Comparative study on CO_2 emissions from different types of alpine meadows during grass exuberance period

Potentilla fruticosascrub, Kobresia humilismeadow and Kobresia tibeticameadow are widely distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. During the grass exuberance period from 3 July to 4 September, based on close chamber-GC method, a study on CO 2 emissions from different treatments was conducted in these meadows at Haibei research station, CAS. Results indicated that mean CO 2 emission rates from various treatments were 672.09±152.37 mgm -2 h -1 for FC (grass treatment); 425.41±191.99 mgm -2 h -1 for FJ (grass exclusion treatment); 280.36±174.83 mgm -2 h -1 for FL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); 838.95±237.02 mgm -2 h -1 for GG (scrub+grass treatment); 528.48±205.67 mgm -2 h -1 for GC (grass treatment); 268.97±99.72 mgm -2 h -1 for GL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); and 659.20±94.83 mgm -2 h -1 for LC (grass treatment), respectively (FC, FJ, FL, GG, GC, GL, LC were the Chinese abbreviation for various treatments). Furthermore, Kobresia humilismeadow, Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow and Kobresia tibeticameadow differed greatly in average CO 2 emission rate of soil-plant system, in the order of GG>FC>LC>GC. Moreover, in Kobresia humilismeadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 42% and 58% of the total respiration of soil-plant system respectively, whereas, in Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 32% and 68% of total system respiration from GG; 49% and 51% from GC. In addition, root respiration from Kobresia humilismeadow approximated 145 mgCO 2 m -2 h -1 , contributed 34% to soil respiration. During the experiment period, Kobresia humilismeadow and Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow had a net carbon fixation of 111.11 gm -2 and 243.89 gm -2 , respectively. Results also showed that soil temperature was the main factor which influenced CO 2 emission from alpine meadow ecosystem, significant correlations were found between soil temperature at 5 cm depth and CO 2 emission from GG, GC, FC and FJ treatments. In addition, soil moisture may be the inhibitory factor of CO 2 emission from Kobresia tibeticameadow, and more detailed analyses should be done in further research.

Fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane from swamp and impact factors in Sanjiang Plain,China

The fluxes of CO2 and CH4 emission of the two types of primary swamp were measured in Sanjiang Plain using the opaque chamber and gas chromatogram technique. The mean value of ecosystem respiration flux in continuously inundated swamp ecosystem is 548.04 mg·m-2·h-1, lower than that of the seasonal inundated swamp (713.08 mg· m-2·h-1). The peaks concentrated on July and August which are the growing period of the vegetation. CH4 emission was different from the respiration flux of ecosystem. The CH4 flux of continuously inundated swamp was 12.80 mg·m-2· h-1, larger than that of the seasonal inundated swamp (8.56 mg·m-2·h-1), and they were varied at different periods, the continuously inundated swamp emitted CH4 mainly from July to September, whereas from last August to middle Sep-tember in the seasonal inundated swamp. The ecosystem respiration flux of the swamp has the significantly positive correlation with the soil temperature (0—10 cm depth) and the water temperature, but CH4 emission was associated with the soil temperature in a certain degree. The CH4 emission from swamp depends on the integral function of water table and soil temperature.

Static opaque chamber-based technique for determination of net exchange of CO_2 be-tween terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere

Terrestrial carbon cycling is one of the hotspots in global change issues. In this paper, we presented the ra-tionale for determination of net exchange of CO2 between terrestrial and the atmosphere (NEE) and the methods for measuring several relevant components. Three key processes for determination of NEE were addressed, including the separation of shoot autotrophic respiration from total CO2 emissions of the ecosystem, the partition of root respiration from soil CO2 efflux, and the quantification of rhizodeposi-tion C from NPP. With an understanding of the processes involved in the CO2 exchange between terrestrial and the atmosphere, we estimated NEE of rice ecosystem in Nanjing based on field measurements of CO2 emissions and several relevant biotic components as well as abiotic factors. The field measurements of CO2 emissions were made over the rice-growing seasons in 2001 and 2002 with the static opaque chamber method. Calculations indicated that the seasonal pattern of NEE is comparable for two seasons. Either net carbon emission or fractional carbon fixation occurred dur-ing 3 weeks after rice transplanting and thereafter net car-bon fixation appeared with an increasing trend as rice grow-ing. Higher net carbon fixation occurred in the rice devel-opmental period from elongating to heading. A decline trend in the fixation was documented after rice heading. The mean daily NEE was -6.06 gC·m-2 in 2001 season and -7.95 gC·m-2 in 2002 season, respectively. These values were comparable to the results obtained by Campbell et al. who made field measurements with the Bowen ratio-energy bal-ance technique in irrigated rice, Texas USA. Moreover, the mean daily NEE in this study was also comparable to the values obtained from a Japanese rice paddy with the eddy covariance method under the similar water regime, either drainage course or waterlogged. It is concluded that NEE determined by the static opaque chamber method is compa-rable and in agreement with those measured by Bowen ratio- energy balance and eddy covariance methods.

Diurnal Variations of Greenhouse Gas Fluxes from Mixed Broad-leaved and Coniferous Forest Soil in Dinghushan

The subtropical mixed broad-leaved and coniferous forest, a typical successional monsoon forest, is one of the major forests in the subtropics of China. Therefore, it is very important to estimate the fluxes of the greenhouse gases from the forest soil in order to evaluate the impact of subtropical forests on the greenhouse gas emissions or absorptions. This study investigated the diurnal variations of fluxes of three greenhouse gases （CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O） from a mixed broad-leaved and coniferous forest soil. A static chamber-gas chromatograph technique was used to measure the fluxes of three greenhouse gases. By using the improved gas chromatography sampling system, the fluxes were analyzed with a single injection. In order to find out the effects of litter and seedling on the emissions or absorptions of these greenhouse gases, three treatments were set in the field:（1）bare soil surface （litter was removed previously）; （3） litter + soil; （3） seedling + litter + soil. The experimental results demonstrated that the forest soil was a source of CO 2 , N 2 O and a weak sink of CH 4 .The daily fluxes of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O from the soil surface were in the range of 488.99700.57, 0.0490.108 and –0.025 –0.053 mg/（m 2 ·h ）, respectively. CO 2 from the litter decomposition accounted for about 1/3 of the total CO 2 emission from the soil surface, while the litter and seedling had no significant effect on the fluxes of CH 4 and N 2 O. The fluxes of CO 2 and N 2 O measured at 9:00 11:00 a.m. were significantly different from their daily averages. Therefore, caution must be taken if the CO 2 and N 2 O fluxes measured within 9:0011:00 a.m. are used for extrapolation.