scholarly journals Carbon Emissions from A Temperate Coastal Peatland Wildfire: Contributions from Natural Plant Communities and Organic Soils

Author(s):  
Robert Mickler

Abstract Background: One of the scientific challenges of understanding climate change has been determining the important drivers and metrics ofglobal carbon (C) emissions and C cycling in tropical, subtropical, boreal, subarctic, and temperate peatlands. Peatlands account for 3% of global land cover, yet contain a major reservoir of 550 gigatons (Gt) of soil C, and serve as C sinks for 0.37 Gt of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year. In the United States, temperate peatlands areestimated to store 455 petagrams of C (PgC).There has been increasing interest in the role of wildfires in C cycling and altering peatlands from C sinks to major C sources. We estimated above- andbelow-ground C emissions from the Pains Bay Fire, a long-duration wildfire (112 days; 18,329 ha)that burned a coastal peatlandin eastern North Carolina, USA. Results: Soil C emissions were estimated from pre- and post-burn Light Detectionand Ranging (LIDAR) soil elevation data,soils series and C content mapping, remotely sensed soilburn severity, and post-burn field surveys of soil elevation.Total above-ground C emissions from the fire were 289,579 tC and 214 t C ha-1for the 10 vegetation communitieswithin the burn area perimeter. Above-ground sources of C emissions were comprised of litter (69,656 t C), shrub (168,983 t C), and foliage (50,940 t C).Total mean below-ground C emissions were 5,237,521 t C, and ranged from 2,630,529 – 8,287,900 t C,depending on organic matter content of different soil horizonswithin each of the 7 soil series. The mean below-ground C emissions within the burn area were 1,595.6 t C ha-1 and rangedfrom 629.3 – 2,511.3 t C ha-1.Conclusions: In contrast to undisturbed temperate peatlands, human induced disturbances of thenatural elevation gradient of the peatland has resulted in increased heterogeneity of floristic variation and assemblages that are a product of the spatial and temporal patterns of the water table level and the surface wetness across peatlands. Human induced changes in surface hydrology and land use influenced the fuel characteristics of natural vegetation and associated soils, thus influencing wildfire risk, behavior, and the resulting C emissions.

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Mickler

Abstract Background One of the scientific challenges of understanding climate change has been determining the important drivers and metrics of global carbon (C) emissions and C cycling in tropical, subtropical, boreal, subarctic, and temperate peatlands. Peatlands account for 3% of global land cover, yet contain a major reservoir of 550 gigatons (Gt) of soil C, and serve as C sinks for 0.37 Gt of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year. In the United States, temperate peatlands are estimated to store 455 petagrams of C (PgC). There has been increasing interest in the role of wildfires in C cycling and altering peatlands from C sinks to major C sources. We estimated above- and below-ground C emissions from the Pains Bay Fire, a long-duration wildfire (112 days; 18,329 ha) that burned a coastal peatland in eastern North Carolina, USA. Results Soil C emissions were estimated from pre- and post-burn Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) soil elevation data, soils series and C content mapping, remotely sensed soil burn severity, and post-burn field surveys of soil elevation. Total above-ground C emissions from the fire were 2,89,579 t C and 214 t C ha−1 for the 10 vegetation associations within the burn area perimeter. Above-ground sources of C emissions were comprised of litter (69,656 t C), shrub (1,68,983 t C), and foliage (50,940 t C). Total mean below-ground C emissions were 5,237,521 t C, and ranged from 2,630,529 to 8,287,900 t C, depending on organic matter content of different soil horizons within each of the 7 soil series. The mean below-ground C emissions within the burn area were 1,595.6 t C ha−1 and ranged from 629.3 to 2511.3 t C ha−1. Conclusions In contrast to undisturbed temperate peatlands, human induced disturbances of the natural elevation gradient of the peatland has resulted in increased heterogeneity of floristic variation and assemblages that are a product of the spatial and temporal patterns of the water table level and the surface wetness across peatlands. Human induced changes in surface hydrology and land use influenced the fuel characteristics of natural vegetation and associated soils, thus influencing wildfire risk, behavior, and the resulting C emissions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-370
Author(s):  
Jose V. Fernandez ◽  
D. Calvin Odero ◽  
Gregory E. MacDonald ◽  
Jason A. Ferrell ◽  
Brent A. Sellers ◽  
...  

AbstractDissipation of S-metolachlor, a soil-applied herbicide, on organic and mineral soils used for sugarcane production in Florida was evaluated using field studies in 2013 to 2016. S-metolachlor was applied PRE at 2,270 g ha−1 on organic and mineral soils with 75% and 1.6% organic matter, respectively. The rate of dissipation of S-metolachlor was rapid on mineral soils compared with organic soils. Dissipation of S-metolachlor on organic soils followed a negative linear trend resulting in half-lives (DT50) ranging from 50 to 126 d. S-metolachlor loss on organic soils was more rapid under high soil-moisture conditions than in corresponding low soil-moisture conditions. On mineral soils, dissipation of S-metolachlor followed an exponential decline. The DT50 of S-metolachlor on mineral soils ranged from 12 to 24 d. The short persistence of S-metolachlor on mineral soils was likely attributed to low organic matter content with limited adsorptive capability. The results indicate that organic matter content and soil moisture are important for persistence of S-metolachlor on organic and mineral soils used for sugarcane production in Florida.


Soil Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda R. S. Moata ◽  
Ashlea L. Doolette ◽  
Ronald J. Smernik ◽  
Ann M. McNeill ◽  
Lynne M. Macdonald

Organic phosphorus (P) plays an important role in the soil P cycle. It is present in various chemical forms, the relative amounts of which vary among soils, due to factors including climate, land use, and soil type. Few studies have investigated co-variation between P types or stoichiometric correlation with the key elemental components of organic matter– carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), both of which may influence P pool structure and dynamics in agricultural soils. In this study we determined the organic P speciation of twenty Australian Red Chromosols soils, a soil type widely used for cropping in Australia. Eight different chemical forms of P were quantified by 31P NMR spectroscopy, with a large majority (>90%) in all soils identified as orthophosphate and humic P. The strongest correlations (r2 = 0.77–0.85, P < 0.001) between P types were found among minor components: (i) between two inositol hexakisphosphate isomers (myo and scyllo) and (ii) between phospholipids and RNA (both detected as their alkaline hydrolysis products). Total soil C and N were correlated with phospholipid and RNA P, but not the most abundant P forms of orthophosphate and humic P. This suggests an influence of organic matter content on the organic P pool consisting of phospholipid and RNA, but not on inositol P or the largest organic P pool in these soils – humic P.


2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Gervasio Pereira ◽  
Gustavo Souza Valladares ◽  
Lúcia Helena Cunha dos Anjos ◽  
Vinícius de Melo Benites ◽  
Ademar Espíndula Jr. ◽  
...  

Soil taxonomy systems distinguish mineral soils from organic soils based on the amount of soil organic carbon. Procedures adopted in soil surveys for organic carbon measurement are therefore of major importance to classify the soils, and to correlate their properties with data from other studies. To evaluate different methods for measuring organic carbon and organic matter content in Histosols and soils with histic horizons, from different regions of Brazil, 53 soil samples were comparatively analyzed by the methods of Walkley & Black (modified), Embrapa, Yeomans & Bremner, modified Yeomans & Bremner, muffle furnace, and CHN. The modified Walkley & Black (C-W & B md) and the combustion of organic matter in the muffle furnace (OM-Muffle) were the most suitable for the samples with high organic carbon content. Based on regression analysis data, the OM-muffle may be estimated from C-W & B md by applying a factor that ranges from 2.00 to 2.19 with 95% of probability. The factor 2.10, the average value, is suggested to convert results obtained by these methods.


Weed Science ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-671
Author(s):  
Song-Wu Li ◽  
Max M. Mortland

The newly developed herbicide buthidazole {3-[5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-thiadizol-2-yl]-4-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-imidazolidinone} was studied with respect to its interaction with soils and homoionic clay minerals and its response to irradiation with ultraviolet light. Results showed that it could enter the interlamellar spaces of swelling clays such as smectite. Isothermic adsorption studies indicated that Cu+2-smectite adsorbed more buthidazole than Cu+2-kaolinite. The Cu+2-clay adsorption isotherm fitted the Langmuir model. The effect of exchangeable cations on adsorption was not significant in soils of high organic matter content. Bioassay studies indicated that buthidazole's phytotoxicity was not decreased in either clays or in organic soils. Infrared spectroscopic studies showed the coordination of buthidazole with Cu+2through C=O Cu interaction with buthidazole resulted in a ligand-to-metal ratio to 1:1. Protonation of buthidazole occurred in Al+3-and H+-smectite. The herbicide was labile to UV-light irradiation at 254 nm but not at 366 nm. The photoconversion indicated a first-order reaction. The photolytic product(s) included the –N=C=O structure. Copper(II) ions, which form complexes, retarded photolysis of buthidazole in UV-light, but the Ca+2ion, which is unable to form complexes, did not.


Author(s):  
Dace Kļaviņa ◽  
Anita Osvalde

Abstract The main aim of the study was to evaluate the soil chemical characteristics of Cypripedium calceolus sites in Latvia for understanding of the species ecology, and its conservation problems and possibilities. Soil for 27 C. calceolus sites in Latvia was analysed during 2007-2015. The concentration of plant available essential nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, B), soil pH, electrical conductivity and concentration of organic matter were determined. Nutrient concentration of C. calceolus leaf samples from six sites were determined. The results demonstrated high heterogeneity in soil chemical composition with high variation for Ca, Mg, and Mn. The results suggest some relationship between soil organic matter content and size of the orchid population. Soil pH and Ca concentration did not affect the size and vitality of C. calceolus populations in Latvia. There was no significant correlation between nutrient concentration in soil and C. calceolus leaves suggesting strong impact of other soil-related factors in determining the availability of nutrients. In general, the levels of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations in C. calceolus leaves were adequate or slightly decreased for successful orchid growth. The study showed deficiency of S, Cu, and B in the vast majority of leaf samples. C. calceolus sites in Latvia occur mainly on organic soils or mineral soils with high content of organic matter. There was a weak positive correlation (r = 0.21) observed only between total number of ramets of C. calceolus in site and Ca concentration in the soil, suggesting that soil properties are not a main factor affecting species abundance in the site.


Weed Science ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. I. Harris ◽  
E. A. Woolson ◽  
B. E. Hummer

Twelve locations in the United States and Puerto Rico were the sites for determining the loss of 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine (atrazine) and 2,3,6-trichlorophenylacetic acid (fenac) from soil. The herbicides were contained in tubes (1.88 by 6 inches) placed at depths of 3, 9, and 15 inches in the field. The samples were placed horizontally to minimize losses due to vertical movement of water from the tubes. After at least 3 months in the soil, the samples were returned to Beltsville and analyzed. Average recoveries showed 61% more atrazine and 41% more fenac from the 15-inch depth than from the 3-inch depth. Five northern samples contained more than twice as much atrazine and fenac residue as four southern samples. A positive correlation existed between fenac retention and soil organic matter content. Increasing soil organic matter and depth of placement, and decreasing temperature, tended to make the herbicides more persistent. However, the data were quite variable and the variations were often unexplainable.


1967 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Rana ◽  
G. J. Ouellette

Studies on thirty mineral soil series and five organic soils from the broad cultivated areas of Quebec indicated that total cobalt, extracted with 70% perchloric acid digestion, ranged from 1.1 to 21.6 ppm and 2.5% acetic acid-extractable cobalt from 0.3 to 0.83 ppm. Extractable cobalt in the surface soils was significantly correlated with total cobalt, which in turn was highly dependent on the clay content of the soil. The soil pH or the organic matter content did not seem to have any influence on the cobalt content in the cultivated soils. Light-textured and podzolized soils are likely to be low m cobalt, while soils with richer clay content are higher. Organic soils, in general, were found to be lower in cobalt content than mineral soils. Nineteen out of the thirty mineral soils studied and all the organic soils contained less than 0.25 ppm of extractable cobalt and may be considered as critical or deficient because forage grown on such soils is likely to cause cobalt deficiency in livestock.


Biologia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Lachacz ◽  
Monika Nitkiewicz ◽  
Barbara Kalisz

AbstractThe objective of this study was to estimate the water repellency of post-boggy soils in north-eastern Poland. Potential water repellency was determined based on the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test and the molarity of an ethanol droplet (MED) test. A total of 276 soil samples with a varied organic carbon (OC) content, ranging from trace amounts in sandy subsoils to 44.4% in organic soils, were analyzed. The investigated material represents peat-muck soils (Eutri-Sapric Histsols) and muck-like soils (Arenic Gleysols, Areni-Humic Gleysols, Gleyic Arenosols). The mineral matter of the analyzed soils comprised loose sand. The obtained results indicate that peat soil formations are marked by higher potential water repellency than muck soil formations. The highest WDPT values (16 390 s) were reported in respect of an alder peat sample with 41.9% OC content, collected at a depth of 55–60 cm. In the group of muck soils, a sample with 36.7% OC content, collected at a depth of 15–20 cm, was marked by the highest water repellency (WDPT 10 492 s). The water repellency of the studied soils is dependent on organic matter content, and it is manifested only when organic matter content is higher than 20%. Soils with OC content of up to 12% show low water repellency or are hydrophilic. Organic soil formations (>12% OC) are characterized by a varied degree of water repellency, but WDPT values in excess of 2000 s are reported only in respect of soils containing more than 35% OC. A significant positive correlation between the content of organic matter, organic carbon, total nitrogen and water repellency was observed in the entire studied population (n = 276). A significant positive correlation was also found between WDPT values and the C:N ratio, while a significant negative correlation was reported in respect of $$ pH_{H_2 O} $$.


1934 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 594-601
Author(s):  
E. H. J. Marchant

Samples of soil, taken from 29 different sections of the arable portions of Manitoba, have been analyzed. Twelve species of eight genera of nematodes have been identified. No species of the genus Heterodera were found.An endeavor has been made, first, to determine the approximate degree of infestation, and second, to correlate such factors as hydrogen ion concentration, moisture equivalent, and organic matter content with the nema counts.The nematode population is somewhat higher in the soils of Manitoba than in those of many parts of the United States, but considerably lower than in those of North China.The number of species seems to be limited.The degree of infestation appears to be negatively affected by either hydrogen ion concentration or moisture equivalent, but is decidedly influenced by organic matter content.


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