Soil greenhouse gas fluxes and global warming potential in four high-yielding maize systems

Crop intensification is often thought to increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but studies in which crop management is optimized to exploit crop yield potential are rare. We conducted a field study in eastern Nebraska, USA to quantify GHG emissions, changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and the net global warming potential (GWP) in four irrigated systems: continuous maize with recommended best management practices (CC‐rec) or intensive management (CC‐int) and maize–soybean rotation with recommended (CS‐rec) or intensive management (CS‐int). Grain yields of maize and soybean were generally within 80–100% of the estimated site yield potential. Large soil surface carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes were mostly associated with rapid crop growth, high temperature and high soil water content. Within each crop rotation, soil CO₂ efflux under intensive management was not consistently higher than with recommended management. Owing to differences in residue inputs, SOC increased in the two continuous maize systems, but decreased in CS‐rec or remained unchanged in CS‐int. N₂O emission peaks were mainly associated with high temperature and high soil water content resulting from rainfall or irrigation events, but less clearly related to soil NO₃‐N levels. N₂O fluxes in intensively managed systems were only occasionally greater than those measured in the CC‐rec and CS‐rec systems. Fertilizer‐induced N₂O emissions ranged from 1.9% to 3.5% in 2003, from 0.8% to 1.5% in 2004 and from 0.4% to 0.5% in 2005, with no consistent differences among the four systems. All four cropping systems where net sources of GHG. However, due to increased soil C sequestration continuous maize systems had lower GWP than maize–soybean systems and intensive management did not cause a significant increase in GWP. Converting maize grain to ethanol in the two continuous maize systems resulted in a net reduction in life cycle GHG emissions of maize ethanol relative to petrol‐based gasoline by 33–38%. Our study provided evidence that net GHG emissions from agricultural systems can be kept low when management is optimized toward better exploitation of the yield potential. Major components for this included (i) choosing the right combination of adopted varieties, planting date and plant population to maximize crop biomass productivity, (ii) tactical water and nitrogen (N) management decisions that contributed to high N use efficiency and avoided extreme N₂O emissions, and (iii) a deep tillage and residue management approach that favored the build‐up of soil organic matter from large amounts of crop residues returned.     

Effects of biochar application on soil greenhouse gas fluxes: a meta‐analysis

Biochar application to soils may increase carbon (C) sequestration due to the inputs of recalcitrant organic C. However, the effects of biochar application on the soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes appear variable among many case studies; therefore, the efficacy of biochar as a carbon sequestration agent for climate change mitigation remains uncertain. We performed a meta‐analysis of 91 published papers with 552 paired comparisons to obtain a central tendency of three main GHG fluxes (i.e., CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) in response to biochar application. Our results showed that biochar application significantly increased soil CO₂ fluxes by 22.14%, but decreased N₂O fluxes by 30.92% and did not affect CH₄ fluxes. As a consequence, biochar application may significantly contribute to an increased global warming potential (GWP) of total soil GHG fluxes due to the large stimulation of CO₂ fluxes. However, soil CO₂ fluxes were suppressed when biochar was added to fertilized soils, indicating that biochar application is unlikely to stimulate CO₂ fluxes in the agriculture sector, in which N fertilizer inputs are common. Responses of soil GHG fluxes mainly varied with biochar feedstock source and soil texture and the pyrolysis temperature of biochar. Soil and biochar pH, biochar applied rate, and latitude also influence soil GHG fluxes, but to a more limited extent. Our findings provide a scientific basis for developing more rational strategies toward widespread adoption of biochar as a soil amendment for climate change mitigation.     

Changes in soil greenhouse gas fluxes by land use change from primary forest

Primary forest conversion is a worldwide serious problem associated with human disturbance and climate change. Land use change from primary forest to plantation, grassland or agricultural land may lead to profound alteration in the emission of soil greenhouse gases (GHG). Here, we conducted a global meta‐analysis concerning the effects of primary forest conversion on soil GHG emissions and explored the potential mechanisms from 101 studies. Our results showed that conversion of primary forest significantly decreased soil CO₂ efflux and increased soil CH₄ efflux, but had no effect on soil N₂O efflux. However, the effect of primary forest conversion on soil GHG emissions was not consistent across different types of land use change. For example, soil CO₂ efflux did not respond to the conversion from primary forest to grassland. Soil N₂O efflux showed a prominent increase within the initial stage after conversion of primary forest and then decreased over time while the responses of soil CO₂ and CH₄ effluxes were consistently negative or positive across different elapsed time intervals. Moreover, either within or across all types of primary forest conversion, the response of soil CO₂ efflux was mainly moderated by changes in soil microbial biomass carbon and root biomass while the responses of soil N₂O and CH₄ effluxes were related to the changes in soil nitrate and soil aeration‐related factors (soil water content and bulk density), respectively. Collectively, our findings highlight the significant effects of primary forest conversion on soil GHG emissions, enhance our knowledge on the potential mechanisms driving these effects and improve future models of soil GHG emissions after land use change from primary forest.     

Potential impacts of climate change on nitrogen transformations and greenhouse gas fluxes in forests: a soil transfer study

Relatively little research has been conducted on how climate change may affect the structure and function of arid to semiarid ecosystems of the American Southwest. Along the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks of Arizona, USA, I transferred intact soil cores from a spruce‐fir to a ponderosa pine forest 730 m lower in elevation to assess the potential impacts of climate change on soil N cycling and trace gas fluxes. The low‐elevation site has a mean annual soil temperature about 2.5°C higher than the high‐elevation site. Net rates of N transformations and trace gas fluxes were measured in high‐elevation soil cores incubated in situ and soil cores transferred to the low‐elevation site. Over a 13‐month period, volumetric soil water content was similar in transferred soil cores relative to soil cores incubated in situ. Net N mineralization and nitrification increased over 80% in transferred soil cores compared with in situ soil cores. Soil transfer significantly increased net CO₂ efflux (120%) and net CH₄ consumption (90%) relative to fluxes of these gases from soil cores incubated in situ. Soil net N₂O fluxes were relatively low and were not generally altered by soil transfer. Although the soil microbial biomass as a whole decreased in transferred soil cores compared with in situ soil cores after the incubation period, active bacterial biomass increased. Transferring soil cores from the low‐elevation to the high‐elevation site (i.e. simulated global cooling) commonly, but not consistently, resulted in the opposite effects on soil pools and processes. In general, soil containment (root trenching) did not significantly affect soil measurements. My results suggest that small increases in mean annual temperature can have large impacts on soil N cycling, soil–atmosphere trace gas exchanges, and soil microbial communities even in ecosystems where water availability is a major limiting resource.     

施氮对桉树人工林生长季土壤温室气体通量的影响

施肥是维持短期轮伐人工林生产量的重要手段,为了提高肥料利用效率,缓释氮肥逐渐成为广泛采用的氮肥种类。评估缓释肥施用对人工林生长季土壤温室气体通量的影响对于全面评估人工林施肥的环境效应具有重要意义。以我国南方广泛种植的桉树林为对象,采用野外控制实验研究了4种施氮处理(对照CK:0 kg/hm2;低氮L:84.2 kg/hm2;中氮M:166.8 kg/hm2;高氮H:333.7 kg/hm2)对土壤-大气界面3种温室气体(CO2、N2O和CH4)通量的影响,结果表明:(1)4种施氮水平下CO2排放通量、N2O排放通量和CH4吸收通量分别为276.84—342.84 mg m-2h-1、17.64—375.34μg m-2h-1和29.65—39.70μg m-2h-1;施氮显著促进了N2O的排放(P0.01),高氮处理显著增加CO2排放和显著减少CH4吸收(P0.05),且CO2排放通量与CH4吸收通量随着施氮量的增加分别呈现增加和减少的趋势;(2)生长季CO2和N2O排放呈现显著正相关(P0.01),CO2排放和CH4吸收呈现显著负相关(P0.05),N2O排放和CH4吸收呈现显著负相关(P0.01);(3)土壤温度和土壤水分是影响CO2、N2O排放通量和CH4吸收通量的主要环境因素。结果表明:施用缓释肥显著增加了桉树林生长季土壤N2O排放量,且高氮处理还显著促进CO2排放和显著抑制CH4吸收,上述研究结果可为人工林缓释肥对土壤温室气体通量评估提供参数。     

Ten years of elevated CO2 affects soil greenhouse gas fluxes in an open top chamber experiment

Plant and Soil - Biochar application to soil is widely claimed to increase plant productivity. However, the underlying mechanisms are still not conclusively described. Here, we aim to elucidate...     

Rate estimation for a simple movement model

This paper introduces a simple stochastic model for waterfowl movement. After outlining the properties of the model, we focus on parameter estimation. We compare three standard least squares estimation procedures with maximum likelihood (ML) estimates using Monte Carlo simulations. For our model, little is gained by incorporating information about the covariance structure of the process into least squares estimation. In fact, misspecifying the covariance produces worse estimates than ignoring heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation. We also develop a modified least squares procedure that performs as well as ML. We then apply the five estimators to field data and show that differences in the statistical properties of the estimators can greatly affect our interpretation of the data. We conclude by highlighting the effects of density on per capita movement rates.     

Soil greenhouse gas fluxes in floodplain forests of the Danube National Park: effects of flooding and soil microclimate

Biogeochemistry - The effects of single macrofauna taxa on benthic nitrogen (N) cycling have been extensively studied, whereas how macrofaunal communities affect N-related processes remains poorly...     

A simple method for the comparative estimation of soil water

Summary A simple instrument has been devised for the comparative estimation of soil moisture under field conditions where more elaborate tecniques are not practicable. It consists of a solid length of porous clay, the size and shape of an ordinary pencil, pointed at one end and with a graduated scale along its length. The point is stuck into the soil, and the distance to which the water moves along the stem is used as a measure of the water-supplying power of the soil. Since it is not possible to calibrate in absolute units, the direct readings are used comparatively. Laboratory and field tests of the instrument are discussed.     

氮沉降对森林土壤主要温室气体通量的影响

大气氮沉降已经并将继续对森林土壤主要温室气体(CO2、CH4和N2O)通量产生影响.综述了国内外氮沉降对森林土壤主要温室气体通量影响及其机理的研究现状.由于森林类型、土壤N状况、氮沉降量及沉降类型等不同,氮沉降对森林土壤主要温室气体通量的影响主要表现为抑制、促进和不显著3种效果.在N限制的森林中,氮沉降对土壤主要温室气体通量无显著影响,或促进土壤CO2排放;在"N饱和"的森林中,氮沉降可减少土壤CO2排放,抑制对大气CH4的吸收,增加N2O排放.分析了产生以上影响效果的作用机理,介绍了氮沉降对森林土壤主要温室气体通量影响的研究方法,探讨了该领域存在的问题及未来研究的方向.     

Effects of nitrogen deposition on the greenhouse gas fluxes from forest soils

Nitrogen (N) deposition can alter the rates of microbial N- and C- turnover, and thus can affect the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHG, e.g., CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) from forest soils. The effects of N deposition on the GHG fluxes from forest soils were reviewed in this paper. N deposition to forest soils have shown variable effects on the soil GHG fluxes from forest, including increases, decreases or unchanged rates depending on forest type, N status of the soil, and the rate and type of atmospheric N deposition. In forest ecosystems where biological processes are limited by N supply, N additions either stimulate soil respiration or have no significant effect, whereas in “N saturated” forest ecosystems, N additions decrease CO₂ emission, reduce CH₄ oxidation and elevate N₂O flux from the soil. The mechanisms and research methods about the effects of N deposition on GHG fluxes from forest soils were also reviewed in this paper. Finally, the present and future research needs about the effects of N deposition on the GHG fluxes from forest soils were discussed.     

Offsetting global warming‐induced elevated greenhouse gas emissions from an arable soil by biochar application

Global warming will likely enhance greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils. Due to its slow decomposability, biochar is widely recognized as effective in long‐term soil carbon (C) sequestration and in mitigation of soil GHG emissions. In a long‐term soil warming experiment (+2.5 °C, since July 2008) we studied the effect of applying high‐temperature Miscanthus biochar (0, 30 t/ha, since August 2013) on GHG emissions and their global warming potential (GWP) during 2 years in a temperate agroecosystem. Crop growth, physical and chemical soil properties, temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (R_s), and metabolic quotient (qCO₂) were investigated to yield further information about single effects of soil warming and biochar as well as on their interactions. Soil warming increased total CO₂ emissions by 28% over 2 years. The effect of warming on soil respiration did not level off as has often been observed in less intensively managed ecosystems. However, the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration was not affected by warming. Overall, biochar had no effect on most of the measured parameters, suggesting its high degradation stability and its low influence on microbial C cycling even under elevated soil temperatures. In contrast, biochar × warming interactions led to higher total N₂O emissions, possibly due to accelerated N‐cycling at elevated soil temperature and to biochar‐induced changes in soil properties and environmental conditions. Methane uptake was not affected by soil warming or biochar. The incorporation of biochar‐C into soil was estimated to offset warming‐induced elevated GHG emissions for 25 years. Our results highlight the suitability of biochar for C sequestration in cultivated temperate agricultural soil under a future elevated temperature. However, the increased N₂O emissions under warming limit the GHG mitigation potential of biochar.     

淡水水生生态系统温室气体排放的主要途径及影响因素研究进展

淡水水生生态系统是全球陆域生态系统的重要组成部分,近年来,关于淡水水生生态系统温室气体排放的研究日益增多。基于国内外目前对湖泊、河流、水库及浅水池塘等淡水生态系统开展的最新研究成果,总结分析了淡水水生生态系统温室气体排放的3个主要途径及相应观测方法。气泡排放的观测方法有倒置漏斗法、开放式动态箱法和超声探测技术;植物传输的观测方法有密闭箱法和植株切割法;扩散途径的观测方法有静态浮箱法、模型估算法/梯度法、微气象学法、TDLAS吸收光谱法等。从物理因素、化学因素、生物因素、水动力因素和人类活动等角度,深入探讨了淡水水生生态系统温室气体排放通量的影响因素。最后根据当前研究中存在的不足,对今后的研究方向提出了建议,以期为我国进一步深入开展相关研究提供借鉴。     

Decadal vegetation changes in a northern peatland, greenhouse gas fluxes and net radiative forcing

Thawing permafrost in the sub‐Arctic has implications for the physical stability and biological dynamics of peatland ecosystems. This study provides an analysis of how permafrost thawing and subsequent vegetation changes in a sub‐Arctic Swedish mire have changed the net exchange of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO₂) and CH₄ over the past three decades. Images of the mire (ca. 17 ha) and surroundings taken with film sensitive in the visible and the near infrared portion of the spectrum, [i.e. colour infrared (CIR) aerial photographs from 1970 and 2000] were used. The results show that during this period the area covered by hummock vegetation decreased by more than 11% and became replaced by wet‐growing plant communities. The overall net uptake of C in the vegetation and the release of C by heterotrophic respiration might have increased resulting in increases in both the growing season atmospheric CO₂ sink function with about 16% and the CH₄ emissions with 22%. Calculating the flux as CO₂ equivalents show that the mire in 2000 has a 47% greater radiative forcing on the atmosphere using a 100‐year time horizon. Northern peatlands in areas with thawing sporadic or discontinuous permafrost are likely to act as larger greenhouse gas sources over the growing season today than a few decades ago because of increased CH₄ emissions.     

A global meta‐analysis of forest bioenergy greenhouse gas emission accounting studies

The potential greenhouse gas benefits of displacing fossil energy with biofuels are driving policy development in the absence of complete information. The potential carbon neutrality of forest biomass is a source of considerable scientific debate because of the complexity of dynamic forest ecosystems, varied feedstock types, and multiple energy production pathways. The lack of scientific consensus leaves decision makers struggling with contradicting technical advice. Analyzing previously published studies, our goal was to identify and prioritize those attributes of bioenergy greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis that are most influential on length of carbon payback period. We investigated outcomes of 59 previously published forest biomass greenhouse gas emissions research studies published between 1991 and 2014. We identified attributes for each study and classified study cases by attributes. Using classification and regression tree analysis, we identified those attributes that are strong predictors of carbon payback period (e.g. the time required by the forest to recover through sequestration the carbon dioxide from biomass combusted for energy). The inclusion of wildfire dynamics proved to be the most influential in determining carbon payback period length compared to other factors such as feedstock type, baseline choice, and the incorporation of leakage calculations. Additionally, we demonstrate that evaluation criteria consistency is required to facilitate equitable comparison between projects. For carbon payback period calculations to provide operational insights to decision makers, future research should focus on creating common accounting principles for the most influential factors including temporal scale, natural disturbances, system boundaries, GHG emission metrics, and baselines.     

Simulating greenhouse gas mitigation potentials for Chinese Croplands using the DAYCENT ecosystem model

Understanding the potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation in agricultural lands is a critical challenge for climate change policy. This study uses the DAYCENT ecosystem model to predict GHG mitigation potentials associated with soil management in Chinese cropland systems. Application of ecosystem models, such as DAYCENT, requires the evaluation of model performance with data sets from experiments relevant to the climate and management of the study region. DAYCENT was evaluated with data from 350 cropland experiments in China, including measurements of nitrous oxide emissions (N₂O), methane emissions (CH₄), and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes. In general, the model was reasonably accurate with R² values for model predictions vs. measurements ranging from 0.71 to 0.85. Modeling efficiency varied from 0.65 for SOC stock changes to 0.83 for crop yields. Mitigation potentials were estimated on a yield basis (Mg CO₂‐equivalent Mg^?1Yield). The results demonstrate that the largest decrease in GHG emissions in rainfed systems are associated with combined effect of reducing mineral N fertilization, organic matter amendments and reduced‐till coupled with straw return, estimated at 0.31 to 0.83 Mg CO₂‐equivalent Mg^?1Yield. A mitigation potential of 0.08 to 0.36 Mg CO₂‐equivalent Mg^?1Yield is possible by reducing N chemical fertilizer rates, along with intermittent flooding in paddy rice cropping systems.