Processes involved in formation and emission of methane in rice paddies

The seasonal change of the rates of production and emission of methane were determined under in-situ conditions in an Italian rice paddy in 1985 and 1986. The contribution to total emission of CH₄ of plant-mediated transport, ebullition, and diffusion through the flooding water was quantified by cutting the plants and by trapping emerging gas bubbles with funnels. Both production and emission of CH₄ increased during the season and reached a maximum in August. However, the numbers of methanogenic bacteria did not change. As the rice plants grew and the contribution of plant-mediated CH₄ emission increased, the percentage of the produced CH₄ which was reoxidized and thus, was not emitted, also increased. At its maximum, about 300 ml CH₄ were produced per m² per hour. However, only about 6% were emitted and this was by about 96% via plant-mediated transport. Radiotracer experiments showed that CH, was produced from H₂/CO₂. (30–50%) and from acetate. The pool concentration of acetate was in the range of 6–10 mM. The turnover time of acetate was 12–16 h. Part of the acetate pool appeared to be not available for production of CH₄ or CO₂     

Fluxes of methane and carbon dioxide from a small productive lake to the atmosphere

The fluxes of CH₄ and CO₂ to the atmosphere, and the relative contributions of ebullition and molecular diffusion, were determined for a small hypertrophic freshwater lake (Priest Pot, UK) over the period May to October 1997. The average total flux of CH₄ and CO₂ (estimated from 7 sites on the lake) was approximately 52 mmol m^–2 d^–1 and was apportioned 12 and 40 mmol m^–2 d^–1 toCH₄ and CO₂ respectively. Diffusion across the air-water interface accounted for the loss of 0.4and 40 mmol m^–2 d^–1 of CH₄ and CO₂ respectively whilst the corresponding figures for ebullition losses were 12.0 (CH₄) and 0.23 (CO₂) mmol m^–2 d^–1. Most CH₄ (96%) was lost by ebullition, and most CO₂ (99%) by diffusive processes. The ebullition of gas, measured at weekly intervals along a transect of the lake, showed high spatial and temporal variation. The CH₄ content of the trapped gas varied between 44 and 88% (by volume) and was highest at the deepest points. Pulses of gas ebullition were detected during periods of rapidly falling barometric pressure. Therelevance of the measurements to global estimates ofcarbon emission from freshwaters are discussed.     

Emission and oxidation of methane in Equisetum fluviatile stands growing on organic sediment and sand bottoms

Methane emission and rhizospheric CH₄ oxidation were studied in stands of Equisetum fluviatile, a common cryptogam in boreal lakes. The experiment was performed in mesocosms with organic sediment or sand bottoms under natural variation of temperature and light using the light-oxic – dark-anoxic chamber (LO/DA) technique. Net CH₄ emission from the organic sediment during the growing season varied between 3.4 and 19.0 mg m^–2 h^–1, but from sand the net CH₄ emission was only 3–10% of that measured from the organic sediment. In the organic sediment net CH₄ emission was very significantly correlated with sediment temperature (r² = 0.92). In the sand mesocosms the variation of net CH₄ emission was better correlated with the shoot biomass than with sediment temperature variation during the growing season, indicating that methanogens were severely limited by substrate availability and were probably dependent on substrates produced by E. fluviatile. The proportion of the methane oxidized of the potential CH₄ emission in summer did not differ significantly between the bottom types. The net CH₄ emission during the growing season as a proportion of the seasonal maximum of the shoot biomass was significantly higher in the organic sediment mesocosms (6.5%) than in sand (1.7%). The high CH₄ emissions observed from dense well-established E. fluviatile stands in the field appear to be more related to temperature-regulated turnover of detritus in the anaerobic sediment and less to CH₄ oxidation and seasonal variation in plant growth dynamics     

Seasonal variation of methane emissions from a temperate swamp

Methane flux measurements were made at four sites in a freshwater temperate swamp over the 13 month period of April 1985 through May 1986. Emissions were highly variable both between sites and over time at any one site. Ebullition from sediments was an important component of methane release. Although release of methane through bubbling occurred in only 19% of the measurements made between April and June 1985, when instrumentation allowed us to separate diffusive and bubble fluxes, ebullition accounted for 34% of the total flux during this period. Methane release rates showed a strong seasonal variation, with highest emission rates observed in early spring and again in late summer, which was associated with changes in plant growth and physiology. Emission rates were partially correlated with sediment temperature, but the relationship was not straightforward, and resembled a step function. Emissions responded strongly to temperature change through the range of 10–16°C. At winter sediment temperatures between 4–9°C, CH₄ flux continued at low rates (0–28 mg CH₄ m^–2d^–1; average = 7.9 mg CH₄m^–2d^–1) and appeared insensitive to changes in sediment temperature. Annual methane emission from three constantly flooded sites (mean water depth = 35 cm) was 43.7 +/- 7.8 gm^–2 (standard error); annual flux from a bank site was 41.4 +/- 20.5 gm^–2. A comparison of flux measurements from fresh and saline wetlands in the immediate area of Newport News Swamp emphasizes the importance of edaphic factors in controlling flux.     

Effect of experimental nitrogen load on methane and nitrous oxide fluxes on ombrotrophic boreal peatland

Methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) dynamics were studied in a boreal Sphagnum fuscum pine bog receiving annually (from 1991 to 1996) 30 or 100 kg NH₄NO₃-N ha^–1. The gas emissions were measured during the last three growing seasons of the experiment. Nitrogen treatment did not affect the CH₄ fluxes in the microsites where S. fuscum and S. angustifolium dominated. However, addition of 100 kg NH₄NO₃-N ha^–1 yr^–1 increased the CH₄ emission from those microsites dominated by S. fuscum. This increase was associated with the increase in coverage of cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum) induced by the nitrogen treatment. The differences in the CH₄ emissions were not related to the CH₄ oxidation and production potentials in the peat profiles. The N₂O fluxes were negligible from all microsites. Only minor short-term increases occurred after the nitrogen addition.     

Effect of tree distance on N2O and CH4-fluxes from soils in temperate forest ecosystems

Complete annual cycles of N₂O and CH₄ flux in forest soils at a beech and at a spruce site at the Höglwald Forest were followed in 1997 by use of fully automatic measuring systems. In order to test if on a microsite scale differences in the magnitude of trace gas exchange between e.g. areas in direct vicinity of stems and areas in the interstem region at both sites exist, tree chambers and gradient chambers were installed in addition to the already existing interstem chambers at our sites. N₂O fluxes were in a range of –4.6–473.3 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1 at the beech site and in a range of –3.7–167.2 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1 at the spruce site, respectively. Highest N₂O emissions were observed during and at the end of a prolonged frost period, thereby further supporting previous findings that frost periods are of crucial importance for controlling annual N₂O losses from temperate forests. Fluxes of CH₄ were in a range of +10.4––194.0 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1 at the beech site and in a range of –4.4––83.5 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1 at the spruce site. In general, both N₂O-fluxes as well as CH₄-fluxes were higher at the beech site. On a microsite scale, N₂O and CH₄ fluxes at the beech site were highest within the stem area (annual mean: 49.6±3.3 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1; –77.2±3.1 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1), and significantly lower within interstem areas (18.5±1.4 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1; –60.2±1.8 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1). Significantly higher values of total N, C and pH in the organic layer, as well as increased soil moisture, especially in spring, in the stem areas, are likely to contribute to the higher N₂O fluxes within the stem area of the beech. Also for the spruce site, such differences in trace gas fluxes could be demonstrated to exist (mean annual N₂O emission within (a) stem areas: 9.7±0.9 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1 and (b) interstem areas: 6.2±0.6 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1; mean annual CH₄ uptake within (a) stem areas: –26.1±0.6 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1 and (b) interstem areas: –38.4±0.8 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1), though they were not as pronounced as at the beech site.     

Four years continuous record of CH4-exchange between the atmosphere and untreated and limed soil of a N-saturated spruce and beech forest ecosystem in Germany

In order to gain information about seasonal and interannual variations of CH₄-fluxes at a spruce control site, a limed spruce site and a beech site of the Höglwald Forest, Bavaria, Germany, complete annual cycles of CH₄-exchange between the soil and the atmosphere with 2-hourly resolution were followed for 4 consecutive years. The ranges of CH₄ fluxes observed for the different sites were: +12.4 to –69.4 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1 (spruce control site), +11.7 to –51.4 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1 (limed spruce site), and –4.4 to –167.3 g CH₄ m^–2 h^–1 (beech site). Lowest rates of atmospheric CH₄-uptake or even a weak net-emission of CH₄ by the soils were observed during winter/spring times, whereas highest rates of CH₄-uptake were always found in summer/spring. Over the entire observation period of 4 years, mean CH₄-uptake rates were –1.82 kg CH₄-C ha^–1 yr^–1 at the spruce control site, –1.31 kg CH₄-C ha^–1 yr^–1 at the limed spruce site, and –4.84 kg CH₄-C ha^–1 yr^–1 at the beech site. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that in view of the huge interannual variations in CH₄-fluxes of approx. 1 kg CH₄-C ha^–1 yr^–1, multiple year measurements of CH₄-fluxes are necessary to accurately characterize the sink strength of temperate forest for atmospheric CH₄. By comparison of CH₄-fluxes measured at the spruce control site and the limed spruce site, a significant negative effect of forest floor liming on CH₄-uptake could be demonstrated. Compared to the spruce stand, the beech stand showed on average approx. 3 times higher rates of atmospheric CH₄-uptake, most likely due to pronounced differences between both sites with regard to the organic layer structure and bulk density of the mineral soil. Regression analysis between CH₄-fluxes and environmental parameters revealed that at all sites the dominating factors regulating temporal variations of CH₄ fluxes were soil moisture and soil temperature. Field measurements of CH₄ concentrations in the soil profile and laboratory measurements of CH₄-oxidation and CH₄-production activity on soil samples taken from different soil depths showed that the CH₄-flux at the Höglwald Forest sites is the net-result of simultaneous occurring production and consumption of CH₄ within the soil. Highest CH₄-oxidation activity was found in the uppermost centimeters of the mineral soil, whereas highest potential CH₄-production activity was found in the organic layer.     

Relationship between morphological and physiological responses to waterlogging and salinity in Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth

The effects of waterlogging and salinity on morphological and physiological responses in the marsh grass Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth were investigated in a 4×2 factorial experiment. Plants were subjected to four salinity levels (0, 100, 200 and 400 mol m^–3 NaCl) and two soil inundation conditions (drained and flooded) for 42 days. Flooding at 0 mol m^–3 NaCl caused initiation of adventitious surface roots, increased internal acration and plant height, induced alcohol dehydrogenase activity (ADH), and decreased belowground biomass and the number of culms per plant. Salinity increase from 0 to 400 mol m^–3 NaCl under drained conditions increased leaf and root proline concentrations and decreased photosynthesis, aboveground biomass, number of culms per plant and number of internodes per culm. Concurrent waterlogging and salinity induced ADH activity and adventitious surface roots but decreased plant height and aboveground biomass. Internal air space increased with waterlogging from 0 to 100 mol m^–3 NaCl but further increases in salinity to 400 mol m^–3 reduced air space. Combined waterlogging and salinity stresses, however, had no effect on photosynthesis or on the concentrations of proline in leaves or roots. These results are discussed in relation to the widespread colonization by S. virginicus of a wide range of coastal environments varying in soil salinity and in the frequency and intensity of waterlogging.     

Methane in sulfate-rich and sulfate-poor wetland sediments

Wetlands of northern Belize provide a unique opportunity to study methane production and emissions from marshes dominated by identical species (Typha domingensis, Cladium jamaicense) and genus (Eleocharis spp.), but differing substantially in the amount of sulfates present in the sediments. Some marshes occur on limestone marls rich in gypsum (CaSO₄) while others are underlain by alluvial sands poor in sulfates. Concentrations of methane and sulfates in the sediment interstitial water are one or more orders of magnitude different for these two geological substrata averaging 139.2 and 14.9 M of CH₄, and 0.08 and 11.53 mM of SO₄ ^–2 2 on alluvial sands and limestone respectively. The amount of methane found in the internal atmosphere of plants from alluvial sands is significantly higher (6.3 M) than in plants from limestone (0.19 M). The average methane emissions measured in wetlands located on alluvial sands were 25.2 mg m^–2 h^–1 while emissions from marshes on limestone were only 2.4 mg m^–2 h^–1. These values extrapolated for the entire year and the respective wetland areas resulted in the estimate of total CH4 emissions from northern Belize of 0.066 Tg per year.     

Effect of microrelief and vegetation on methane emission from wet polygonal tundra, Lena Delta, Northern Siberia

The effect of microrelief and vegetation on methane (CH₄) emission was investigated in a wet polygonal tundra of the Lena Delta, Northern Siberia (72.37N, 126.47E). Total and plant-mediated CH₄ fluxes were measured by closed-chamber techniques at two typical sites within a low-centred polygon. During the study period, total CH₄ flux averaged 28.0±5.4mgm^–2d^–1 in the depressed polygon centre and only 4.3±0.8mgm^–2d^–1 at the elevated polygon rim. This substantial small-scale spatial variability of CH₄ emission was caused by strong differences of hydrologic conditions within the microrelief of the polygon, which affected aeration status and organic matter content of the soils as well as the vegetation cover. Beside water table position, the vegetation cover was a major factor controlling CH₄ emission from polygonal tundra. It was shown that the dominant vascular plant of the study area, Carex aquatilis, possesses large aerenchyma, which serve as pathways for substantial plant-mediated CH₄ transport. The importance of plant-mediated CH₄ flux was strongly influenced by the position of the water table relative to the main root horizon. Plant-mediated CH₄ transport accounted for about two-thirds of the total flux in the wet polygon centre and for less than one-third of the total flux at the moist polygon rim. A clipping experiment and microscopic-anatomical studies suggested that plant-mediated CH₄ transport via C. aquatilis plants is driven only by diffusion and is limited by the high diffusion resistance of the dense root exodermes.     

Spatial and seasonal variation in greenhouse gas and nutrient dynamics and their interactions in the sediments of a boreal eutrophic lake

Dynamics of greenhouse gases, CH₄, CO₂ and N₂O, and nutrients, NO ₂ ^– + NO ₃ ^– , NH ₄ ⁺ and P, were studied in the sediments of the eutrophic, boreal Lake Kevätön in Finland. Undisturbed sediment cores taken in the summer, autumn and winter from the deep and shallow profundal and from the littoral were incubated in laboratory microcosms under aerobic and anaerobic water flow conditions. An increase in the availability of oxygen in water overlying the sediments reduced the release of CH₄, NH ₄ ⁺ and P, increased the flux of N₂O and NO ₂ ^– + NO ₃ ^– , but did not affect CO₂ production. The littoral sediments produced CO₂ and CH₄ at high rates, but released only negligible amounts of nutrients. The deep profundal sediments, with highest carbon content, possessed the greatest release rates of CO₂, CH₄, NH ₄ ⁺ and P. The higher fluxes of these gases in summer and autumn than in winter were probably due to the supply of fresh organic matter from primary production. From the shallow profundal sediments fluxes of CH₄, NH₄ ⁺ and P were low, but, in contrast, production of N₂O was the highest among the different sampling sites. Due to the large areal extension, the littoral and shallow profundal zones had the greatest importance in the overall gas and nutrient budgets in the lake. Methane emissions, especially the ebullition of CH₄ (up to 84% of the total flux), were closely related to the sediment P and NH ₄ ⁺ release. The high production and ebullition of CH₄, enhances the internal loading of nutrients, lake eutrophication status and the impact of boreal lakes to trophospheric gas budgets.     

Carbon Dioxide and Methane Production in Small Reservoirs Flooding Upland Boreal Forest

The FLooded Uplands Dynamics EXperiment (FLUDEX) was designed to assess the impact of reservoir creation on carbon cycling in boreal forests by (a) determining whether production of the greenhouse gases (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) in reservoirs is related to the amount of organic carbon (OC) stored in the flooded landscape, (b) examining temporal trends in GHG production during initial stages of flooding, and (c) considering the net difference between GHG fluxes before and after flooding to estimate the true effect of reservoir creation on atmospheric GHG levels. Three forested sites that varied in the amount of OC stored in soils and vegetation (30,870–45,860 kg C ha^–1) were experimentally flooded from June to September in 1999–2001. Throughout the study, net CO₂ and CH₄ production in all three reservoirs was not related to overall site OC storage. During the 1st flooding season, net CO₂ production in the three reservoirs was 703–797 kg C ha^–1, but it decreased during the 2nd and 3rd flooding seasons to between 408 and 479 kg C ha^–1. However, CH₄ production increased in all reservoirs with each flooding season, from about 3.2–4.6 kg C ha^–1 in 1999 to 12.8–24.9 kg C ha^–1 in 2000 and 29.7–35.2 kg C ha^–1 in 2001. Over the long term, effects of boreal reservoir creation on atmospheric GHG levels may be largely due to net changes in CH₄ cycling between the undisturbed and flooded ecosystems.     

Fluxes of nitrous oxide and methane on an abandoned peat extraction site: Effect of reed canary grass cultivation

Drained organic soils are among the most risky soil types as far as their greenhouse gas emissions are considered. Reed canary grass (RCG) is a potential bioenergy crop in the boreal region, but the atmospheric impact of its cultivation is unknown. The fluxes of N₂O and CH₄ were measured from an abandoned peat extraction site (an organic soil) cultivated with RCG using static chamber and snow gradient techniques. The fluxes were measured also at an adjacent site which is under active peat extraction and it is devoid of any vegetation (BP site). The 4-year average annual N₂O emissions were low being 0.1 and 0.01 g N₂O m⁻² a⁻¹ at the RCG and BP sites, respectively. The corresponding mean annual CH₄ emissions from the RCG and BP sites were also low (0.4 g and 0.9 g CH₄ m⁻² a⁻¹). These results highlight for the first time that there are organic soils where cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops is possible with low N₂O and CH₄ emissions.     

Winter CO2 CH4 and N2O fluxes on some natural and drained boreal peatlands

CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes during the winter were measured at natural and drained bog and fen sites in eastern Finland using both the closed chamber method and calculations of gas diffusion along a concentration gradient through the snowpack. The snow diffusion results were compared with those obtained by chamber, but the winter flux estimates were derived from chamber data only. CH₄ emissions from a poor bog were lower than those from an oligotrophic fen, while both CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes were higher in theCarex rostrata- occupied marginal (lagg) area of the fen than in the slightly less fertile centre. Average estimated winter CO₂-C losses from virgin and drained forested peatlands were 41 and 68 g CO₂-C m^–2, respectively, accounting for 23 and 21% of the annual total CO₂ release from the peat. The mean release of CH₄-C was 1.0 g in natural bogs and 3.4 g m^–2 in fens, giving rise to winter emissions averaging to 22% of the annual emission from the bogs and 10% of that from the fens. These wintertime carbon gas losses in Finnish natural peatlands were even greater than reported average long-term annual C accumulation values (less than 25g C m^–2). The narrow range of 10–30% of the proportion of winter CO₂ and CH₄ emissions from annual emissions found in Finnish peatlands suggest that a wider generalization in the boreal zone is possible. Drained forested bogs emitted 0.3 g CH₄-C m^–2 on the average, while the effectively drained fens consumed an average of 0.01 g CH₄-C m^–2. Reason for the low CH₄. efflux or net oxidation in drained peatlands probably lies in low substrate supply and thus low CH₄ production in the anoxic deep peat layers. N₂O release from a fertilized grassland site in November–May was 0.7 g N₂O m^–2, accounting for 38% of the total annual emission, while a forested bog released none and two efficiently drained forested fens 0.09 (28% of annual release) and 0.04 g N₂O m^–2 (27%) during the winter, respectively.     

Diel variation in lacunal CH4 and CO2 concentration and δ13C in Phragmites australis

We tested the hypothesis that the diurnal patterns of variationin lacunal gas concentrations and isotopic fractionationpreviously reported in a single plant genera (Typha)typified the patterns of all through-flow convective plantsby extending our observations to Phragmites australisCav. In daylight, Phragmites CH₄ transport isdriven by internal pressurization which results in gas flowdown young green culms and its exit from one year old deadbrown culms. Flow rates of 10.4 ± 4.0 mL min^–1 weremeasured in this study. At night, CH₄ is transportedfrom the sediments to the atmosphere via the lacunal plantspaces by molecular diffusion. Within green culms, lacunalCH₄ concentrations varied by a factor of 1000, from 3%(parts by volume) pre-dawn to lows of 25 ppmv during midday.Methane in brown culms varied by a factor of 10 diurnally,from 5% pre-dawn to 0.3% at midday. Lacunal CO₂concentrations varied similarly.Concentrations of both gases varied inversely with lacunalpressure. In green culms, large isotopic fractionations wereobserved in CH₄ and CO₂ in the morning and eveningduring transitions in gas transport mode and were associatedwith slight downward flows counter to the upward diffusionof these gases. Methane ¹³C as depletedas –100 was observed. In daylight, lacunal CH₄ wassimilar to or ¹³C depleted relative to sedimentary andemitted CH₄ isotopic values, but at night lacunalCH₄ was ¹³C enriched relative to sedimentarymethane. Overall, the diurnal variations of CH₄concentration and ¹³C value inPhragmiteswere similar to those observed in Typha andindicate that these patterns should be consistent in otherconvective-flow plants. Furthermore, our results demonstratethat the large isotopic fractionations found in aquaticplants can result solely from isotopic fractionationassociated with gas transport.     

Modeled production,oxidation, and transport processes of wetland methane emissions in temperate,boreal, and Arctic regions

Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane (CH₄) to the atmosphere. The eddy covariance method provides robust measurements of net ecosystem exchange of CH₄, but interpreting its spatiotemporal variations is challenging due to the co-occurrence of CH₄ production, oxidation, and transport dynamics. Here, we estimate these three processes using a data-model fusion approach across 25 wetlands in temperate, boreal, and Arctic regions. Our data-constrained model—iPEACE—reasonably reproduced CH₄ emissions at 19 of the 25 sites with normalized root mean square error of 0.59, correlation coefficient of 0.82, and normalized standard deviation of 0.87. Among the three processes, CH₄ production appeared to be the most important process, followed by oxidation in explaining inter-site variations in CH₄ emissions. Based on a sensitivity analysis, CH₄ emissions were generally more sensitive to decreased water table than to increased gross primary productivity or soil temperature. For periods with leaf area index (LAI) of ≥20% of its annual peak, plant-mediated transport appeared to be the major pathway for CH₄ transport. Contributions from ebullition and diffusion were relatively high during low LAI (<20%) periods. The lag time between CH₄ production and CH₄ emissions tended to be short in fen sites (3 ± 2 days) and long in bog sites (13 ± 10 days). Based on a principal component analysis, we found that parameters for CH₄ production, plant-mediated transport, and diffusion through water explained 77% of the variance in the parameters across the 19 sites, highlighting the importance of these parameters for predicting wetland CH₄ emissions across biomes. These processes and associated parameters for CH₄ emissions among and within the wetlands provide useful insights for interpreting observed net CH₄ fluxes, estimating sensitivities to biophysical variables, and modeling global CH₄ fluxes.     

Spatial and Seasonal CH4 Flux in the Littoral Zone of Miyun Reservoir near Beijing: The Effects of Water Level and Its Fluctuation

Wetlands, and especially their littoral zones, are considered to be CH₄ emissions hotspots. The recent creation of reservoirs has caused a rapid increase in the area of the world’s littoral zones. To investigate the effects of water depth and water level fluctuation on CH₄ fluxes, and how these are coupled with vegetation and nutrients, we used static closed chamber and gas chromatography techniques to measure CH₄ fluxes in the littoral zone of a large reservoir near Beijing, China, from November 2011 to October 2012. We found that CH₄ flux decreased significantly along a transect from open water to dry land, from 3.1 mg m⁻² h⁻¹ at the deep water site to approximately 1.3 mg m⁻² h⁻¹ at the shallow water site, and less than 0.01 mg m⁻² h⁻¹ in the non-flooded area. Water level influenced CH₄ flux by affecting soil properties including soil redox potential, soil carbon and nitrogen, and bulk density. The largest emission of all was from the seasonally flooded site after a flooding event (up to 21.1 mg m⁻² h⁻¹), which may have been caused by vegetation decomposition. Submerged sites had greater emissions, while the driest site had lower emissions. Immediately after the monthly measurements had been made, we removed the aboveground vegetation to enable an assessment of the gas transportation per unit of biomass. Removal of biomass decreased emissions by up to 53%. These results indicated the dominant effect of water depth on CH₄ flux through effects of soil conditions, plant species composition and distribution. This study suggests that temporally flooded wetlands, including littoral zones, contribute significantly to the global CH₄ burden. However, the current challenge is to capture their spatial extent and temporal variation in the fluxes.     

Methane emissions from fen,bog and swamp peatlands in Quebec

A static chamber technique was used weekly from spring thaw to winter freezing to measure methane emissions from 10 sites representing subarctic fens and temperate swamps and bogs. Rates of < 200 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1 were recorded in subarctic fens: within-site emissions were primarily controlled by the evolution of the peat thermal regime, though significant releases during spring thaw were recorded at some sites. Between subarctic fens, topography and water table elevation were important controls on methane emissions, with the general sequence: pool = horizontal fen> string. Emission rates from the 2 swamp sites were lower (< 20 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1 ), except during the spring thaw and when the sites were saturated. The low water table ( < 80 cm depth) in abnormally dry years reduced emission rates; rates were also low from a swamp site which had been drained and cleared of vegetation for horticulture. Methane emission rates were also low (< 5 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1) from 2 ombrotrophic bog sites. Laboratory measurements of rates of methane production under anaerobic conditions and methane consumption under aerobic conditions revealed that production rates were generally highest in the surface layers (0 to 2.5 cm depth); production was high in the fens and very low in the bogs. The swamp samples were able to produce methane under anaerobic conditions, but were also able to consume methane under aerobic conditions. Annual methane emission rates are estimated to be 1 to 10 g CH₄ m^–2 from the fens, 1 to 4 g CH4 m^–2 from the swamps and <0.2 g CH₄ m^–2 from the bogs and drained swamp.     

Effect of urea fertilizer and environmental factors on CH4 emissions from a Louisiana,USA rice field

Methane emissions from a flooded Louisiana, USA, rice field were measured over the first cropgrowing season. Microplots contained the semidwarf Lemont rice cultivar drill seeded into a Crowley silt loam soil (Typic Albaqualfs). Urea fertilizer was applied preflood at rates of 0, 100, 200 and 300 kg N ha^–1. Emissions of CH₄ from the plots to the atmosphere were measured over a 86-d sampling period until harvest. Methane samples were collected in the morning hours (0730–0930) using a closed-chamber technique. Emissions of CH₄ were highly variable over the first cropping season and a significant urea fertilizer effect was observed. Two peak CH₄ emission periods were observed and occurred about 11 d after panicle differentiation and during the ripening stages. Maximum CH₄ emmissions from the 0, 100, 200 and 300 urea-N treatments were 6.0, 8.9, 9.8 and 11.2 kg CH₄ ha^–1 d^–1, respectively. These flux measurements corresponded to approximately 210, 300, 310 and 360 kg CH₄ evolved ha^–1 over the 86-d sampling period for the 4 treatments.     

模拟SO42-沉降对闽江口淡水感潮野慈姑湿地甲烷排放通量的影响

2015年12月—2016年10月,每月小潮日原位定期向闽江口塔礁洲淡水感潮野慈姑(Sagittaria trifolia L.)湿地施加剂量为60、120 kg S hm~(-2)a~(-1)的K_2SO_4溶液(分别记做S-60和S-120),探讨模拟硫酸根(SO_4~(2-))沉降对河口淡水感潮湿地甲烷(CH4)排放通量及间隙水SO_4~(2-)浓度的影响。对照、S-60和S-120处理组CH_4排放通量年均值分别为(7.88±1.00)mg h~(-1)m~(-2)、(6.55±0.97)mg h~(-1)m~(-2)和(6.66±1.49)mg h~(-1)m~(-2)。在年尺度上,两个高强度模拟SO_4~(2-)沉降处理组均未显著降低闽江口淡水感潮野慈姑湿地CH_4排放通量(P0.05),即高强度SO_4~(2-)沉降不会对河口淡水感潮湿地CH_4排放通量产生类似于其对泥炭湿地和水稻田的显著抑制效应。在年尺度以及秋、冬季,两个施加K_2SO_4溶液处理显著增加了野慈姑湿地10 cm深度土壤间隙水SO_4~(2-)浓度。对于各个处理组,温度较高的夏、秋季CH_4排放通量均显著高于温度相对较低的冬、春季(P0.05)。不同处理组CH_4排放通量均与土壤温度呈显著正相关关系,温度仍然是影响亚热带河口淡水感潮湿地CH_4排放通量的重要环境因子。