scholarly journals Saltwater reduces CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> production in organic soils from a coastal freshwater forested wetland

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevan J. Minick ◽  
Bhaskar Mitra ◽  
Asko Noormets ◽  
John S. King

Abstract. A major concern for coastal freshwater wetland function and health is saltwater intrusion and the potential impacts on greenhouse gas production. Coastal freshwater wetlands are likely to experience increased hydroperiod with rising sea level, as well as saltwater intrusion. These potential changes to wetland hydrology may also alter forest structure and lead to a transition from forest to shrub/marsh wetland ecosystems. Loss of forested wetlands is already evident by dying trees and dead standing trees ("ghost" forests) along the Atlantic Coast of the US, which will result in significant alterations to plant carbon (C) inputs, particularly that of coarse woody debris, to soils. We investigated the effects of salinity and wood C inputs on soils collected from a coastal freshwater forested wetland in North Carolina, USA, and incubated in the laboratory with either freshwater or saltwater (2.5 or 5.0 ppt) and with or without the additions of wood. Saltwater additions at 2.5 ppt and 5.0  ppt reduced CO2 production by 41 and 37 %, respectively, compared to freshwater. Methane production was reduced by 98 % (wood-free incubations) and by 75–87 % (wood-amended incubations) in saltwater treatments compared to the freshwater treatment. Additions of wood resulted in lower CH4 production from the freshwater treatment and higher CH4 production from saltwater treatments compared to wood-free incubations. The δ13CH4-C isotopic signature indicated that in wood-free incubations, CH4 produced from the freshwater treatment was from the acetoclastic pathway, while CH4 produced from the saltwater treatments was more likely from the hydrogenotrophic pathway. These results suggest that saltwater intrusion into subtropical coastal freshwater forested wetlands will reduce CH4 fluxes, but long-term changes in C dynamics will likely depend on how changes in wetland vegetation and microbial function influences C inputs to the soil.

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4671-4686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevan J. Minick ◽  
Bhaskar Mitra ◽  
Asko Noormets ◽  
John S. King

Abstract. A major concern for coastal freshwater wetland function and health is the effects of saltwater intrusion on greenhouse gas production from peat soils. Coastal freshwater forested wetlands are likely to experience increased hydroperiod with rising sea level, as well as saltwater intrusion. These potential changes to wetland hydrology may also alter forested wetland structure and lead to a transition from forest to shrub/marsh wetland ecosystems. Loss of forested wetlands is already evident by dying trees and dead standing trees (“ghost” forests) along the Atlantic coast of the US, which will result in significant alterations to plant carbon (C) inputs, particularly that of coarse woody debris, to soils. We investigated the effects of salinity and wood C inputs on soils collected from a coastal freshwater forested wetland in North Carolina, USA, and incubated in the laboratory with either freshwater or saltwater (2.5 or 5.0 ppt) and with or without the additions of wood. Saltwater additions at 2.5 and 5.0 ppt reduced CO2 production by 41 % and 37 %, respectively, compared to freshwater. Methane production was reduced by 98 % (wood-free incubations) and by 75 %–87 % (wood-amended incubations) in saltwater treatments compared to the freshwater plus wood treatment. Additions of wood also resulted in lower CH4 production from the freshwater treatment and higher CH4 production from saltwater treatments compared to wood-free incubations. The δ13CH4-C isotopic signature suggested that, in wood-free incubations, CH4 produced from the freshwater treatment originated primarily from the acetoclastic pathway, while CH4 produced from the saltwater treatments originated primarily from the hydrogenotrophic pathway. These results suggest that saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwater forested wetlands will reduce CH4 production, but long-term changes in C dynamics will likely depend on how changes in wetland vegetation and microbial function influence C cycling in peat soils.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefine Walz ◽  
Christian Knoblauch ◽  
Ronja Tigges ◽  
Thomas Opel ◽  
Lutz Schirrmeister ◽  
...  

Abstract. Permafrost deposits have been a sink for atmospheric carbon for millennia. Thaw-erosional processes, however, can lead to rapid degradation of ice-rich permafrost and the release of substantial amounts of organic carbon (OC). The amount of the OC stored in these deposits and their potential to be microbially decomposed to the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) depends on climatic and environmental conditions during deposition and the decomposition history before incorporation into the permafrost. Here, we examine potential greenhouse gas production in degrading ice-rich permafrost deposits from three locations in the northeast Siberian Laptev Sea region. The deposits span a period of about 55 kyr and include deposits from the last glacial and Holocene interglacial periods. Samples from all three locations were aerobically and anaerobically incubated for 134 days at 4 °C. Greenhouse gas production was generally higher in glacial than Holocene deposits. In permafrost deposits from the Holocene and the late glacial transition, only 0.1–4.0 % of the initially available OC could be decomposed to CO2, while 0.2–6.1 % could be decomposed in glacial deposits. Within the glacial deposits from the Kargin interstadial period (Marine Isotope Stage 3), local depositional environments, especially soil moisture, also affected the preservation of OC. Sediments deposited under wet conditions contained more labile OC and thus produced more greenhouse gases than sediments deposited under drier conditions. To assess the long-term production potentials, deposits from two locations were incubated for a total of 785 days. However, more than 50 % of the aerobically produced and more than 80 % of anaerobically produced CO2 after 785 days of incubation were already produced within the first 134 days, highlighting the quantitative importance of the slowly decomposing OC pool in permafrost. CH4 production was generally observed in active layer samples but only sporadically in permafrost samples and was several orders of magnitude smaller than CO2 production.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 8171-8183 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Neubauer ◽  
R. B. Franklin ◽  
D. J. Berrier

Abstract. Environmental perturbations in wetlands affect the integrated plant-microbial-soil system, causing biogeochemical responses that can manifest at local to global scales. The objective of this study was to determine how saltwater intrusion affects carbon mineralization and greenhouse gas production in coastal wetlands. Working with tidal freshwater marsh soils that had experienced ~ 3.5 yr of in situ saltwater additions, we quantified changes in soil properties, measured extracellular enzyme activity associated with organic matter breakdown, and determined potential rates of anaerobic carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) production. Soils from the field plots treated with brackish water had lower carbon content and higher C : N ratios than soils from freshwater plots, indicating that saltwater intrusion reduced carbon availability and increased organic matter recalcitrance. This was reflected in reduced activities of enzymes associated with the hydrolysis of cellulose and the oxidation of lignin, leading to reduced rates of soil CO2 and CH4 production. The effects of long-term saltwater additions contrasted with the effects of short-term exposure to brackish water during three-day laboratory incubations, which increased rates of CO2 production but lowered rates of CH4 production. Collectively, our data suggest that the long-term effect of saltwater intrusion on soil CO2 production is indirect, mediated through the effects of elevated salinity on the quantity and quality of autochthonous organic matter inputs to the soil. In contrast, salinity, organic matter content, and enzyme activities directly influence CH4 production. Our analyses demonstrate that saltwater intrusion into tidal freshwater marshes affects the entire process of carbon mineralization, from the availability of organic carbon through its terminal metabolism to CO2 and/or CH4, and illustrate that long-term shifts in biogeochemical functioning are not necessarily consistent with short-term disturbance-type responses.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 10685-10720 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Neubauer ◽  
R. B. Franklin ◽  
D. J. Berrier

Abstract. Environmental perturbations in wetlands affect the integrated plant-microbial-soil system, causing biogeochemical responses that can manifest at local to global scales. The objective of this study was to determine how saltwater intrusion affects carbon mineralization and greenhouse gas production in coastal wetlands. Working with tidal freshwater marsh soils that had experienced roughly 3.5 yr of in situ saltwater additions, we quantified changes in soil properties, measured extracellular enzyme activity associated with organic matter breakdown, and determined potential rates of anaerobic carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) production. Soils from the field plots treated with brackish water had lower carbon content and higher C : N ratios than soils from freshwater plots, indicating that saltwater intrusion reduced carbon availability and increased organic matter recalcitrance. This was reflected in reduced activities of enzymes associated with the hydrolysis of cellulose and the oxidation of lignin, leading to reduced rates of soil CO2 and CH4 production. The effects of long-term saltwater additions contrasted with the effects of short-term exposure to brackish water during three-day laboratory incubations, which increased rates of CO2 production but lowered rates of CH4 production. Collectively, our data suggest that the long-term effect of saltwater intrusion on soil CO2 production is indirect, mediated through the effects of elevated salinity on the quantity and quality of autochthonous organic matter inputs to the soil. In contrast, salinity, organic matter content, and enzyme activities directly influence CH4 production. Our analyses demonstrate that saltwater intrusion into tidal freshwater marshes affects the entire process of carbon mineralization, from the availability of organic carbon through its terminal metabolism to CO2 and/or CH4, and illustrate that long-term shifts in biogeochemical functioning are not necessarily consistent with short-term disturbance-type responses.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 2540
Author(s):  
Abiodun O. Jegede ◽  
Grietje Zeeman ◽  
Harry Bruning

This study examines the effect of mixing on the performance of anaerobic digestion of cow manure in Chinese dome digesters (CDDs) at ambient temperatures (27–32 °C) in comparison with impeller mixed digesters (STRs) and unmixed digesters (UMDs) at the laboratory scale. The CDD is a type of household digester used in rural and pre-urban areas of developing countries for cooking. They are mixed by hydraulic variation during gas production and gas use. Six digesters (two of each type) were operated at two different influent total solids (TS) concentration, at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 30 days for 319 days. The STRs were mixed at 55 rpm, 10 min/hour; the unmixed digesters were not mixed, and the Chinese dome digesters were mixed once a day releasing the stored biogas under pressure. The reactors exhibited different specific biogas production and treatment efficiencies at steady state conditions. The STR 1 exhibited the highest methane (CH4) production and treatment efficiency (volatile solid (VS) reduction), followed by STR 2. The CDDs performed better (10% more methane) than the UMDs, but less (approx. 8%) compared to STRs. The mixing regime via hydraulic variation in the CDD was limited despite a higher volumetric biogas rate and therefore requires optimization.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tapuwa Marapara

<p>During the last two decades there has been increasing interest in the role of forests and wetlands as flood mitigating tools due to growing concerns regarding the sustainability of many traditional engineering flood defences such as dykes, sea walls and dams. In forests, the role is facilitated by the interaction between trees, soil and water. Specifically trees reduce surface runoff and prevent flooding through increased evapotranspiration and canopy interception and enhance physical and hydraulic properties of soil that are critical for the absorption and retention of flood waters by the soil. It is increasingly realised that the answer to flood mitigation is not a blanket recommendation to “plant trees”. This is because the role of trees varies spatially and temporally as a function of climate, topography, rainfall properties, soil type and condition, catchment scale and geology, among others. For example, where trees are present in wetlands, particularly forested wetlands, the mechanisms by which trees interact with soil and water are similar to that in forests but because of a high water table, the impact of trees may be reduced. Therefore, the mere presence of forests and forested wetlands will not necessarily deliver flood risk management.  The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of trees as flood mitigating tools under various bio-geo climatic factors in forests and forested wetland environments. Three forms of investigation were followed to fulfil this purpose.  A detailed literature review was carried out to assess the role of trees and forests as flood mitigation tools under changing climate, topography, species type, rainfall properties, soil type and condition, catchment scale and geology. A field experiment was carried out to collect data and analyse the effect of trees on soil physical and hydraulic properties that include bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil organic carbon, soil moisture content, matric potential and soil moisture retention in a previously forested wetland undergoing restoration in New Zealand. A spatially explicit decision support tool, the Land Use Capability Indicator (LUCI) was then used to determine appropriate areas where intervention can be targeted to optimise the role of trees as flood mitigating tools in previously forested wetlands undergoing restoration.  The detailed review identified a major data gap in the role of trees under hydric conditions (high water table), along with uncertainties on their effectiveness in large catchments (>˜40 km²) and in extreme rainfall events. The field experiment provided the first set of soil hydrology data from an ephemeral wetland in New Zealand showing the benefits of newly established trees in improving hydraulic conductivity of soils. The soil hydrology data is a useful baseline for continuous monitoring of the forested wetlands undergoing restoration. The use of the Land Use Capability Indicator was its first application for the optimisation of flood mitigation in a forested wetland. Its suggested target areas are not necessarily conducive for survival of some tree species, although if suitable species are established, flood risk mitigation could be maximised. Further research on what native species are best for what conditions and in what combinations is recommended, to increase survival in the proposed target areas.</p>


Wetlands ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevan J. Minick ◽  
Alexia M. Kelley ◽  
Guofang Miao ◽  
Xuefeng Li ◽  
Asko Noormets ◽  
...  

1970 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-335
Author(s):  
E. Maleki ◽  
G.Y. Meng ◽  
M. Faseleh Jahromi ◽  
R. Jorfi ◽  
A. Khoddami ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seed oil (PSO) on gas and methane (CH4) production, ruminal fermentation and microbial populations under in vitro conditions. Three treatments consisting of a control diet containing 10 mg tallow (CON); the control diet with 5 mg PSO + 5 mg tallow (MPSO) and the control diet containing 10 mg PSO (HPSO) were compared. Ten mg of the experimental fat/oil samples were inserted into a gas-tight 100 mL plastic syringe containing 30 mL of an incubation inoculum and 250 mg of a basic substrate of a hay/concentrate (1/1, w/w) mixture. In vitro gas production was recorded over 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 h of incubation. After 24 hours, incubation was stopped, and methane production, pH, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and microbial counts were measured in the inoculant. Gas production at 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 h incubation, metabolizable energy and in vitro organic matter disappearance increased linearly and quadratically as level of PSO increased. Furthermore, the 10 mg PSO (HPSO) decreased CH4 production by 21.0% compared with the control (CON) group. There were no significant differences in total and individual VFA concentrations between different levels of PSO, except for butyric acid. After 24 h of incubation, methanogenesis decreased in the HPSO compared with the MPSO and CON treatments. In addition, total bacteria and protozoa counts increased with rising PSO levels, while population methanogenesis declined significantly. These results suggested that PSO could reduce methane emissions, which might be beneficial to nutrient utilization and growth in ruminants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 753-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina Boussaada ◽  
Rabah Arhab ◽  
Serena Calabrò ◽  
Raffaella Grazioli ◽  
Maria Ferrara ◽  
...  

Abstract The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of three Eucalyptus globulus extracts rich in phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, on rumen fermentation, methane (CH4) production, organic matter degradability and protozoa population using an in vitro gas production technique. Four concentrations (0, 50, 75 and 100 mg) of three Eucalyptus extracts (ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) were added to a diet of ruminants (forage: concentrate ratio 60:40) and incubated at 39°C under anaerobiosis with buffered rumen fluid. After 24 h, the fermentation fluid was analysed for ammonia-N and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Organic matter degradability (OMD) and protozoa were also determined; in vitro gas production was also recorded and CH4 concentration was measured. Compared to the control, CH4 production was significantly lower for ethyl acetate extract (P<0.05), but higher for n-butanol and aqueous extracts. Production of ammonia- N was lower in all Eucalyptus extracts (P<0.05). Propionate production (P<0.05) increased for ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts, whereas no effect was registered for VFA, for all Eucalyptus extracts. Ethyl acetate extract decreased in vitro OMD (P<0.05), whereas n-butanol and aqueous extracts were comparable to the control. Protozoa population decreased (P<0.05) for all extracts in comparison with the control. Eucalyptus ethyl acetate extract might be promising to be used as a potent anti-methanogenic additive. Moreover, the assessment of the right dosage seems to be important to decrease methane production, without reducing feed nutritional value.


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