Temporal Variability in Soil CO_2 Emission in an Orchard Forest Ecosystem

Temporal variability in soil CO2 emission from an orchard was measured using a dynamic open-chamber system for measuring soil CO2 effiux in Heshan Guangdong Province, in the lower subtropical area of China. Intensive measurements were conducted for a period of 12 months. Soil CO2 emissions were also modeled by multiple regression analysis from daily air temperature, dry-bulb saturated vapor pressure, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, soil moisture, and soil temperature. Data was analyzed based on soil moisture levels and air temperature with annual data being grouped into either hot-humid season or relatively cool season based on the precipitation patterns. This was essential in order to acquire simplified exponential models for parameter estimation. Minimum and maximum daily mean soil CO2 effiux rates were observed in November and July, with respective rates of 1.98 ± 0.66 and 11.04 ± 0.96 μmol m^-2 s^-1 being recorded. Annual average soil CO2 emission （FCO2） was 5.92 μmol m^-2 s^-1. Including all the weather variables into the model helped to explain 73.9% of temporal variability in soil CO2 emission during the measurement period. Soil CO2 effiux increased with increasing soil temperature and soil moisture. Preliminary results showed that Q10, which is defined as the difference in respiration rates over a 10 ℃ interval, was partly explained by fine root biomass. Soil temperature and soil moisture were the dominant factors controlling soil CO2 effiux and were regarded as the driving variables for CO2 production in the soil. Including these two variables in regression models could provide a useful tool for predicting the variation of CO2 emission in the commercial forest Soils of South China .

Canopy Carbon Exchange on a Coarse-Sand-Field, No-tillage Peach Orchard

Plant carbon sequestration is an effective way to abate the global warming. However, the field-scale carbon exchange on a peach orchard remains unclear. Here, using an eddy covariance technique, the net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange and energy balance were analyzed on a coarse-sand-field, no-tillage, 12-year-old-peach orchard. The results showed that during full flowering, the ability to sequestrate carbon was significant, it reached on the peak of-0.33 mg （CO2） m^-2 s^-1. During rapid growth, the Bowen ratio was under 0.3 and daily net carbon sequestration reached on the peak of-25.1 g （CO2） m^-2 d^-1. During the leaf fall stage, there is a great deal of CO2 emissions, the peak value of carbon sequestration reached ＋0.60 mg （CO2） m^-2 s^-1. During monitoring period, the daily average of net carbon sequestration and Bowen ratio was 1.22 ± 1.56 and -2.90 ± 6.63 g （CO2） m^-2 d^-1, respectively. The net carbon sequestration could reach -1,052 g （CO2） m^-2 in a year. These results reveal that there is high carbon sequestration on a coarse-sand-field, no-tillage peach orchard.