptake and SWC, but no significant correlation was found between CH₄ uptake and temperature. This suggested SWC was an important factor controlling CH₄ uptake. The very significant negative correlation between logarithmic N₂O flux and soil nitrate concentration, significant negative correlation between CH₄ flux and soil ammonium content were also found. This project is supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences Responsible editor: Chai Ruihai     

Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from mature forest stands in the boreal forest, Saskatchewan, Canada

Despite the spatial significance of Canada's boreal forest, there is very little known about CH₄ and N₂O emissions from non-peatlands within it. The primary objective of this project was to study the atmosphere–soil exchange of CH₄ and N₂O at three sites in the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan. In the summers of 2006 and 2007, CH₄ and N₂O emissions were measured along transects in three different mature forest stands (aspen, black spruce and jack pine) using a sealed chamber method. At the aspen site, the gross rates of mineralization and nitrification, and the relative contribution of nitrification and denitrification to N₂O emissions, were also measured using the ¹⁵N isotope dilution technique. Results indicated that the jack pine and black spruce sites were slight sinks of CH₄ (−0.123 g CH₄–C m⁻² yr⁻¹and −0.017 g CH₄–C m⁻² yr⁻¹ respectively in 2006 and −0.095 g CH₄–C m⁻² yr⁻¹and 0.045 g CH₄–C m⁻² yr⁻¹ respectively in 2007), whereas the aspen site was a net source (4.40 g CH₄–C m⁻² yr⁻¹ in 2006 and 19.60 g CH₄–C m⁻² yr⁻¹ in 2007). The high CH₄ emissions at the aspen site occurred at depressions that were water-filled due to above-average precipitation levels in 2005–2007. All three sites had very low cumulative N₂O emissions, ranging from −0.002 to 0.014 g N₂O–N m⁻² yr⁻¹ in both years. The ¹⁵N results indicated that N cycling at the aspen site was very conservative, allowing little N to escape the system as N₂O; the emissions that did occur were due primarily to a nitrification-related process.     

Seasonal soil CO2 efflux dynamics after land use change from a natural forest to Moso bamboo plantations in subtropical China

Moso bamboo plantations (Phyllostachys pubescens) are one of the most important forest types in southern China, but there is little information on the effects of their establishment and silvicultural practices on soil CO₂ efflux. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of land use change from a natural broadleaf evergreen forest to Moso bamboo plantations and their management practices on soil CO₂ efflux in a subtropical region of China using static closed chamber method. Regardless of the land uses or management practices, the effluxes over a 12-month period had a seasonal pattern, with the maximum effluxes observed in summer and the minimum in winter. Whereas there was no significant difference in the total annual soil CO₂ efflux between the natural broadleaf evergreen forest (BL) and the conventionally managed bamboo forests (CM), soil CO₂ efflux in the intensively managed bamboo forest (IM) was significantly higher. Soil temperature was the most important environmental factor affecting soil CO₂ efflux rates for all three land uses. Soil moisture also had a significant positive correlation with soil CO₂ efflux rates. Soil temperature and moisture had greater influence on soil CO₂ efflux rate in the IM than the CM and BL forests. Soil dissolved organic C had a positive correlation with soil CO₂ efflux rate in the CM, but had no significant correlation with that in the IM or the BL forests. Our study for the first time demonstrated that conversion of the natural subtropical broadleaf evergreen forest to Moso bamboo does not increase soil CO₂ efflux. However, when bamboo forests are under intensive management with regular tillage, fertiliser application and weeding, significantly more soil CO₂ emission occurs. Therefore, best management practices should be developed to reduce soil CO₂ efflux in Moso bamboo plantations in the subtropical regions of China.     

Soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions in agricultural watersheds with agroforestry and grass contour buffer strips

The potential for agricultural soils to act as a sink and sequester carbon (C) or a source and emit carbon dioxide (CO₂) is largely dependent upon the agricultural management system. The establishment of permanent vegetation, such as trees and grass contour buffer strips, may cause accumulation of above- and below-ground C over time, thereby acting as a sink for tropospheric CO₂. However, the effects of contour grass strips and grass-tree strips (agroforestry) on soil CO₂ emissions have not been extensively studied in row-crop watersheds in the temperate regions. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of agroforestry and grass contour buffer strips and landscape position on soil surface efflux rate of CO₂ in three adjacent agricultural watersheds with claypan soils in northeast Missouri. The three watersheds were in a corn-soybean rotation, and contained (1) cropped only (CR), (2) cropped with grass contour strips (GR), or (3) cropped with tree-grass contour strips (AF) management systems. Soil surface CO₂ efflux was measured throughout the 2004 growing season at the upper (UBS), middle (MBS), and lower (LBS) backslope landscape positions within the three watersheds. The cumulative soil CO₂ production was lowest in the CR (0.9 kg CO₂-C m⁻²) compared to the AF (1.5 kg CO₂-C m⁻²) and GR watersheds (1.5 kg CO₂-C m⁻²). The lower backslope position (1.6 kg CO₂-C m⁻²) across all three watersheds produced 32 and 40% greater cumulative soil CO₂ than the upper and middle backslope positions, respectively. A 72-day incubation study determined the effects of 40, 60, 80, and 100% soil water-filled pore space (WFPS) and N rate (0 and 1.39 g KNO₃ kg soil⁻¹) on soil CO₂ efflux from bulk soil collected under each management system. The cumulative CO₂ production was highest in the grass soil (1,279 mg CO₂-C kg soil⁻¹) compared to the agroforestry (661 mg CO₂-C kg soil⁻¹) and cropped (483 mg CO₂-C kg soil⁻¹) soils regardless of WFPS and N rate. The highest cumulative CO₂ production for the grass soil (1,279 mg CO₂-C kg soil⁻¹) occurred at 80% WFPS, and was approximately 2 to 2.6 times greater than the agroforestry and cropped soils at 80% WFPS. The results of this study indicate that conservation management practices, such as grass and grass-tree contour buffer strips, and landscape position affect soil surface CO₂ production and accumulation of soil organic C that may influence soil C sequestration.     

Vertical soil–air CO2 dynamics at the Takayama deciduous broadleaved forest AsiaFlux site

At the Takayama deciduous broadleaved forest Asiaflux site in Japan, the ecosystem carbon dynamics have been studied for more than two decades. In 2005, we installed non-dispersive infrared CO₂ sensors in the soil below the site’s flux tower to systematically study vertical soil–air CO₂ dynamics and explain the behavior of soil surface CO₂ efflux. Soil–air CO₂ concentrations measured from June 2005 through May 2006 showed sinusoidal variation, with maxima in July and minima in winter, similar to the soil CO₂ effluxes measured simultaneously using open-flow chambers. Soil–air CO₂ concentrations increased with soil depth from 5 to 50 cm: from 2,000 to 8,000 ppm in the summer and from 2,000 to 3,000 ppm in the winter under snow. Summer soil–air CO₂ concentrations were positively correlated with soil moisture on daily and weekly scales, indicating that the Oi, Oe, and A horizons, where decomposition is accelerated by high-moisture conditions, contributed substantially to CO₂ emissions. This result is consistent with the short residence time (about 2 h) of CO₂ in the soil and larger emissions in shallow soil layers based on our diffusion model. We revealed for the first time that soil–air CO₂ concentrations in winter were correlated with both snow depth and wind speed. CO₂ transfer through the snow was hundreds of times the gas diffusion rates in the soil. Our estimate of the CO₂ efflux during the snow-cover season was larger than previous estimates at TKY, and confirmed the important contribution of the snow-cover season to the site’s carbon dynamics.     

森林与生态环境(上)

本文介绍了目前国际社会注目的10个生态环境问题:温室效应加剧、生物多样性锐减、大气臭氧层损耗、水资源危机、水土流失、沙漠化扩大、土壤退化、噪声污染、大气污染和酸沉降、海洋污染,简述了生态环境恶化带来的严重后果,并重点阐述了森林与温室效应、生物多样性保护、大气臭氧层损耗、水资源危机的关系。     

Moisture and soil texture effects on soil CO2 efflux components in southeastern mixed pine forests

Monitoring soil CO₂ efflux rates and identifying controlling factors, such as forest composition or soil texture, can help guide forest management and will likely gain relevance as atmospheric CO₂ continues to increase. We examined soil CO₂ efflux and potential controlling factors in managed mixed pine forests in southwestern Georgia. Soil CO₂ efflux was monitored periodically in two stands that differed in soil texture in 2001 and 2002, and in six additional stands in 2003. We also monitored controlling factors: soil temperature, moisture, organic layer mass, and A layer depth. Soil moisture and CO₂ efflux varied with soil texture differences among the stands. As expected, soil temperature had a strong influence on soil CO₂ efflux. Soil moisture, organic layer mass, and A layer depth also were correlated with soil CO₂ efflux during periods of water stress, but these relationships differed with soil texture. Forest management activities can alter components of soil CO₂ efflux, including soil carbon pools, temperature, and moisture; understanding the underlying variation of these components and resultant CO₂ efflux over soil types can help guide management toward desired forest carbon balance trends in southeastern mixed pine forests.     

Relationships between soil CO2 concentration and CO2 production, temperature, water content, and gas diffusivity: implications for field studies through sensitivity analyses

Soil CO₂ levels reflect CO₂ production and transport in soil and provide valuable information about soil CO₂ dynamics. However, extracting information from soil CO₂ profiles is often difficult because of the complexity of these profiles. In this study, we constructed a simple numerical model that simulated soil CO₂ dynamics and performed sensitivity analyses for CO₂ production rates, soil water content and temperature, and gas diffusivity at the soil surface to clarify the relationships among these parameters. Increased soil surface CO₂ flux did not always coincide with higher soil CO₂ concentrations; increased CO₂ production at shallow depths had little effect on soil CO₂ concentrations, while the opposite may be true for high levels of soil water content. Higher soil CO₂ concentration did not always coincide with greater soil surface CO₂ flux; under high soil water conditions, soil surface CO₂ flux sometimes decreased despite increased soil CO₂ concentration. Increases in soil water content did not always enhance both soil surface CO₂ flux and soil CO₂ concentration. Under high soil water conditions, increases in soil water content could lower soil surface CO₂ flux and increase soil CO₂ concentration. Increases in soil temperature resulted in greater soil surface CO₂ flux and higher soil CO₂ concentration in our simulation (extremely high temperatures were not assumed in this study). Gas diffusivity in very shallow layers did affect, albeit weakly, soil CO₂ concentration. The findings of this study may help direct future observations and aid in the interpretation of their results.