scholarly journals Water level, vegetation composition and plant productivity explain greenhouse gas fluxes in temperate cutover fens after inundation

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 17393-17452 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Minke ◽  
J. Augustin ◽  
A. Burlo ◽  
T. Yarmashuk ◽  
H. Chuvashova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Phragmites Australis ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Typha Latifolia ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Eriophorum Angustifolium ◽  
Gas Fluxes ◽  
Vegetation Water ◽  
Flooded Areas

Abstract. Rewetting of temperate continental cutover peatlands generally implies the creation of flooded areas, which are – dependent on water depth – colonized by helophytes such as Eriophorum angustifolium, Carex spp., Typha latifolia or Phragmites australis. Reeds of Typha and Phragmites are reported to be large sources of methane, but data on net CO2 uptake are contradictory for Typha and rare for Phragmites. This paper describes the effect of vegetation, water level and nutrient conditions on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for representative vegetation types along water level gradients at two rewetted cutover fens (mesotrophic and eutrophic) in Belarus. Greenhouse emissions were measured with manual chambers in weekly to few – weekly intervals over a two years period and interpolated by modelling. All sites had negligible nitrous oxide exchange rates. Most sites were carbon sinks and small GHG sources. Methane emissions were generally associated with net ecosystem CO2 uptake. Small sedges were minor methane emitters and net CO2 sinks, while Phragmites australis sites released large amounts of methane and sequestered very much CO2. Variability of both fluxes increased with site productivity. Floating mats composed of Carex tussocks and Typha latifolia were a source for both methane and CO2. We conclude that shallow, stable flooding is a better measure to arrive at low GHG emissions than deep flooding, and that the risk of high GHG emissions consequent on rewetting is larger for eutrophic than for mesotrophic peatlands.

scholarly journals Water level, vegetation composition, and plant productivity explain greenhouse gas fluxes in temperate cutover fens after inundation

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3945-3970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merten Minke ◽  
Jürgen Augustin ◽  
Andrei Burlo ◽  
Tatsiana Yarmashuk ◽  
Hanna Chuvashova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Phragmites Australis ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Typha Latifolia ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Vegetation Composition ◽  
Flooded Areas

Abstract. Peat extraction leaves a land surface with a strong relief of deep cutover areas and higher ridges. Rewetting inundates the deep parts, while less deeply extracted zones remain at or above the water level. In temperate fens the flooded areas are colonized by helophytes such as Eriophorum angustifolium, Carex spp., Typha latifolia or Phragmites australis dependent on water depth. Reeds of Typha and Phragmites are reported as large sources of methane, but data on net CO2 uptake are contradictory for Typha and rare for Phragmites. Here, we analyze the effect of vegetation, water level and nutrient conditions on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for representative vegetation types along water level gradients at two rewetted cutover fens (mesotrophic and eutrophic) in Belarus. Greenhouse gas emissions were measured campaign-wise with manual chambers every 2 to 4 weeks for 2 years and interpolated by modelling. All sites had negligible nitrous oxide exchange rates. Most sites were carbon sinks and small GHG sources. Methane emissions generally increased with net ecosystem CO2 uptake. Mesotrophic small sedge reeds with water table around the land surface were small GHG sources in the range of 2.3 to 4.2 t CO2 eq. ha−1 yr−1. Eutrophic tall sedge – Typha latifolia reeds on newly formed floating mats were substantial net GHG emitters in the range of 25.1 to 39.1 t CO2 eq. ha−1 yr. They represent transient vegetation stages. Phragmites reeds ranged between −1.7 to 4.2 t CO2 eq. ha−1 yr−1 with an overall mean GHG emission of 1.3 t CO2 eq. ha−1 yr−1. The annual CO2 balance was best explained by vegetation biomass, which includes the role of vegetation composition and species. Methane emissions were obviously driven by biological activity of vegetation and soil organisms. Shallow flooding of cutover temperate fens is a suitable measure to arrive at low GHG emissions. Phragmites australis establishment should be promoted in deeper flooded areas and will lead to moderate, but variable GHG emissions or even occasional sinks. The risk of large GHG emissions is higher for eutrophic than mesotrophic peatlands. Nevertheless, flooding of eutrophic temperate fens still represents a safe GHG mitigation option because even the hotspot of our study, the floating tall sedge – Typha latifolia reeds, did not exceed the typical range of GHG emissions from drained fen grasslands and the spatially dominant Phragmites australis reed emitted by far less GHG than drained fens.

scholarly journals Greenhouse gas balance of cropland conversion to bioenergy poplar short-rotation coppice

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sabbatini ◽  
N. Arriga ◽  
T. Bertolini ◽  
S. Castaldi ◽  
T. Chiti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Hybrid Poplar ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Net Ecosystem Exchange ◽  
Short Rotation Coppice ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Balance ◽  
Short Rotation ◽  
Ch4 And N2o

Abstract. The production of bioenergy in Europe is one of the strategies conceived to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The suitability of the land use change from a cropland (REF site) to a short-rotation coppice plantation of hybrid poplar (SRC site) was investigated by comparing the GHG budgets of these two systems over 24 months in Viterbo, Italy. This period corresponded to a single rotation of the SRC site. The REF site was a crop rotation between grassland and winter wheat, i.e. the same management of the SRC site before the conversion to short-rotation coppice. Eddy covariance measurements were carried out to quantify the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (FCO2), whereas chambers were used to measure N2O and CH4 emissions from soil. The measurements began 2 years after the conversion of arable land to SRC so that an older poplar plantation was used to estimate the soil organic carbon (SOC) loss due to SRC establishment and to estimate SOC recovery over time. Emissions from tractors and from production and transport of agricultural inputs (FMAN) were modelled. A GHG emission offset, due to the substitution of natural gas with SRC biomass, was credited to the GHG budget of the SRC site. Emissions generated by the use of biomass (FEXP) were also considered. Suitability was finally assessed by comparing the GHG budgets of the two sites. CO2 uptake was 3512 ± 224 g CO2 m−2 at the SRC site in 2 years, and 1838 ± 107 g CO2 m−2 at the REF site. FEXP was equal to 1858 ± 240 g CO2 m−2 at the REF site, thus basically compensating for FCO2, while it was 1118 ± 521 g CO2 m−2 at the SRC site. The SRC site could offset 379.7 ± 175.1 g CO2eq m−2 from fossil fuel displacement. Soil CH4 and N2O fluxes were negligible. FMAN made up 2 and 4 % in the GHG budgets of SRC and REF sites respectively, while the SOC loss was 455 ± 524 g CO2 m−2 in 2 years. Overall, the REF site was close to neutrality from a GHG perspective (156 ± 264 g CO2eq m−2), while the SRC site was a net sink of 2202 ± 792 g CO2eq m−2. In conclusion the experiment led to a positive evaluation from a GHG viewpoint of the conversion of cropland to bioenergy SRC.

Effects of topsoil removal on greenhouse gas exchange of fen paludicultures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp-Fernando Köwitsch ◽  
Bärbel Tiemeyer
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Typha Latifolia ◽  
Phosphorus Release ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Topsoil Removal ◽  
Productive Land ◽  
The One

<p>Drainage is necessary for conventional agriculture on peatlands, but this practice causes high emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHG) carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Paludiculture is an option to mitigate these adverse environmental effects while maintaining productive land use. Whereas the GHG exchange of paludiculture on rewetted bog peat, i.e. <em>Sphagnum</em> farming, is relatively well examined, data on GHG emissions from fen paludicultures is still very scarce. As typical fen paludiculture species are all aerenchymous plants, the release of methane is of particular interest when optimising the GHG balance of such systems. Topsoil removal is, on the one hand, an option to reduce methane emissions as well as phosphorus release upon rewetting, but on the other hand, nutrient-rich topsoils might foster biomass growth.</p><p>In this project, <em>Typha angustifolia</em>, <em>Typha latifolia</em>, and <em>Phragmites australis</em> are grown at a fen peatland formerly used as grassland. Water levels will be kept at the surface or slightly above it. In parts of the newly created polder, the topsoil will be removed. To be able to separate the effects of topsoil removal and water level, four smaller sub-polders will be installed. Greenhouse gas exchange will be measured with closed manual chambers for all three species with and without topsoil removal as well as at a reference grassland site close by.</p>

scholarly journals Greenhouse gas emissions from riparian zone cropland in a tributary bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8503
Author(s):  
XiaoXiao Wang ◽  
Ping Huang ◽  
Maohua Ma ◽  
Kun Shan ◽  
Zhaofei Wen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Three Gorges Reservoir ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Paddy Fields ◽  
Three Gorges ◽  
Dry Lands ◽  
The Three Gorges

Background A huge reservoir was formed by the Three Gorges Dam in China, which also formed a riparian zone along the bank of the reservoir. In the period of low water-level, the riparian zone in tributary bays of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) was always unordered cultivated, owing to its gentle slope and high soil fertility. This land-use practice creates high potential of generating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with periodic water level fluctuation. Methods To evaluate potential GHG emissions from the soil-air interface, the static opaque chamber method was adopted to evaluate the effect of elevations (180 m, 175 m, 170 m and 165 m) and land use types (dry lands, paddy fields and grass fields) from April to September in 2015 and 2016. Results The results showed that carbon dioxide (CO2) was the main contributor of GHG emission in riparian zone most likely because of high organic carbon from residues. Furthermore, high soil water content in paddy fields resulted in significantly higher methane (CH4) flux than that in dry lands and grass fields. Compared to grass fields, anthropogenic activities in croplands were attributed with a decrease of soil total carbon and GHG emissions. However, inundation duration of different elevations was found to have no significant effect on CH4 and CO2 emissions in the riparian zone, and the mean nitrous oxide (N2O) flux from dry lands at an elevation of 165 m was significantly higher than that of other elevations likely because of tillage and manure application. The high N2O fluxes produced from tillage and fertilizer suggested that, in order to potentially mitigate GHG emissions from the riparian zone, more attention must be paid to the farming practices in dry lands at low elevations (below 165 m) in the riparian zone. Understanding factors that contribute to GHG emissions will help guide ecological restoration of riparian zones in the TGR.

scholarly journals A closed-chamber method to measure greenhouse gas fluxes from dry aquatic sediments

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 2377-2382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Lesmeister ◽  
Matthias Koschorreck
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
No Production ◽  
Co2 Fluxes ◽  
Aquatic Sediments ◽  
Closed Chamber ◽  
Sealing Material ◽  
Gas Fluxes

Abstract. Recent research indicates that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dry aquatic sediments are a relevant process in the freshwater carbon cycle. However, fluxes are difficult to measure because of the often rocky substrate and the dynamic nature of the habitat. Here we tested the performance of different materials to seal a closed chamber to stony ground both in laboratory and field experiments. Using on-site material consistently resulted in elevated fluxes. The artefact was caused both by outgassing of the material and production of gas. The magnitude of the artefact was site dependent – the measured CO2 flux increased between 10 and 208 %. Errors due to incomplete sealing proved to be more severe than errors due to non-inert sealing material.Pottery clay as sealing material provided a tight seal between the chamber and the ground and no production of gases was detected. With this approach it is possible to get reliable gas fluxes from hard-substrate sites without using a permanent collar. Our test experiments confirmed that CO2 fluxes from dry aquatic sediments are similar to CO2 fluxes from terrestrial soils.

scholarly journals Comparison of soil greenhouse gas fluxes from extensive and intensive grazing in a temperate maritime climate

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 10057-10085
Author(s):  
U. Skiba ◽  
S. K. Jones ◽  
J. Drewer ◽  
C. Helfter ◽  
M. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Net Ecosystem Exchange ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Gas Fluxes ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Fluxes ◽  
Temperature Radiation ◽  
Ch4 And N2o ◽  
Ghg Fluxes ◽  
Grazed Grassland

Abstract. Greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from a seminatural, extensively sheep grazed drained moorland and intensively sheep grazed fertilised grassland in SE Scotland were compared over 4 yr (2007–2010). Nitrous oxide and CH4 fluxes were measured by static chambers, respiration from soil including ground vegetation by a flow through chamber and the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 by eddy covariance. All GHG fluxes displayed high temporal and interannual variability. Temperature, radiation, water table height and precipitation could explain a significant percentage of seasonal and interannual variations. Greenhouse gas fluxes were dominated by the net ecosystem exchange of CO2, emissions of N2O from the grazed grassland (384 g CO2eq m−2 yr−1) and emissions of CH4 from ruminant fermentation (147 g CO2eq m−2 yr−1). Methane emissions from the moorland were small (6.7 g CO2eq m−2 yr−1). Net ecosystem exchange of CO2 and respiration were much larger on the productive fertilised grassland (−1624 and +7157 g CO2eq m−2 yr−1, respectively) than the seminatural moorland (−338 and +2554 g CO2eq m−2 yr−1, respectively). Large CH4 and N2O losses from the grazed grassland counteracted the CO2 uptake by 35%, whereas the small N2O and CH4 emissions from the moorland did only impact the NEE by 2%.The 4 yr average GHG budget for the grazed grassland was 1006 g CO2eq m−2 yr−1 and 331 g CO2eq m−2 yr−1 for the moorland.

scholarly journals Greenhouse gas emissions and surface water management

2020 ◽  
Vol 382 ◽  
pp. 643-649
Author(s):  
Anne Marieke Motelica-Wagenaar ◽  
Jos Beemster
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Groundwater Level ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Soil Subsidence ◽  
Water Board ◽  
The Mean

Abstract. Soil subsidence is one of the major issues in the management area of the water authority Amstel, Gooi and Vecht, including emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper describes four different methods to calculate these emissions in agricultural peat meadows, based on (1) the mean lowest groundwater level, (2) the mean groundwater level, (3) the subsidence rates and (4) general numbers. The emissions were calculated in two polders (about 2600 ha peat meadow), these were comparable for all methods, ranging from 42 up to 50 kton CO2-eq yr−1 (based on data of 2015), which is about 14.5 up to 19 t CO2-eq ha−1 yr−1. Besides, the greenhouse gas emissions were compared for different policy scenario's in one polder subunit (283 ha): (1) standard policy (lowering surface water level at the same rate as soil subsidence taking place), (2) passive rewetting (surface water level fixation), (3) subsurface irrigation by submerged drains, and (4) a maximum surface water level decrease of 6 mm yr−1. Comparing the four policy scenario's in one polder subunit, greenhouse gas emissions were lowest in case of subsurface irrigation, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by about 35 %–50 % in this polder compared to standard policy, meaning a decrease of about 5.5–9.3 t CO2-eq ha−1 yr−1. This represents a value of about 550–930 EUR ha−1 yr−1 (at a price of EUR 100 per ton CO2-eq). The scenario passive rewetting leads to a decrease of about 12 %–21 %, or 2–3 t CO2-eq ha−1 yr−1 compared to standard policy. The estimation of the decrease in GHG emissions depends on the assumptions made. In this study it was assumed that subsurface irrigation halves soil subsidence. The water board will use the described procedures to estimate greenhouse gas emissions in the future to support water level management in areas with peat soils.

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