Estimate of CH_4 Emissions from Year-Round Flooded Rice Fields During Rice Growing Season in China

A special kind of rice field exists in China that is flooded year-round. These rice fields have substantially large CH4emissions during the rice-growing season and emit CH4 continuously in the non-rice growing season. CH4 emission factors were used to estimate the CH4 emissions from year-round flooded rice fields during the rice-growing season in China.The CH4 emissions for the year-round flooded rice fields in China for the rice growing season over a total area of 2.66Mha were estimated to be 2.44 Tg CH4 year-1. The uncertainties of these estimations are discussed as well. However,the emissions during the non-rice growing season could not be estimated because of limited available data. Nevertheless,methane emissions from rice fields that were flooded year-round could be several times higher than those from the rice fields drained in the non-rice-growing season. Thus, the classification of 'continuously flooded rice fields' in the IPCC(International Panel on Climate Change) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories is suggested to be revised and divided into 'continuously flooded rice fields during the rice growing season' and 'year-round flooded rice fields'.

Recent Trends and Recommendations for Nitrogen Fertilization in Intensive Agriculture in Eastern China

The Taihu Region in eastern China is one of China's most intensive agricultural regions and also one of the economically most developed areas. High nitrogen balance surpluses in the summer rice-winter wheat double-cropping systems are leading to large-scale non-point source pollution of aquifers. In an interdisciplinary approach, four-year (1995-1998) field trials were carried out in two representative areas (Jurong County and Wuxi City) of the Taihu Region. Five farmers' field sites were chosen in each of the 2 locations, with each site divided into 'standard' (farmers' practice) and 'reduced' (by 30%-40%) N fertilization. For both fertilization intensities, N balance surpluses and monetary returns from grain sales minus fertilizer expenditures were calculated in an economic assessment. Based on the field trials, the mineral N fertilizer application rates reduced by about 10% for rice and 20%-30% for wheat were recommended in 1999. Since 1999, the research focused on the trends in N fertilizer application rates and changes in grain and agricultural commodities prices.Summer rice N fertilizer use, in Wuxi City as of 2001, dropped by roughly 25%, while for winter wheat it decreased by 10%-20%, compared to the 1995-1998 period. This has been achieved not only by grain policy and price changes, but also by an increased environmental awareness from government officials. Nitrogen balance surpluses in Anzhen Town (of Wuxi City) have consequently diminished by 50%-75% in rice and by up to 40% in wheat, with reductions being achieved without concomitant decreases in physical grain yields or returns from sales minus fertilizer costs.

Response of CH_4 emission of paddy fields to land management practices at a microcosmic cultivation scale in China

The terrestrial ecosystem may be either a source or a sink of CH_4 in rice paddies, depending, to a great extent, on the change of ecosystem types and land use patterns. CH_4 emission fluxes from paddy fields under 4 cultivation patterns (conventional plain culture of rice(T1), no-tillage and ridge culture of rice(T2), no-tillage and ridge culture of rice and wheat (T3), and rice-wheat rotation(T4)) were measured with the closed chamber technique in 1996 and 1998 in Chongqing, China. The results showed that differences existed in CH_4 emission from paddy fields under these land management practices. In 1996 and 1998, CH_4 emission was 71 48% and 78 82%(T2), 65 93% and 57 18%(T3), and 61 53% and 34 22%(T4) of that in T1 during the rice growing season. During the non-rice growing season, CH_4 emission from rice fields was 76 23% in T2 and 38 69% in T1 The accumulated annual CH_4 emission in T2, T3 and T4 in 1996 decreased by 33 53%, 63 30% and 65 73%, respectively, as compared with that in T1 In 1998, the accumulated annual CH_4 emission in T1, T2, T3 and T4 was 116 96 g/m^2, 68 44 g/m^2, 19 70 g/m^2 and 11 80 g/m^2, respectively. Changes in soil physical and chemical properties, in thermal and moisture conditions in the soil and in rice plant growth induced by different land use patterns were the dominant causes for the difference in CH_4 emission observed. The relative contribution of various influencing factors to CH_4 emission from paddy fields differed significantly under different land use patterns. However, the general trend was that chlorophyll content in rice leaves, air temperature and temperature at the 5 cm soil layer play a major role in CH_4 emission from paddy fields and the effects of illumination, relative humidity and water layer depth in the paddy field and CH_4 concentration in the crop canopy were relatively non-significant. Such conservative land use patterns as no-tillage and ridge culture of rice with or without rotation with wheat are thought to be beneficial to reducing CH_4 emission from paddy fields and are, therefore, recommended as a significant solution to the problems of global(climatic) change.

Atmospheric Sulfur Deposition for a Red Soil Broadleaf Forest in Southern China

A two-year study in a typical red soil region of Southern China was conducted to determine 1) the dry deposition velocity (Vd) for SO2 and particulate SO2 4- above a broadleaf forest, and 2) atmospheric sulfur fluxes so as to estimate the contribution of various fractions in the total. Using a resistance model based on continuous hourly meteorological data, atmospheric dry sulfur deposition in a forest was estimated according to Vd and concentrations of both atmospheric SO2 and particulate SO24-. Meanwhile, wet S deposition was estimated based on rainfall and sulfate concentrations in the rainwater. Results showed that about 99% of the dry sulfur deposition flux in the forest resulted from SO2 dry deposition.In addition, the observed dry S deposition was greater in 2002 than in 2000 because of a higher average concentration of SO2 in 2002 than in 2000 and not because of the average dry deposition velocity which was lower for SO2 in 2002. Also,dry SO2 deposition was the dominant fraction of deposited atmospheric sulfur in forests, contributing over 69% of the total annual sulfur deposition. Thus, dry SO2 deposition should be considered when estimating sulfur balance in forest ecological systems.

ESTIMATE OF METHANE EMISSIONS FROM RICE FIELDS IN CHINA BY CLIMATE-BASED NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY

Rice fields provide food for over half of the world population but are also an important source of atmospheric CH4. Using the climate-based GIS empirical model and the meteorological data collected from 600 meteorological stations in China, with county as the basic unit, the net primary productivity (NPP) of rice fields in China in 1990, 1995, 1998, and 2000 were estimated to be in the range from 202.19×1012g C in 1990 to 163.46×1012g C in 2000. From the measured data of the factors affecting CH4 emission and NPP, the conversion ratio of the NPP into CH4 emission for the rice fields of China was determined to be 1.8%. Using this ratio and estimated NPP, the CH4 emissions from rice fields of China in 1990, 1995, 1998, and 2000 were estimated to be 7.24×1012, 6.31×1012, 6.77×1012 and 5.85×1012g CH4, respectively.