Effect of rice plants on methane production and rhizospheric metabolism in paddy soil

In order to elucidate the effects of rice plants on CH₄ production, we conducted experiments with soil slurries and planted rice microcosms. Methane production in anoxic paddy soil slurries was stimulated by the addition of rice straw, of unsterile or autoclaved rice roots, and of the culture fluid in which rice plants had axenically been cultivated. The addition of these compounds also increased the concentrations of acetate and H₂, precursors of CH₄ production, in the soil. Planted compared to unplanted paddy soil microcosms exhibited lower porewater CH₄ concentrations but higher CH₄ emission rates. They also exhibited higher sulfate concentrations but similar nitrate concentrations. Concentrations of acetate, lactate and H₂ were not much different between planted and unplanted microcosms. Pulse labeling of rice plants with¹⁴CO₂ resulted during the next 5 days in transient accumulation of radioactive lactate, propionate and acetate, and after the second day of incubation in the emission of¹⁴CH₄. Most of the radioactivity (40–70%) was incorporated into the above-ground biomass of rice plants. However, during a total incubation of 16 days about 3–6% of the applied radioactivity was emitted as¹⁴CH₄, demonstrating that plant-derived carbon was metabolized and significantly contributed to CH₄ production. The sequence of the appearance of radioactive products and their specific radioactivities indicate that CH₄ was produced from root exudates by a microbial community consisting of fermenting and methanogenic bacteria.     

Microbial processes influencing methane emission from rice fields

Irrigated rice fields are an important source of atmospheric methane. In order to improve our understanding of the controlling processes, we measured in situ CH₄ emission and CH₄ oxidation in an Italian rice field in 1998 and 1999, and studied CH₄ production in soil and root samples. The CH₄ emission rates were correlated with diurnal temperature variations and showed pronounced seasonal and interannual variations. The contribution of CH₄ oxidation to total CH₄ flux, determined by specific inhibition with difluoromethane, decreased from 40% at the beginning to zero at the end of the season. The stable carbon isotopic composition of the emitted CH₄ also decreased. The CH₄‐oxidizing bacteria probably became limited by nitrogen as indicated by the seasonal decrease of NH₄⁺. Thus, CH₄ oxidation had little effect on CH₄ emission. Methane production on rice roots was relatively constant over the season. Methane production in soil slowly increased after flooding and was highest in the middle of the season. Pore water concentrations of CH₄ showed a similar seasonal pattern. In 1999, CH₄ production increased later in the season and reached lower rates than in 1998. An additional drainage in 1999 resulted in higher ferric iron concentrations, higher soil redox potentials and lower acetate concentrations. As a result, acetate‐utilizing methanogens were probably out‐competed by iron‐reducers so that a larger percentage of [2–¹⁴C]acetate was converted to ¹⁴CO₂ instead of ¹⁴CH₄. The residual CH₄ production was relatively low and was mainly due to H₂/CO₂‐dependent methanogenesis. Experiments with radioactive bicarbonate and with methyl fluoride as specific inhibitor showed that the theoretical ratio of 7:3 of methanogenesis from acetate vs. H₂/CO₂ was only reached later in the season when total CH₄ production was at the maximum. In conclusion, our results give a mechanistic explanation for the intraseasonal and interannual differences in CH₄ emission.     

Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes in boreal peatland microcosms with different vegetation cover—effects of ozone or ultraviolet-B exposure

O₃ concentrations in the troposphere are rising and those in the stratosphere decreasing, the latter resulting in higher fluxes of solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation to the earth's surface. We assessed whether the fluxes of CO₂ and CH₄ are altered by enhanced UV-B radiation or elevated tropospheric O₃ concentrations in boreal peatland microcosms (core depth 40 cm, diameter 10.5 cm) with different vegetation cover. At the end of the UV-B experiment which lasted for a growing season, net CO₂ exchange (NEE) and dark ecosystem respiration (R _TOT) were sevenfold higher, and CH₄ efflux 12-fold higher, in microcosms with intact vegetation dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum L. and Sphagnum spp., compared to microcosms from which we removed E. vaginatum. Vegetation treatment had minor effects on CH₄ production and consumption potentials in the peat, suggesting that the large difference in CH₄ efflux is mainly due to efficient CH₄ transport via the aerenchyma of E. vaginatum. Ambient UV-B supplemented with 30% and elevated O₃ concentrations (100 and 200 ppb, for 7 weeks) significantly increased R _TOT in both vegetation treatments. Elevated O₃ concentrations reduced NEE over time, while UV-B had no clear effects on the fluxes of CO₂ or CH₄ in the cloudy summer of the study. Field experiments are needed to assess the significance of increasing UV-B radiation and elevated tropospheric O₃ concentration on peatland gas exchange in the long-term.     

Partitioning of CH4 and CO2 Production Originating from Rice Straw,Soil and Root Organic Carbon in Rice Microcosms

Flooded rice fields are an important source of the greenhouse gas CH₄. Possible carbon sources for CH₄ and CO₂ production in rice fields are soil organic matter (SOM), root organic carbon (ROC) and rice straw (RS), but partitioning of the flux between the different carbon sources is difficult. We conducted greenhouse experiments using soil microcosms planted with rice. The soil was amended with and without ¹³C-labeled RS, using two ¹³C-labeled RS treatments with equal RS (5 g kg⁻¹ soil) but different δ¹³C of RS. This procedure allowed to determine the carbon flux from each of the three sources (SOM, ROC, RS) by determining the δ¹³C of CH₄ and CO₂ in the different incubations and from the δ¹³C of RS. Partitioning of carbon flux indicated that the contribution of ROC to CH₄ production was 41% at tillering stage, increased with rice growth and was about 60% from the booting stage onwards. The contribution of ROC to CO₂ was 43% at tillering stage, increased to around 70% at booting stage and stayed relatively constant afterwards. The contribution of RS was determined to be in a range of 12–24% for CH₄ production and 11–31% for CO₂ production; while the contribution of SOM was calculated to be 23–35% for CH₄ production and 13–26% for CO₂ production. The results indicate that ROC was the major source of CH₄ though RS application greatly enhanced production and emission of CH₄ in rice field soil. Our results also suggest that data of CH₄ dissolved in rice field could be used as a proxy for the produced CH₄ after tillering stage.     

Coupled anaerobic methane oxidation and metal reduction in soil under elevated CO2

Continued current emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) by human activities will increase global atmospheric CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations and surface temperature significantly. Fields of paddy rice, the most important form of anthropogenic wetlands, account for about 9% of anthropogenic sources of CH₄. Elevated atmospheric CO₂ may enhance CH₄ production in rice paddies, potentially reinforcing the increase in atmospheric CH₄. However, what is not known is whether and how elevated CO₂ influences CH₄ consumption under anoxic soil conditions in rice paddies, as the net emission of CH₄ is a balance of methanogenesis and methanotrophy. In this study, we used a long-term free-air CO₂ enrichment experiment to examine the impact of elevated CO₂ on the transformation of CH₄ in a paddy rice agroecosystem. We demonstrate that elevated CO₂ substantially increased anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to manganese and/or iron oxides reduction in the calcareous paddy soil. We further show that elevated CO₂ may stimulate the growth and metabolism of Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens, which is actively involved in catalyzing AOM when coupled to metal reduction, mainly through enhancing the availability of soil CH₄. These findings suggest that a thorough evaluation of climate-carbon cycle feedbacks may need to consider the coupling of methane and metal cycles in natural and agricultural wetlands under future climate change scenarios.     

Experimental Test of a Mechanistic Model of Production, Flux and Gas Bubble Zonation in Non-vegetated Flooded Rice Field Soil

Anoxic wetlands are an important source for the greenhouse gas CH₄, much of which is emitted in form of gas bubbles. The conditions for formation of gas bubbles have recently been described by an analytical model, which allows the prediction of fluxes by first physical principles using the knowledge of gas concentration profiles and/or gas production rates. We tested parts of this model by experiments using microcosms of flooded, non-vegetated and homogeneous rice field soil incubated under different gas atmospheres and at different temperatures. In these experiments we determined rates of CH₄ and CO₂ production, upper boundaries of the bubble zone, gas-filled porosities and vertical profiles of dissolved CH₄, CO₂ and N₂. The results of our experiments confirmed that by knowing only one of the following parameters, i.e. CH₄ production, diffusive CH₄ flux and depth of upper boundary of bubble zone, the remainder could be predicted from the model. On average, predicted values differed from experimental ones by a factor of 0.4 –2.7, depending on which parameter was taken as an input for the model. It was possible to predict the percentage of gas bubble flux from measured CH₄ emission rates under the experimental conditions, which was on the order of 90%. The confrontation of the model with experimental data showed that the effect of the shallow upper oxic layer on bubble formation was negligible and that the CH₄ diffusive flux is easily underestimated by experiments lacking sufficient spatial resolution. Therefore, CH₄ production rates lower than in our microcosms would allow a more precise test of the model by creating less steep concentration gradients, which, however, would require long incubation times to purge the dissolved N₂ from the soil by ebullition and to reach true steady state.     

Effects of an experimental drought on soil emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and nitric oxide in a moist tropical forest

Changes in precipitation in the Amazon Basin resulting from regional deforestation, global warming, and El Niño events may affect emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and nitric oxide (NO) from soils. Changes in soil emissions of radiatively important gases could have feedback implications for regional and global climates. Here we report results of a large‐scale (1 ha) throughfall exclusion experiment conducted in a mature evergreen forest near Santarém, Brazil. The exclusion manipulation lowered annual N₂O emissions by >40% and increased rates of consumption of atmospheric CH₄ by a factor of >4. No treatment effect has yet been detected for NO and CO₂ fluxes. The responses of these microbial processes after three rainy seasons of the exclusion treatment are characteristic of a direct effect of soil aeration on denitrification, methanogenesis, and methanotrophy. An anticipated second phase response, in which drought‐induced plant mortality is followed by increased mineralization of C and N substrates from dead fine roots and by increased foraging of termites on dead coarse roots, has not yet been detected. Analyses of depth profiles of N₂O and CO₂ concentrations with a diffusivity model revealed that the top 25 cm soil is the site of most of the wet season production of N₂O, whereas significant CO₂ production occurs down to 100 cm in both seasons, and small production of CO₂ occurs to at least 1100 cm depth. The diffusivity‐based estimates of CO₂ production as a function of depth were strongly correlated with fine root biomass, indicating that trends in belowground C allocation may be inferred from monitoring and modeling profiles of H₂O and CO₂.     

泥炭沼泽湿地关键元素地球化学特征及其对碳排放的影响机制

硫、铁是泥炭沼泽湿地（泥炭地）中重要的生源要素,其参与下的生物地球化学过程对泥炭地碳循环意义重大。选取德国中部两处典型的雨养型泥炭地高海拔样点（TBP）和低海拔样点（TSP）,通过原位采集泥炭剖面孔隙水和可溶性气体等,研究了硫、铁元素等地球化学变化规律,结合DOC、甲烷（CH₄）和二氧化碳（CO₂）浓度分布,探讨其对泥炭地碳排放的影响。研究结果表明：（1） TBP中总还原无机硫（TRIS）浓度随深度先增后减,且上部0-87 cm平均浓度远高于87 cm深度以下,上部硫酸盐还原作用强烈。结合上部亚铁、硫化氢（H₂S）浓度分布,得知该范围内H₂S主要是通过微生物硫酸盐还原作用（BSR）生成,同时H₂S在孔隙水扩散过程中易与亚铁结合为硫化亚铁,进而生成稳定的黄铁矿,这一反应过程在约60 cm处减缓。（2） TBP、TSP两处采样点中DOC与亚铁、硫酸盐均有较强相关性,是由于地下水位的波动影响氧化还原程度以及微生物活性。两处采样点DOC均与亚铁呈显著正相关关系,表明铁氧化物在厌氧环境中被还原溶解产生亚铁,与其结合的有机碳被释放到溶液中从而导致DOC浓度的升高。TBP中DOC与硫酸盐呈显著负相关关系,表明硫酸盐作为电子受体被还原的过程中消耗酸度使pH值升高,增强了其中微生物的活性,DOC浓度由此增加。（3） CH₄与硫酸盐、TRIS浓度在剖面上均呈现相反变化趋势,表明硫酸盐输入的增加以及硫酸盐还原活动均会抑制CH₄生成。CO₂/CH₄均大于4,表明硫酸盐作为替代电子受体会使厌氧条件下碳矿化转向多CO₂和少CH₄生成。此外,亚铁对于CH₄生成一定程度上会起到低促高抑的效果,而对于CO₂的生成的影响较弱。表明硫酸盐对于CH₄和CO₂生成的影响高于亚铁。研究着重探究硫、铁等关键元素地下部生物地球化学过程对碳排放的影响机制,研究结果可为泥炭地碳排放核算提供理论支撑。     

Magnitude and biophysical regulators of methane emission and consumption in the Australian agricultural, forest, and submerged landscapes: a review

Increases in the concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) due to human activities are associated with global climate change. CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere has increased by 33% (to 380 ppm) since 1750 ad, whilst CH₄ concentration has increased by 75% (to 1,750 ppb), and as the global warming potential (GWP) of CH₄ is 25 fold greater than CO₂ it represents about 20% of the global warming effect. The purpose of this review is to: (a) address recent findings regarding biophysical factors governing production and consumption of CH₄, (b) identify the current level of knowledge regarding the main sources and sinks of CH₄ in Australia, and (c) identify CH₄ mitigation options and their potential application in Australian ecosystems. Almost one-third of CH₄ emissions are from natural sources such as wetlands and lake sediments, which is poorly documented in Australia. For Australia, the major anthropogenic sources of CH₄ emissions include energy production from fossil fuels (~24%), enteric fermentation in the guts of ruminant animals (~59%), landfills, animal wastes and domestic sewage (~15%), and biomass burning (~5%), with minor contributions from manure management (1.7%), land use, land-use change and forestry (1.6%), and rice cultivation (0.2%). A significant sink exists for CH₄ (~6%) in aerobic soils, including agricultural and forestry soils, and potentially large areas of arid soils, however, due to limited information available in Australia, it is not accounted for in the Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. CH₄ emission rates from submerged soils vary greatly, but mean values ≤10 mg m^?2 h^?1 are common. Landfill sites may emit CH₄ at one to three orders of magnitude greater than submerged soils. CH₄ consumption rates in non-flooded, aerobic agricultural, pastoral and forest soils also vary greatly, but mean values are restricted to ≤100 μg m^?2 h^?1, and generally greatest in forest soils and least in agricultural soils, and decrease from temperate to tropical regions. Mitigation options for soil CH₄ production primarily relate to enhancing soil oxygen diffusion through water management, land use change, minimised compaction and soil fertility management. Improved management of animal manure could include biogas capture for energy production or arable composting as opposed to open stockpiling or pond storage. Balanced fertiliser use may increase soil CH₄ uptake, reduce soil N₂O emissions whilst improving nutrient and water use efficiency, with a positive net greenhouse gas (CO₂-e) effect. Similarly, the conversion of agricultural land to pasture, and pastoral land to forestry should increase soil CH₄ sink. Conservation of native forests and afforestation of degraded agricultural land would effectively mitigate CH₄ emissions by maintaining and enhancing CH₄ consumption in these soils, but also by reducing N₂O emissions and increasing C sequestration. The overall impact of climate change on methanogenesis and methanotrophy is poorly understood in Australia, with a lack of data highlighting the need for long-term research and process understanding in this area. For policy addressing land-based greenhouse gas mitigation, all three major greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O) should be monitored simultaneously, combined with improved understanding at process-level.     

Stoichiometry and temperature sensitivity of methanogenesis and CO2 production from saturated polygonal tundra in Barrow,Alaska

Arctic permafrost ecosystems store ~50% of global belowground carbon (C) that is vulnerable to increased microbial degradation with warmer active layer temperatures and thawing of the near surface permafrost. We used anoxic laboratory incubations to estimate anaerobic CO₂ production and methanogenesis in active layer (organic and mineral soil horizons) and permafrost samples from center, ridge and trough positions of water‐saturated low‐centered polygon in Barrow Environmental Observatory, Barrow AK, USA. Methane (CH₄) and CO₂ production rates and concentrations were determined at ?2, +4, or +8 °C for 60 day incubation period. Temporal dynamics of CO₂ production and methanogenesis at ?2 °C showed evidence of fundamentally different mechanisms of substrate limitation and inhibited microbial growth at soil water freezing points compared to warmer temperatures. Nonlinear regression better modeled the initial rates and estimates of Q₁₀ values for CO₂ that showed higher sensitivity in the organic‐rich soils of polygon center and trough than the relatively drier ridge soils. Methanogenesis generally exhibited a lag phase in the mineral soils that was significantly longer at ?2 °C in all horizons. Such discontinuity in CH₄ production between ?2 °C and the elevated temperatures (+4 and +8 °C) indicated the insufficient representation of methanogenesis on the basis of Q₁₀ values estimated from both linear and nonlinear models. Production rates for both CH₄ and CO₂ were substantially higher in organic horizons (20% to 40% wt. C) at all temperatures relative to mineral horizons (<20% wt. C). Permafrost horizon (~12% wt. C) produced ~5‐fold less CO₂ than the active layer and negligible CH₄. High concentrations of initial exchangeable Fe(II) and increasing accumulation rates signified the role of iron as terminal electron acceptors for anaerobic C degradation in the mineral horizons.     

A pan‐Arctic synthesis of CH4 and CO2 production from anoxic soil incubations

Permafrost thaw can alter the soil environment through changes in soil moisture, frequently resulting in soil saturation, a shift to anaerobic decomposition, and changes in the plant community. These changes, along with thawing of previously frozen organic material, can alter the form and magnitude of greenhouse gas production from permafrost ecosystems. We synthesized existing methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) production measurements from anaerobic incubations of boreal and tundra soils from the geographic permafrost region to evaluate large‐scale controls of anaerobic CO₂ and CH₄ production and compare the relative importance of landscape‐level factors (e.g., vegetation type and landscape position), soil properties (e.g., pH, depth, and soil type), and soil environmental conditions (e.g., temperature and relative water table position). We found fivefold higher maximum CH₄ production per gram soil carbon from organic soils than mineral soils. Maximum CH₄ production from soils in the active layer (ground that thaws and refreezes annually) was nearly four times that of permafrost per gram soil carbon, and CH₄ production per gram soil carbon was two times greater from sites without permafrost than sites with permafrost. Maximum CH₄ and median anaerobic CO₂ production decreased with depth, while CO₂:CH₄ production increased with depth. Maximum CH₄ production was highest in soils with herbaceous vegetation and soils that were either consistently or periodically inundated. This synthesis identifies the need to consider biome, landscape position, and vascular/moss vegetation types when modeling CH₄ production in permafrost ecosystems and suggests the need for longer‐term anaerobic incubations to fully capture CH₄ dynamics. Our results demonstrate that as climate warms in arctic and boreal regions, rates of anaerobic CO₂ and CH₄ production will increase, not only as a result of increased temperature, but also from shifts in vegetation and increased ground saturation that will accompany permafrost thaw.     

Methanogenic Pathway and Archaeal Community Structure in the Sediment of Eutrophic Lake Dagow: Effect of Temperature

Methanogenic degradation of organic matter is an important microbial process in lake sediments. Temperature may affect not only the rate but also the pathway of CH₄ production by changing the activity and the abundance of individual microorganisms. Therefore, we studied the function and structure of a methanogenic community in anoxic sediment of Lake Dagow, a eutrophic lake in north-eastern Germany. Incubation of sediment samples (in situ 7.5°C) at increasing temperatures (4, 10, 15, 25, 30°C) resulted in increasing production rates of CH₄ and CO₂ and in increasing steady-state concentrations of H₂. Thermodynamic conditions for H₂/CO₂ -dependent methanogenesis were only exergonic at 25 and 30°C. Inhibition of methanogenesis with chloroform resulted in the accumulation of methanogenic precursors, i.e., acetate, propionate, and isobutyrate. Mass balance calculations indicated that less CH₄ was formed via H₂ at 4°C than at 30°C. Conversion of ¹⁴CO₂ to ¹⁴CH₄ also showed that H₂/CO₂ -dependent methanogenesis contributed less to total CH₄ production at 4°C than at 30°C. [2–¹⁴ C]Acetate turnover rates at 4°C accounted for a higher percentage of total CH₄ production than at 30°C. Collectively, these results showed a higher contribution of H₂-dependent methanogenesis and a lower contribution of acetate-dependent methanogenesis at high versus low temperature. The archaeal community was characterized by cloning, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA genes retrieved from the sediment. Sequences were affiliated with Methanosaetaceae, Methanomicrobiaceae, and three deeply branching euryarchaeotal clusters, i.e., group III, Rice cluster V, and a novel euryarchaeotal cluster, the LDS cluster. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis showed that 16S rRNA genes affiliated to Methanosaetaceae (20–30%), Methanomicrobiaceae (35–55%), and group III (10–25%) contributed most to the archaeal community. Incubation of the sediment at different temperatures (4–30°C) did not result in a systematic change of the archaeal community composition, indicating that change of temperature primarily affected the activity rather than the structure of the methanogenic community.     

Recovery of Methanogenesis Following Summer Drought in Soils from Two Cool Temperate Peatlands,New York State,USA

Following a summer drought, intact cores of peat soil from two cool temperate peatlands (a rain-fed bog and a groundwater-fed swamp) were exposed experimentally to three different water table levels. The goal was to examine recovery of anaerobic methanogenesis and to evaluate peat soil decomposition to methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) upon rewetting. Methane emission from soils to the atmosphere was greatest (mean = 80 μmol m^?2 s^?1) when the entire peat core was rewetted quickly; emission was negligible at low water level and when peat cores were rewetted gradually. Rates of CO₂ emission (mean = 1.0 μmol m^?2 s^?1) were relatively insensitive to water level. Concentrations of CH₄ in soil air spaces suggest that onset of methanogenesis induces, but later represses, aerobic oxidation of CH₄ above the water table. Concentrations of CO₂ suggest production at the soil surface of swamp peat versus at greater depths in bog peat. Portions of peat soil incubated in vitro without oxygen (O₂) exhibited a lag before the onset of methanogenesis, and the lag time was less in peat from the cores rewetted quickly. The inhibition of methanogenesis by the selective inhibitor 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid (BES) decreased CO₂ production by 20 to 30% but resulted in an increase in concentrations of DOC by 2 to 5 times. The results show that methanogens in peat soils tolerate moderate drought, and recovery varies among different peat types. In peat soils, the inhibition of methanogenesis might enhance DOC availability.     

温带针阔混交林土壤碳氮气体通量的主控因子与耦合关系

中高纬度森林地区由于气候条件变化剧烈,土壤温室气体排放量的估算存在很大的不确定性,并且不同碳氮气体通量的主控因子与耦合关系尚不明确。以长白山温带针阔混交林为研究对象,采用静态箱-气相色谱法连续4a(2005—2009年)测定土壤二氧化碳(CO2)、甲烷(CH4)和氧化亚氮(N2O)净交换通量以及温度、水分等相关环境因子。研究结果表明:温带针阔混交林土壤整体上表现为CO2和N2O的排放源和CH4的吸收汇。土壤CH4、CO2和N2O通量的年均值分别为-1.3 kg CH4hm-2a-1、15102.2 kg CO2hm-2a-1和6.13 kg N2O hm-2a-1。土壤CO2通量呈现明显的季节性规律,主要受土壤温度的影响,水分次之;土壤CH4通量的季节变化不明显,与土壤水分显著正相关;土壤N2O通量季节变化与土壤CO2通量相似,与土壤水分、温度显著正相关。土壤CO2通量和CH4通量不存在任何类型的耦合关系,与N2O通量也不存在耦合关系;土壤CH4和N2O通量之间表现为消长型耦合关系。这项研究显示温带针阔混交林土壤碳氮气体通量主要受环境因子驱动,不同气体通量产生与消耗之间存在复杂的耦合关系,下一步研究需要深入探讨环境变化对其耦合关系的影响以及内在的生物驱动机制。     

Oxygen effects on methane production and oxidation in humid tropical forest soils

We investigated the effects of oxygen (O₂) concentration on methane (CH₄) production and oxidation in two humid tropical forests that differ in long‐term, time‐averaged soil O₂ concentrations. We identified sources and sinks of CH₄ through the analysis of soil gas concentrations, surface emissions, and carbon isotope measurements. Isotope mass balance models were used to calculate the fraction of CH₄ oxidized in situ. Complementary laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effects of O₂ concentration on gross and net rates of methanogenesis. Field and laboratory experiments indicated that high levels of CH₄ production occurred in soils that contained between 9±1.1% and 19±0.2% O₂. For example, we observed CH₄ concentrations in excess of 3% in soils with 9±1.1% O₂. CH₄ emissions from the lower O₂ sites were high (22–101 nmol CH₄ m^?2 s^?1), and were equal in magnitude to CH₄ emissions from natural wetlands. During peak periods of CH₄ efflux, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions became enriched in ¹³C because of high methanogenic activity. Gross CH₄ production was probably greater than flux measurements indicated, as isotope mass balance calculations suggested that 48–78% of the CH₄ produced was oxidized prior to atmospheric egress. O₂ availability influenced CH₄ oxidation more strongly than methanogenesis. Gross CH₄ production was relatively insensitive to O₂ concentrations in laboratory experiments. In contrast, methanotrophic bacteria oxidized a greater fraction of total CH₄ production with increasing O₂ concentration, shifting the δ¹³C composition of CH₄ to values that were more positive. Isotopic measurements suggested that CO₂ was an important source of carbon for methanogenesis in humid forests. The δ¹³C value of methanogenesis was between ?84‰ and ?98‰, which is well within the range of CH₄ produced from CO₂ reduction, and considerably more depleted in ¹³C than CH₄ formed from acetate.     

Methane and soil CO2 production from current‐season photosynthates in a rice paddy exposed to elevated CO2 concentration and soil temperature

Quantification of rhizodeposition (root exudates and root turnover) represents a major challenge for understanding the links between above‐ground assimilation and below‐ground anoxic decomposition of organic carbon in rice paddy ecosystems. Free‐air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) fumigating depleted ¹³CO₂ in rice paddy resulted in a smaller ¹³C/¹²C ratio in plant‐assimilated carbon, providing a unique measure by which we partitioned the sources of decomposed gases (CO₂ and CH₄) into current‐season photosynthates (new C) and soil organic matter (old C). In addition, we imposed a soil‐warming treatment nested within the CO₂ treatments to assess whether the carbon source was sensitive to warming. Compared with the ambient CO₂ treatment, the FACE treatment decreased the ¹³C/¹²C ratio not only in the rice‐plant carbon but also in the soil CO₂ and CH₄. The estimated new C contribution to dissolved CO₂ was minor (ca. 20%) at the tillering stage, increased with rice growth and was about 50% from the panicle‐formation stage onwards. For CH₄, the contribution of new C was greater than for heterotrophic CO₂ production; ca. 40–60% of season‐total CH₄ production originated from new C with a tendency toward even larger new C contribution with soil warming, presumably because enhanced root decay provided substrates for greater CH₄ production. The results suggest a fast and close coupling between photosynthesis and anoxic decomposition in soil, and further indicate a positive feedback of global warming by enhanced CH₄ emission through greater rhizodeposition.     

Effect of hydrological conditions on nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide dynamics in a bottomland hardwood forest and its implication for soil carbon sequestration

This study was conducted at three locations in a bottomland hardwood forest with a distinct elevation and hydrological gradient: ridge (high, dry), transition, and swamp (low, wet). At each location, concentrations of soil greenhouse gases (N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂), their fluxes to the atmosphere, and soil redox potential (Eh) were measured bimonthly, while the water table was monitored every day. Results show that soil Eh was significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with water table: a negative correlation at the ridge and transition locations, but a positive correlation at the permanently flooded swamp location. Both soil gas profile analysis and surface gas flux measurements indicated that the ridge and transition locations could be a sink of atmospheric CH₄, especially in warm seasons, but generally functioned as a minor source of CH₄ in cool seasons. The swamp location was a major source of CH₄, and the emission rate was higher in the warm seasons (mean 28 and median 23 mg m^?2 h^?1) than in the cool seasons (both mean and median 13 mg m^?2 h^?1). Average CO₂ emission rate was 251, 380 and 52 mg m^?2 h^?1 for the ridge, transition and swamp location, respectively. At each location, higher CO₂ emission rates were also found in the warm seasons. The lowest CO₂ emission rate was found at the swamp location, where soil C content was the highest, due to less microbial biomass, less CO₂ production in such an anaerobic environment, and greater difficulty of CO₂ diffusion to the atmosphere. Cumulative global warming potential emission from these three greenhouse gases was in an order of swamp > transition > ridge location. The ratio CO₂/CH₄ production in soil is a critical factor for evaluating the overall benefit of soil C sequestration, which can be greatly offset by CH₄ production and emission.     

Nitrogen fertilizer and landscape position impacts on CO2 and CH4 fluxes from a landscape seeded to switchgrass

This study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of N fertilizer and landscape position on carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) fluxes from a US Northern Great Plains landscape seeded to switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). The experimental design included three N levels (low, 0 kg N ha⁻¹; medium, 56 kg N ha⁻¹; and high, 112 kg N ha⁻¹) replicated four times. The experiment was repeated at shoulder and footslope positions. Soil CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes were monitored once every 2 weeks from May 2010 to October 2012. The CO₂ fluxes were 40% higher at the footslope than the shoulder landscape position, and CH₄ fluxes were similar in both landscape positions. Soil CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes averaged over the sampling dates were not impacted by N rates. Seasonal variations showed highest CO₂ release and CH₄ uptake in summer and fall, likely due to warmer and moist soil conditions. Higher CH₄ release was observed in winter possibly due to increased anaerobic conditions. However, year to year (2010–2012) variations in soil CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes were more pronounced than the variations due to the impact of landscape positions and N rates. Drought conditions reported in 2012, with higher annual temperature and lower soil moisture than long-term average, resulted in higher summer and fall CO₂ fluxes (between 1.3 and 3 times) than in 2011 and 2010. These conditions also promoted a net CH₄ uptake in 2012 in comparison to 2010 when there was net CH₄ release. Results from this study conclude that landscape positions, air temperature, and soil moisture content strongly influenced soil CO₂ fluxes, whereas soil moisture impacted the direction of CH₄ fluxes (uptake or release). However, a comprehensive life cycle analysis would be appropriate to evaluate environmental impacts associated with switchgrass production under local environmental conditions.     

Temperature sensitivity of greenhouse gas production in wetland soils of different vegetation

Organic matter decomposition regulates rates of carbon loss (CO₂ and CH₄) in wetlands and has implications for carbon sequestration in the context of changing global temperature. Here we determined the influence of temperature and vegetation type on both aerobic and anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in subtropical wetland soils. As in many other studies, increased temperature resulted in higher rates of respiration and methanogenesis under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and the positive effect of temperature depended on vegetation (source of carbon substrate to soil). Under anaerobic incubations, the proportion of gaseous C (CO₂ and CH₄) lost as CH₄ increased with temperature indicating a greater sensitivity of methanogenesis to temperature. This was further supported by a wider range of Q₁₀ values (1.4–3.6) for methane production as compared with anaerobic CO₂ (1.3–2.5) or aerobic CO₂ (1.4–2.1) production. The increasing strength of positive linear correlation between CO₂:CH₄ ratio and the soil organic matter ligno-cellulose index at higher temperature indicated that the temperature sensitivity of methanogenesis was likely the result of increased C availability at higher temperature. This information adds to our basic understanding of decomposition in warmer subtropical and tropical wetland systems and has implications for C models in wetlands with different vegetation types.     

Methane emissions from rice microcosms: The balance of production, accumulation and oxidation

In rice microcosms (Oryza sativa, var. Roma, type japonica),CH₄ emission, CH₄ production, CH₄oxidation and CH₄ accumulation were measured over an entirevegetation period. Diffusive CH₄ emission was measured inclosed chambers, CH₄ production was measured in soil samples,CH₄ oxidation was determined from the difference between oxicand anoxic emissions, and CH₄ accumulation was measured byanalysis of porewater and gas bubbles. The sum of diffusiveCH₄ emission, CH₄ oxidation, andCH₄ accumulation was only 60% of the cumulativeCH₄ production. The two values diverged during the first 50days (vegetative phase) and then again during the last 50 days (latereproductive phase and senescence) of the 150 day vegetation period. Duringthe period of day 50–100 (early reproductive phase/flowering), theprocesses were balanced. Most likely, gas bubbles and diffusion limitationare responsible for the divergence in the early and late phases. The effectof rice on CH₄ production rates and CH₄concentrations was studied by measuring these processes also in unplantedmicrocosms. Presence of rice plants lowered the CH₄concentrations, but had no net effect on the CH₄ productionrates.