Search

This study aimed at exploring the key pathway of methane production and clarifying the composition and distribution of carbon (C) isotopes in the Tuojia River waterbody in Hunan Pro-vince. We estimated CH 4 concentrations and fluxes of four reaches (S 1 , S 2 , S 3 and S 4 ) by a two-layer diffusion model and gas chromatography. The spatial and temporal distribution of CH 4 flux and its relationship with environmental factors were examined. The key pathway of CH 4 production was investigated by stable C isotope method to analyze the distribution characteristics of 13 C isotope (δ 13 C) of water dissolved CH 4 and seston/benthic organic matter. There was significant seasonal variability in water pH, with mean value of (7.27±0.03). The concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) showed strong seasonal and spatial variations, with the range of 0.43-13.99 mg·L -1 . The maximum value of DO occurred in S 1 and differed significantly in summer and autumin. In addition, DO differed significantly in winter and other seasons in S 2 , S 3 and S 4 . The concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed a gradual increasing trend from source to estuary. The highest concentration of DOC (8.32 mg·L -1 ) was found in S 2 , while the lowest was observed in S 1 (0.34 mg·L -1 ). The electrical conductivity (EC) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of water ranged from 17 to 436 μS·cm -1 and from -52.30 to 674.10 mV, respectively, which were significantly different among the four reaches (P＜0.05). Water ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 - -N) concentrations were in the ranges of 0.30-1.35 (averaged 0.90±0.10) mg·L -1 and 0.82-2.45 (averaged 1.62±0.16) mg·L -1 , respectively. The dissolved concentration and diffusion flux of CH 4 ranged from 0 to 5.28 μmol·L -1 and from -0.34 to 619.72 μg C·m -2 ·h -1 , respectively, with significant temporal and spatial variations. They showed a similar trend among reaches. Their values were highest in spring, followed by in winter and lowest in summer and autumn. Spatially, the CH 4 concentration and flux followed the order of S 2 >S 3 >S 4 >S 1 . The correlation analysis showed that CH 4 flux was positively correlated with NH 4 + -N and DOC. The pathway of CH 4 production of all reaches was dominated by acetic acid fermentation, while there were obvious differences among the four reaches. The contribution of CH 4 from acetic acid fermentation was greatest (87%) in S 1 , followed by S 4 (81%), S 2 (78%) and S 3 (76%). The mean value of the δ 13 C for dissolved CH 4 , seston organic matter and benthic organic matter was -41.64‰±1.91‰, -14.07‰±1.06‰ and -26.20‰±1.02‰, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the δ 13 C of dissolved CH 4 and benthic organic matter, whereas the δ 13 C value of dissolved CH 4 was negatively correlated with CH 4 flux.

Present study examined the influence of different types of slow/controlled release urea on rice yield and annual greenhouse gas emissions in a paddy field, and assessed the greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI, equivalent to global warming potential GWP/rice yield). The results indicated that the optimized fertilization (OPT) treatment recorded the similar yield with reduced nitrogen fertilizer (21.4%) supply compared with the farmers' fertilizer practice (FFP) treatment, and decreased the annual emissions of CH 4 (12.6%) and N 2 O (12.5%) during the rice season, and N 2 O emission (33.3%) during the fallow period. Application of controlled release urea (CRU) reduced CH 4 emission by 28.9% during the rice-growing season with respect to OPT treatment, and showed negligible CH 4 emission during the fallow season. However, nitrification inhibitor (DMPP) treatment was found to reduce the CH 4 emissions by 41.6% and 76.9%, and N 2 O emissions by 85.7% and 6.5%, during the rice growing season and fallow season, respectively, compared with OPT treatment. In the fallow season, the N 2 O emissions accounted for 76.8%-94.9% of annual N 2 O emissions, which was clearly a key point for evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions in paddy. The average values of GHGI in OPT, CRU and DMPP treatments were 0.50, 0.41 and 0.33 kg·kg -1 , respectively. Considering the benefits of higher rice yield and lower annual greenhouse gas emissions, combined application of urea and nitrification inhibitor could be the best combination in paddy fields.

Two non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions (methane and nitrous oxide) and related environmental factors were measured within rice growing season under five treatments including non-fertilization (CK), balanced fertilization (BF), decreased nitrogen and phosphate 1 (DNP1), decreased nitrogen and phosphate 2 (DNP2) and increased nitrogen and phosphate 1 (INP) in double rice fields of red clay soil in 2009, using the method of static chamber-gas chromatograph techniques. The results showed that the average CH4 emission fluxes for treatments of BF, DNP1, DNP2 and INP were 4.57, 5.42, 4.70 and 4.65 mg x (m2 x h)(-1) during early rice growing period, which increased by 39%, 49%, 41% and 40% compared with non-fertilizer treatment, respectively. The average CH4 emission fluxes in late rice growing season was higher than preseason's. Compared to CK, CH4 emission increased by 11%, 1%, 26% and - 4% in treatments of BF, DNP1, DNP2 and INP within late rice growing season. Applying nitrogen and phosphate enhanced CH4 emission in turning green period for early and late rice. No significant difference was observed between the CH4 emissions of five treatments during early and late rice growing season (p > 0.05). N2O emission was very little during mid-seasonal drainage period. In contrast, N2O emission peaks were observed in period of alternation of wetting and drying after mid-seasonal drainage in this experiment. N2O emission was, on average, equivalent to 0.18% of the nitrogen applied in double rice growing season. Statistically, air temperature, soil Eh and soil moisture (water-filled pore space, WFPS) at 0-10cm depth significantly affected the fluctuations of the seasonal CH4 flux, but no significant correlationship has been found between N2O flux and related environmental factors. CH4 was the dominated greenhouse gas in double rice fields which contributed approximately 90% for the integrated global warming potential of CH4 and N2O released during the rice growing season. Therefore, the mitigation options should focus on how to reduce CH4 emission in local area. The result indicates that BF is a recommended fertilization method for early rice production, and a optimum fertilization for late season can increase rates of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers on the basis of BF treatment slightly by considering total global warming potential and grain yield. The rates of BF treatment were 150-90-90 kg x hm(-2) N-P2O5-K2O for early rice, and 180-90-135 kg x hm(-2) N-P2O5-K2O for late rice, respectively.