1. Effects of plant diversity on carbon dioxide emissions and carbon removal in laboratory-scale constructed wetland.
- Author
-
Sun H, Xin Q, Ma Z, and Lan S
- Subjects
- Biodiversity, Biomass, Microbiota, Models, Theoretical, Plants metabolism, Species Specificity, Wastewater microbiology, Carbon Cycle, Carbon Dioxide analysis, Methane analysis, Plants classification, Wetlands
- Abstract
Previous studies have shown that plant diversity can enhance methane (CH
4 ) emission and nitrogen purification efficiency in constructed wetlands (CWs), but effect of plant diversity on carbon dioxide (CO2 ) flux and carbon removal efficiency in CWs is unknown. Therefore, we established four plant diversity levels (each level containing 4, 3, 2, and 1 species, respectively) in laboratory-scale wetland microcosms fed with simulated wastewater. Results showed that plant species richness enhanced CO2 emissions (84.7-124.7 mg CO2 m-2 h-1 , P < 0.01), carbon fixation rate (P < 0.05), and microbial biomass carbon (P < 0.001), but did not improve carbon removal (P > 0.05). The presence of Pontederia cordata increased CO2 emissions, carbon fixation rate of belowground, and microbial biomass carbon (P < 0.05), whereas the presence of Phragmites australis only enhanced CO2 emission (P < 0.05). However, the presence of Typha orientalis or Lythrum salicaria did not show an influence on CO2 emissions and carbon removal (P > 0.05). Hence, our study highlights the importance of plant diversity in mediating CO2 emission intensity and carbon processes but not carbon removal in CWs.- Published
- 2019
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