scholarly journals Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Tibetan Alpine Grassland: Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4454
Author(s):  
Guangshuai Wang ◽  
Yueping Liang ◽  
Fei Ren ◽  
Xiaoxia Yang ◽  
Zhaorong Mi ◽  
...  

The cycle of key nutrient elements nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) has been massively altered by anthropogenic activities. Little is known about the impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of the large nutrient additions occurring in the alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau. We investigated soil surface emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) under control, N, P and combined nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) additions from July 2011 to September 2012. Compared to the control, CO2 flux significantly increased by 14.6% and 27.4% following P and NP addition, respectively. The interaction of NP addition had a significant influence on CO2 flux during the non-growing season and the spring thaw period. Compared to the control, CH4 flux decreased by 9.9%, 23.2% and 26.7% following N, P and NP additions, respectively, and no interactive effect of NP addition was found in any period. Soil N2O flux was significantly increased 2.6 fold and 3.3 fold, following N and NP addition treatments, respectively, and there was no interaction effect of NP addition together. The contribution of cumulative CO2 emission during the non-growing season was less than 20% of the annual budget, but cumulative CH4 and N2O emissions during the same period can account for 37.3–48.9% and 44.7–59.5% of the annual budget, respectively. Methane and N2O emissions did not increase greatly during the spring thawing period, with contributions of only 0.4–3.6% and 10.3–12.3% of the annual budget, respectively. Our results suggest that N and P addition could increase CO2 and N2O emissions and reduce CH4 emission. Furthermore, although the non-growing season is very cold and long, cumulative CH4 and N2O emissions are considerable during this period and cannot be neglected by future studies evaluating the greenhouse gas emission budget in the Tibetan plateau.

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 3231-3267 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Zhang ◽  
X. Lee ◽  
T. J. Griffis ◽  
J. M. Baker ◽  
W. Xiao

Abstract. Quantification of regional greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes is essential for establishing mitigation strategies and evaluating their effectiveness. Here, we used multiple top-down approaches and multiple trace gas observations at a tall tower to estimate GHG regional fluxes and evaluate the GHG fluxes derived from bottom-up approaches. We first applied the eddy covariance, equilibrium, inverse modeling (CarbonTracker), and flux aggregation methods using three years of carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements on a 244 m tall tower in the Upper Midwest, USA. We then applied the equilibrium method for estimating methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes with one-month high-frequency CH4 and N2O gradient measurements on the tall tower and one-year concentration measurements on a nearby tall tower, and evaluated the uncertainties of this application. The results indicate that: (1) the flux aggregation, eddy covariance, the equilibrium method, and the CarbonTracker product all gave similar seasonal patterns of the regional CO2 flux (105–106 km2), but that the equilibrium method underestimated the July CO2 flux by 52–69%. (2) The annual budget varied among these methods from 74 to −131 g C-CO2 m−2 yr−1, indicating a large uncertainty in the annual CO2 flux estimation. (3) The regional CH4 and N2O emissions according to a top-down method were at least six and two times higher than the emissions from a bottom-up inventory (Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research), respectively. (4) The global warming potentials of the CH4 and N2O emissions were equal in magnitude to the cooling benefit of the regional CO2 uptake. The regional GHG budget, including both biological and anthropogenic origins, is estimated at 7 ± 160 g CO2 eq m−2 yr−1.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 3941-3958 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lopez ◽  
M. Schmidt ◽  
M. Ramonet ◽  
J.-L. Bonne ◽  
A. Colomb ◽  
...  

Abstract. Three years of greenhouse gas measurements, obtained using a gas chromatograph (GC) system located at the Puy de Dôme station at 1465 m a.s.l. in central France, are presented. The GC system was installed in 2010 at Puy de Dôme and was designed for automatic and accurate semicontinuous measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and sulfur hexafluoride mole fractions. We present in detail the instrumental setup and the calibration strategy, which together allow the GC to reach repeatabilities of 0.1 μmol mol−1, 1.2 nmol mol−1, 0.3 nmol mol−1 and 0.06 pmol mol−1 for CO2, CH4, N2O and SF6, respectively. The analysis of the 3-year atmospheric time series revealed how the planetary boundary layer height drives the mole fractions observed at a mountain site such as Puy de Dôme where air masses alternate between the planetary boundary layer and the free troposphere. Accurate long-lived greenhouse gas measurements collocated with 222Rn measurements as an atmospheric tracer allowed us to determine the CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions in the catchment area of the station. The derived CO2 surface flux revealed a clear seasonal cycle, with net uptake by plant assimilation in the spring and net emission caused by the biosphere and burning of fossil fuel during the remainder of the year. We calculated a mean annual CO2 flux of 1310 ± 680 t CO2 km−2. The derived CH4 and N2O emissions in the station catchment area were 7.0 ± 4.0 t CH4 km−2 yr−1 and 1.8 ± 1.0 t N2O km−2 yr−1, respectively. Our derived annual CH4 flux is in agreement with the national French inventory, whereas our derived N2O flux is 5 times larger than the same inventory.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 10705-10719 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Zhang ◽  
X. Lee ◽  
T. J. Griffis ◽  
J. M. Baker ◽  
W. Xiao

Abstract. Quantification of regional greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes is essential for establishing mitigation strategies and evaluating their effectiveness. Here, we used multiple top-down approaches and multiple trace gas observations at a tall tower to estimate regional-scale GHG fluxes and evaluate the GHG fluxes derived from bottom-up approaches. We first applied the eddy covariance, equilibrium, inverse modeling (CarbonTracker), and flux aggregation methods using 3 years of carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements on a 244 m tall tower in the upper Midwest, USA. We then applied the equilibrium method for estimating CH4 and N2O fluxes with 1-month high-frequency CH4 and N2O gradient measurements on the tall tower and 1-year concentration measurements on a nearby tall tower, and evaluated the uncertainties of this application. The results indicate that (1) the flux aggregation, eddy covariance, the equilibrium method, and the CarbonTracker product all gave similar seasonal patterns of the regional CO2 flux (105−106 km2, but that the equilibrium method underestimated the July CO2 flux by 52–69%. (2) The annual budget varied among these methods from −54 to −131 g C–CO2 m−2 yr−1, indicating a large uncertainty in the annual CO2 flux estimation. (3) The regional CH4 and N2O emissions according to a top-down method were at least 6 and 2 times higher than the emissions from a bottom-up inventory (Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research), respectively. (4) The global warming potentials of the CH4 and N2O emissions were equal in magnitude to the cooling benefit of the regional CO2 uptake. The regional GHG budget, including both biological and anthropogenic origins, is estimated at 7 ± 160 g CO2 equivalent m−2 yr−1.


2018 ◽  
Vol 204 ◽  
pp. 778-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxi Sun ◽  
Shuangshuang Ma ◽  
Lujia Han ◽  
Renquan Li ◽  
Uwe Schlick ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K. Jones ◽  
Carole Helfter ◽  
Margaret Anderson ◽  
Mhairi Coyle ◽  
Claire Campbell ◽  
...  

Abstract. Intensively managed grazed grasslands in temperate climates are globally important environments for the exchange of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). We assessed the N and C budget of a mostly grazed, occasionally cut, and fertilized grassland in SE Scotland by measuring or modelling all relevant imports and exports to the field as well as changes in soil C and N pools over time. The N budget was dominated by import from inorganic and organic fertilisers (21.9 g N m2 yr−1) and losses from leaching (5.3 g N m2 yr−1), N2 emissions and NOx and NH3 volatilisation (6.4 g N m2 yr−1). The efficiency of N use by animal products (meat and wool) averaged 11 %. On average over nine years (2002–2010) the balance of N fluxes suggested that 7.2 ± 4.6 g N m−2 y−1 (mean ± confidence interval at p > 0.95) were stored in the soil. The largest component of the C budget was the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE), at an average uptake rate of 218 ± 155 g C m−2 y−1 over the nine years. This sink strength was offset by carbon export from the field mainly as harvest (48.9 g C m2 yr−1) and leaching (16.4 g C m2 yr−1). The other export terms, CH4 emissions from the soil, manure applications and enteric fermentation were negligible and only contributed to 0.02–4.2 % of the total C losses. Only a small fraction of C was incorporated into the body of the grazing animals. Inclusion of these C losses in the budget resulted in a C sink strength of 163 ± 140 g C m−2 y−1. On the contrary, soil stock measurements taken in May 2004 and May 2011 indicated that the grassland sequestered N in the 0–60 cm soil layer at 4.51 ± 2.64 g N m−2 y−1 and lost C at a rate of 29.08 ± 38.19 g C m−2 y-1, respectively. Potential reasons for the discrepancy between these estimates are probably an underestimation of C and N losses, especially from leaching fluxes as well as from animal respiration. The average greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of the grassland was −366 ± 601 g CO2 eq m−2 y−1 and strongly affected by CH4 and N2O emissions. The GHG sink strength of the NEE was reduced by 54 % by CH4 and N2O emissions. Enteric fermentation from the ruminating sheep proved to be an important CH4 source, exceeding the contribution of N2O to the GHG budget in some years.


Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuchang Liang ◽  
Aili Kang ◽  
Nathalie Pettorelli

AbstractWe tested a series of hypotheses on drivers of habitat selection by the Vulnerable wild yak Bos mutus, combining distribution-wide sighting data with species distribution modelling approaches. The results indicate that climatic conditions are of paramount importance in shaping the wild yak's distribution on the Tibetan Plateau. Habitat selection patterns were seasonal, with yaks appearing to select areas closer to villages during the vegetation-growing season. Unexpectedly, our index of forage quantity had a limited effect in determining the distribution of the species. Overall, our results suggest that expected changes in climate for this region could have a significant impact on habitat availability for wild yaks, and we call for more attention to be focused on the unique wildlife in this ecosystem.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 2605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huamin Zhang ◽  
Mingjun Ding ◽  
Lanhui Li ◽  
Linshan Liu

Based on daily observation records at 277 meteorological stations on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and its surrounding areas during 1970–2017, drought evolution was investigated using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). First, the spatiotemporal changes in the growing season of SPEI (SPEIgs) were re-examined using the Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope approach—the piecewise linear regression and intensity analysis approach. Then, the persistence of the SPEIgs trend was predicted by the Hurst exponent. The results showed that the SPEIgs on the TP exhibited a significant increasing trend at the rate of 0.10 decade−1 (p < 0.05) and that there is no significant trend shift in SPEIgs (p = 0.37), indicating that the TP tended to undergo continuous wetting during 1970–2017. In contrast, the areas surrounding the TP underwent a significant trend shift from an increase to a decrease in SPEIgs around 1984 (p < 0.05), resulting in a weak decreasing trend overall. Spatially, most of the stations on the TP were characterized by an increasing trend in SPEIgs, except those on the Eastern fringe of TP. The rate of drought/wet changes was relatively fast during the 1970s and 1980s, and gradually slowed afterward on the TP. Finally, the consistent increasing trend and decreasing trend of SPEIgs on the TP and the area East of the TP were predicted to continue in the future, respectively. Our results highlight that the TP experienced a significant continuous wetting trend in the growing season during 1970–2017, and this trend is likely to continue.


Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumiaki Takakai ◽  
Masahiro Kobayashi ◽  
Takashi Sato ◽  
Kentaro Yasuda ◽  
Yoshihiro Kaneta

The effects of conversion from staple rice to forage rice on carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) balances in a paddy field were evaluated. A staple rice plot without the application of livestock manure compost (LMC, S − M plot) and forage rice plots with and without the application of LMC, derived mainly from cattle (2 kg−FW m−2, F + M and F − M plots, respectively), were established. CH4 and N2O fluxes and CO2 flux from a bare soil plot for organic matter decomposition (OMD) were measured. The carbon budget was calculated by subtracting the OMD, CH4 emission, and harvested grain and straw (forage rice only) from the net primary production and LMC. The net GHG balance was calculated by integrating them as CO2 equivalents. There were no significant differences in GHG flux among the plots. Compared to the carbon loss in the S − M plot, the loss increased by harvesting straw and was mitigated by LMC application. The net GHG emission in the F + M plot was significantly lower than that in other plots (1.78 and 2.63−2.77 kg CO2-eq m−2 year−1, respectively). There is a possibility that GHG emissions could be suppressed by forage rice cultivation with the application of LMC.


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