Methane and carbon dioxide dynamics in wetland mesocosms: effects of hydrology and soils.

Methane and carbon dioxide fluxes in created and restored wetlands, and the influence of hydrology and soils on these fluxes, have not been extensively documented. Minimizing methane fluxes while maximizing productivity is a relevant goal for wetland restoration and creation projects. In this study we used replicated wetland mesocosms to investigate relationships between contrasting hydrologic and soil conditions, and methane and carbon dioxide fluxes in emergent marsh systems. Hydrologic treatments consisted of an intermittent flooding regime vs. continuously inundated conditions, and soil treatments utilized hydric vs. non-hydric soils. Diurnal patterns of methane flux were examined to shed light on the relationship between emergent macrophytes and methane emissions for comparison with vegetation-methane relationships reported from natural wetlands. Microbially available organic carbon content was significantly greater in hydric soils than nonhydric soils, despite similar organic matter contents in the contrasting soil types. Mesocosms with hydric soils exhibited the greatest rates of methane flux regardless of hydrology, but intermittent inundation of hydric soils produced significantly lower methane fluxes than continuous inundatation of hydric soils. Methane fluxes were not affected significantly by hydrologic regime in mesocosms containing non-hydric soils. There were no diurnal differences in methane flux, and carbon dioxide and methane fluxes were not significantly correlated. The highest rates of CO2 uptake occurred in the continuously inundated treatment with non-hydric soils, and there were no significant differences in nighttime respiration rates between the treatments. Implications for hydrologic design of created and restored wetlands are discussed.     

Life-cycle assessment of net greenhouse-gas flux for bioenergy cropping systems.

Bioenergy cropping systems could help offset greenhouse gas emissions, but quantifying that offset is complex. Bioenergy crops offset carbon dioxide emissions by converting atmospheric CO2 to organic C in crop biomass and soil, but they also emit nitrous oxide and vary in their effects on soil oxidation of methane. Growing the crops requires energy (e.g., to operate farm machinery, produce inputs such as fertilizer) and so does converting the harvested product to usable fuels (feedstock conversion efficiency). The objective of this study was to quantify all these factors to determine the net effect of several bioenergy cropping systems on greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. We used the DAYCENT biogeochemistry model to assess soil GHG fluxes and biomass yields for corn, soybean, alfalfa, hybrid poplar, reed canarygrass, and switchgrass as bioenergy crops in Pennsylvania, USA. DAYCENT results were combined with estimates of fossil fuels used to provide farm inputs and operate agricultural machinery and fossil-fuel offsets from biomass yields to calculate net GHG fluxes for each cropping system considered. Displaced fossil fuel was the largest GHG sink, followed by soil carbon sequestration. N20 emissions were the largest GHG source. All cropping systems considered provided net GHG sinks, even when soil C was assumed to reach a new steady state and C sequestration in soil was not counted. Hybrid poplar and switchgrass provided the largest net GHG sinks, >200 g CO2e-C x m(-2) x yr(-1) for biomass conversion to ethanol, and >400 g CO2e-C x m(-2) x yr(-1) for biomass gasification for electricity generation. Compared with the life cycle of gasoline and diesel, ethanol and biodiesel from corn rotations reduced GHG emissions by approximately 40%, reed canarygrass by approximately 85%, and switchgrass and hybrid poplar by approximately 115%.     

Carbon sequestration in California agriculture, 1980-2000.

To better understand agricultural carbon fluxes in California, USA, we estimated changes in soil carbon and woody material between 1980 and 2000 on 3.6 x 10(6) ha of farmland in California. Combining the CASA (Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach) model with data on harvest indices and yields, we calculated net primary production, woody production in orchard and vineyard crops, and soil carbon. Over the 21-yr period, two trends resulted in carbon sequestration. Yields increased an average of 20%, corresponding to greater plant biomass and more carbon returned to the soils. Also, orchards and vineyards increased in area from 0.7 x 10(6) ha to 1.0 x 10(6) ha, displacing field crops and sequestering woody carbon. Our model estimates that California's agriculture sequestered an average of 19 g C x m(-2) x yr(-1). Sequestration was lowest in non-rice annual cropland, which sequestered 9 g C x m(-2) x yr(-1) of soil carbon, and highest on land that switched from annual cropland to perennial cropland. Land that switched from annual crops to vineyards sequestered 68 g C x m(-2) x yr(-1), and land that switched from annual crops to orchards sequestered 85 g C x m(-2) x yr(-1). Rice fields, because of a reduction in field burning, sequestered 55 g C x m(-2) x yr(-1) in the 1990s. Over the 21 years, California's 3.6 x 10(6) ha of agricultural land sequestered 11.0 Tg C within soils and 3.5 Tg C in woody biomass, for a total of 14.5 Tg C statewide. This is equal to 0.7% of the state's total fossil fuel emissions over the same time period. If California's agriculture adopted conservation tillage, changed management of almond and walnut prunings, and used all of its orchard and vineyard waste wood in the biomass power plants in the state, California's agriculture could offset up to 1.6% of the fossil fuel emissions in the state.     

Effect of organic materials and rice cultivars on methane emission from rice field

A field experiment was conducted for two years on a sandy loam (Typic Ustochrept) soil of Punjab to study the effect of organic materials and rice cultivars on methane emission from rice fields. The methane flux varied between 0.04 and 0.93 mg m(-2) hr(-1) in bare soil and transplanting of rice crop doubled the methane flux (0.07 to 2.06 mg m(-2) hr(-1)). Among rice cultivars, significantly (p < 0.05) higher amount of methane was emitted from Pusa 44 compared to PR 118 and PR 111. Application of organic materials enhanced methane emission from rice fields and resulted in increased soil organic carbon content. The greatest seasonal methane flux was observed in wheat straw amended plots (229.6 kg ha(-1)) followed by farmyard manure (111.6 kg ha(-1)), green manure (85.4 kg ha(-1)) and the least from rice straw compost amended plots (36.9 kg ha(-1)) as compared to control (21.5 kg ha(-1)). The differential effect of organic materials in enhancing methane flux was related to total carbon or C:N ratio of the material. The results showed that incorporation of humified organic matter such as rice straw compost could minimize methane emission from rice fields with co-benefits of increased soil fertility and crop productivity.     

Birds transport nutrients to fragmented forests in an urban landscape.

The influence of urbanization on nutrient cycling is vaguely known. Here we document that birds, especially those increasing in urban areas (such as crows, Corvus macrorhynchos and C. corone), affect nutrient cycles. Using fecal traps, we measured phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) input from the excrement of birds in fragmented forests in an urban landscape. Sources of avian feces were examined on the basis of carbon (C), N, and P percentages and stable isotopes of delta15N and delta13C. Nitrogen and P input was aggregated in the urban landscape, being especially high at the forest where crows roosted during winter. The annual P input due to bird droppings (range 0.068-0.460 kg x ha(-1) x yr(-1); mean 0.167 kg x ha(-1) x yr(-1)) was 12.4% of the total of other pathways in typical forests and 52.9% in the evergreen forest where crows roosted. The annual N input due to bird droppings (range 0.44-3.49 kg x ha(-1) x yr(-1); mean 1.15 kg x ha(-1) x yr(-1)) was 5.2% of the total of other pathways in typical forests and 27.0% in the evergreen forest used by roosting crows. Expected sources of nutrients in feces included insects in the breeding season, fruits in autumn, and mammals and birds in winter. Stable isotopes suggested that the source of nutrients in forests used by roosting crows was from outside the forest. Therefore, birds played a significant role as transporters of nutrients from garbage (including fish, livestock, and/or C4 plants such as corn, with high delta15N and delta13C) in residential and business areas to fragmented evergreen forests, especially near their winter roosts.     

Hindcasting nitrogen deposition to determine an ecological critical load.

Using an estimated background nitrogen (N) deposition value of 0.5 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1) in 1900, and a 19-year record of measured values from Loch Vale (Colorado, USA; NADP site CO98), I reconstructed an N-deposition history using exponential equations that correlated well with EPA-reported NO(x) emissions from Colorado and from the sum of emissions of 11 western states. The mean wet N-deposition values for the period 1950-1964 was approximately 1.5 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1), corresponding to the reported time of alteration of diatom assemblages attributed to N deposition in alpine lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park (USA). This value becomes the critical load defining the threshold for ecological change from eutrophication. Thus if an N-deposition threshold for ecological change can be identified, and the date at which that threshold was crossed is known, hindcasting can derive the amount of atmospheric deposition at the time of change, at least for alpine lakes. Independent support for the technique and the deposition amount comes from experimental studies, ecosystem modeling, and paleolimnological records from northern Wyoming (USA).     

Estimation of methane emitted by natural wetlands of Orissa: Based on case studies on three representative wetlands

The rapid increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has led to significant changes in global climate. Methane is second to carbon dioxide in terms of its contribution to global warming. The wetlands serve as a major natural source of methane. Orissa State, located on the east coast of India, has a number of natural wetlands. Three representative wetlands: Chilka – the largest semi-saline lake of Asia, Anshupa – a land-locked fresh water lake and Gahirmatha – a tidal flood plain of Bhitara Kanika region that has sprawling mangrove vegetation (extension of the Sunderbans of the Gangetic delta) were chosen for intensive monitoring of water and sediment quality, along with methane flux over a period of three years during 1997–2000. The average seasonal methane fluxes were integrated to arrive at the annual flux from each wetland category. Finally, those results were extended to other natural wetlands of Orissa to arrive at the average annual methane flux of Orissa State. This is useful in calculating the total budget of greenhouse gases of India.     

季节性人工河滨湿地甲烷排放

2008年11月—2009年10月在美国俄亥俄州哥伦布市Olentangy河河滨湿地公园中具有14年历史的补偿河流分岔季节性人工湿地中,运用静态箱-气象色谱法测定了季节性人工湿地中甲烷（CH4）时空排放通量。结果表明：1）CH4排放通量非常低,全年的平均值（以CH4-C计）仅为0.09 mg·m-2·h-1;2）CH4排放通量具有明显的季节性变化规律,年周期的CH4排放通量呈单峰型变化规律,6月份出现排放峰值,但CH4排放通量与土壤温度却无显著相关性;3）季节性人工湿地中心区和边缘区域中的CH4排放量分别为0.03（0.06）和0.03（0.12）mg·m-2·h-1,无显著性差异（P〉0.05）。因此,可见通过设计具有既长又浅形状和湿-干-湿交替水文条件的人工湿地,不仅可应用于其他的河流冲积平原的修复,也可在不同的气候和水文条件下检验其生态服务功能。     

施肥对稻田甲烷与氧化亚氮排放的影响

大气温室气体浓度的升高引起太阳辐射加强,导致全球变暖已成为不争的事实。农田是温室气体排放的重要来源之一,采用静态箱-气相色谱法探讨不同氮肥类型与施氮水平对华南稻田甲烷（CH4）与氧化亚氮（N2O）排放的影响。试验共设置5个处理,每处理3次重复,分别（以N计）为U6（90 kg·hm-2）,U10（150 kg·hm-2）,U12（180 kg·hm-2）,SR10（150 kg·hm-2,缓释肥）,CR10（150 kg·hm-2,控释肥）。各处理磷钾肥用量一致,分别为45 kg·hm-2（以P2O5计）和127.5 kg·hm-2（以K2O计）。研究结果表明：稻田CH4与N2O排放量随氮肥用量的增加呈增加趋势。晚稻CH4排放呈单峰型,其峰值出现在水稻移栽后16~23 d,N2O排放并未出现明显的排放峰。CH4累积排放主要发生在返青-分蘖初期和分蘖盛期-幼穗分化期两个时段,而N2O的累积排放主要集中在灌浆-成熟期（U6处理除外）。不同氮肥类型处理CH4季节排放总量与平均排放量表现为：处理SR10〉处理U10〉处理CR10,其中,控释肥处理甲烷排放总量较常规尿素处理减少了11.3%;而N2O季节排放总量与平均排放量表现为：处理CR10〉处理U10〉处理SR10。综上,初步认为氮肥的施用能够促进CH4与N2O的释放,缓释肥处理能有效减少稻田N2O的排放,而控释尿素处理能明显降低稻田CH4气体的排放,且稻田CH4与N2O的排放存在一定的互为消长关系,因此如何平衡稻田甲烷与氧化亚氮释放,使稻田增温潜势最小化是下一步研究的重点和方向。     

Global change shifts vegetation and plant-parasite interactions in a boreal mire

The aim of this study was to detect vegetation change and to examine trophic interactions in a Sphagnum-dominated mire in response to raised temperature and nitrogen (N) addition. A long-term global-change experiment was established in 1995, with monthly additions of N (30 kg x ha(-1) x yr(-1)) and sulfur (20 kg x ha(-1) x yr(-1)) during the vegetation period. Mean air temperature was raised by 3.6 degrees C with warming chambers. Vegetation responses were negligible for all treatments for the first four years, and no sulfur effect was seen during the course of the experiment. However, after eight years of continuous treatments, the closed Sphagnum carpet was drastically reduced from 100% in 1995 down to 41%, averaged over all N-treated plots. Over the same period, total vascular plant cover (of the graminoid Eriophorum vaginatum and the two dwarf-shrubs Andromeda polifolia and Vaccinium oxycoccos) increased from 24% to an average of 70% in the N plots. Nitrogen addition caused leaf N concentrations to rise in the two dwarf-shrubs, while for E. vaginatum, leaf N remained unchanged, indicating that the graminoid to a larger extent than the dwarf-shrubs allocated supplemented N to growth. Concurrent with foliar N accumulation of the two dwarf-shrubs, we observed increased disease incidences caused by parasitic fungi, with three species out of 16 showing a significant increase. Warming caused a significant decrease in occurrence of three parasitic fungal species. In general, decreased disease incidences were found in temperature treatments for A. polifolia and in plots without N addition for V. oxycoccos. The study demonstrates that both bryophytes and vascular plants at boreal mires, only receiving background levels of nitrogen of about 2 kg x ha(-1) x yr(-1), exhibit a time lag of more than five years in response to nitrogen and temperature rise, emphasizing the need for long-term experiments. Moreover, it shows that trophic interactions are likely to differ markedly in response to climate change and increased N deposition, and that these interactions might play an important role in controlling the change in mire vegetation composition, with implications for both carbon sequestration and methane emission.     

Net emissions of CH4 and CO2 in Alaska: implications for the region's greenhouse gas budget.

We used a biogeochemistry model, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM), to study the net methane (CH4) fluxes between Alaskan ecosystems and the atmosphere. We estimated that the current net emissions of CH4 (emissions minus consumption) from Alaskan soils are approximately 3 Tg CH4/yr. Wet tundra ecosystems are responsible for 75% of the region's net emissions, while dry tundra and upland boreal forests are responsible for 50% and 45% of total consumption over the region, respectively. In response to climate change over the 21st century, our simulations indicated that CH4 emissions from wet soils would be enhanced more than consumption by dry soils of tundra and boreal forests. As a consequence, we projected that net CH4 emissions will almost double by the end of the century in response to high-latitude warming and associated climate changes. When we placed these CH4 emissions in the context of the projected carbon budget (carbon dioxide [CO2] and CH4) for Alaska at the end of the 21st century, we estimated that Alaska will be a net source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere of 69 Tg CO2 equivalents/yr, that is, a balance between net methane emissions of 131 Tg CO2 equivalents/yr and carbon sequestration of 17 Tg C/yr (62 Tg CO2 equivalents/yr).     

Soil C and N changes with afforestation of grasslands across gradients of precipitation and plantation age

Afforestation, the conversion of unforested lands to forests, is a tool for sequestering anthropogenic carbon dioxide into plant biomass. However, in addition to altering biomass, afforestation can have substantial effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) pools, some of which have much longer turnover times than plant biomass. An increasing body of evidence suggests that the effect of afforestation on SOC may depend on mean annual precipitation (MAP). The goal of this study was to test how labile and bulk pools of SOC and total soil nitrogen (TN) change with afforestation across a rainfall gradient of 600-1500 mm in the Rio de la Plata grasslands of Argentina and Uruguay. The sites were all former grasslands planted with Eucalyptus spp. Overall, we found that afforestation increased (up to 1012 kg C x ha(-1) x yr(-1)) or decreased (as much as 1294 kg C x ha(-1) x yr(-1)) SOC pools in this region and that these changes were significantly related to MAP. Drier sites gained, and wetter sites lost, SOC and TN (r2 = 0.59, P = 0.003; and r2 = 0.57, P = 0.004, respectively). Labile C and N in microbial biomass and extractable soil pools followed similar patterns to bulk SOC and TN. Interestingly, drier sites gained more SOC and TN as plantations aged, while losses reversed as plantations aged in wet sites, suggesting that plantation age in addition to precipitation is a critical driver of changes in soil organic matter with afforestation. This new evidence implies that longer intervals between harvests for plantations could improve SOC storage, ameliorating the negative trends found in humid sites. Our results suggest that the value of afforestation as a carbon sequestration tool should be considered in the context of precipitation and age of the forest stand.     

稻田甲烷排放量估算和减缓技术选择

根据中国不同生态类型地区的稻田甲烷排放通量，估算了中国稻田甲烷排放总量。结果表明，１９９０年中国稻田甲烷排放总量为１１．３３５Ｔｇ。提出了一些减缓稻田甲烷排放措施，包括：（１）使用稻田甲烷抑制剂；（２）肥料管理；（３）水分管理；（４）筛选低排放率、高产的水稻品种。     

Necromass production: studies in undisturbed and logged Amazon forests.

Necromass stocks account for up to 20% of carbon stored in tropical forests and have been estimated to be 14-19% of the annual aboveground carbon flux. Both stocks and fluxes of necromass are infrequently measured. In this study, we directly measured the production of fallen coarse necromass (> or = 2 cm diameter) during 4.5 years using repeated surveys in undisturbed forest areas and in forests subjected to reduced-impact logging at the Tapajos National Forest, Belterra, Brazil (3.08 degrees S, 54.94 degrees W). We also measured fallen coarse necromass and standing dead stocks at two times during our study. The mean (SE) annual flux into the fallen coarse necromass pool in undisturbed forest of 6.7 (0.8) Mg x ha(-1) x yr(-1) was not significantly different from the flux under a reduced-impact logging of 8.5 (1.3) Mg x ha(-1) x yr(-1) With the assumption of steady state, the instantaneous decomposition constants for fallen necromass in undisturbed forests were 0.12 yr(-1) for large, 0.33 yr(-1) for medium, and 0.47 yr(-1) for small size classes. The mass weighted decomposition constant was 0.15 yr(-1) for all fallen coarse necromass. Standing dead wood had a residence time of 4.2 years, and approximately 0.9 Mg x ha(-1) x yr(-1) of this pool was respired annually to the atmosphere through decomposition. Coarse necromass decomposition at our study site accounted for 12% of total carbon remineralization, and total aboveground coarse necromass was 14% of the aboveground biomass. Use of mortality rates to calculate production of coarse necromass leads to an underestimation of coarse necromass production by 45%, suggesting that nonlethal disturbance such as branch fall contributes significantly to this flux. Coarse necromass production is an important component of the tropical forest carbon cycle that has been neglected in most previous studies or erroneously estimated.     

控制稻田甲烷排放的农业技术选择

本文探讨了通过农业技术措施，控制稻田甲烷排放以及减少甲烷排放的潜力。试验结果表明：（１）用沼渣代替农家肥堆肥作基肥时，４种沼渣基肥处理中，有３种处理稻田甲烷排放通量比施农家肥的处理减少２４～６２％，比单纯施化肥处理减少１１～５６％；１种沼渣（马粪）由于腐熟度不够，其处理甲烷减排效果不明显；（２）改换氮肥的施用种类。以硝铵、硫铵代替尿素作追肥，甲烷排放通量分别减少２６％和４６％；（３）稻田的科学灌溉技术，从水用分蘖到抽穗期间，间歇落干，可以明显减少甲烷排放，而对产量无影响；（４）水稻半旱式栽培技术，也可明显抑制稻田甲烷排放。     

Temperature influences carbon accumulation in moist tropical forests

Evergreen broad-leaved tropical forests can have high rates of productivity and large accumulations of carbon in plant biomass and soils. They can therefore play an important role in the global carbon cycle, influencing atmospheric CO2 concentrations if climate warms. We applied meta-analyses to published data to evaluate the apparent effects of temperature on carbon fluxes and storages in mature, moist tropical evergreen forest ecosystems. Among forests, litter production, tree growth, and belowground carbon allocation all increased significantly with site mean annual temperature (MAT); total net primary productivity (NPP) increased by an estimated 0.2-0.7 Mg C x ha(-1) x yr(-1) x degrees C(-1). Temperature had no discernible effect on the turnover rate of aboveground forest biomass, which averaged 0.014 yr(-1) among sites. Consistent with these findings, forest biomass increased with site MAT at a rate of 5-13 Mg C x ha(-1) x degrees C(-1). Despite greater productivity in warmer forests, soil organic matter accumulations decreased with site MAT, with a slope of -8 Mg C x ha(-1) x degrees C(-1), indicating that decomposition rates of soil organic matter increased with MAT faster than did rates of NPP. Turnover rates of surface litter also increased with temperature among forests. We found no detectable effect of temperature on total carbon storage among moist-tropical evergreen forests, but rather a shift in ecosystem structure, from low-biomass forests with relatively large accumulations of detritus in cooler sites, to large-biomass forests with relatively smaller detrital stocks in warmer locations. These results imply that, in a warmer climate, conservation of forest biomass will be critical to the maintenance of carbon stocks in moist tropical forests.     

意大利东北部滨海湿地演变及其影响因素监测分析

意大利东北部海岸分布着独特的滨海湿地景观,在地中海区域具有极其重要的生态价值.该研究主要利用遥感影像监测1984—2016年滨海湿地演变,覆盖该区域所有的国际重要湿地保护区,并在此基础上定量分析滨海湿地演变的影响因素,深化对滨海湿地演变规律的认识,为今后制定与实施滨海湿地保护政策提供科学依据.研究结果显示,(1)滨海湿...     

Nitrogen critical loads for alpine vegetation and terrestrial ecosystem response: are we there yet?

Increases in the deposition of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) have been linked to several terrestrial ecological changes, including soil biogeochemistry, plant stress susceptibility, and community diversity. Recognizing the need to identify sensitive indicators of biotic response to N deposition, we empirically estimated the N critical load for changes in alpine plant community composition and compared this with the estimated critical load for soil indicators of ecological change. We also measured the degree to which alpine vegetation may serve as a sink for anthropogenic N and how much plant sequestration is related to changes in species composition. We addressed these research goals by adding 20, 40, or 60 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1), along with an ambient control (6 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1) total deposition), to a species-rich alpine dry meadow for an eight-year period. Change in plant species composition associated with the treatments occurred within three years of the initiation of the experiment and were significant at all levels of N addition. Using individual species abundance changes and ordination scores, we estimated the N critical loads (total deposition) for (1) change in individual species to be 4 kg N x ha(-1) yr(-1) and (2) for overall community change to be 10 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1). In contrast, increases in NO3- leaching, soil solution inorganic NO3-, and net N nitrification occurred at levels above 20 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1). Increases in total aboveground biomass were modest and transient, occurring in only one of the three years measured. Vegetative uptake of N increased significantly, primarily as a result of increasing tissue N concentrations and biomass increases in subdominant species. Aboveground vegetative uptake of N accounted for <40% of the N added. The results of this experiment indicate that changes in vegetation composition will precede detectable changes in more traditionally used soil indicators of ecosystem responses to N deposition and that changes in species composition are probably ongoing in alpine dry meadows of the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Feedbacks to soil N cycling associated with changes in litter quality and species composition may result in only short-term increases in vegetation N pools.     

Characteristics of N2O emission from Medicago sativa stands and its response to nitrogen fertilizers in the Longdong dryland Plateau北大核心CSCD

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is one of the potent greenhouse gases (GHG) that depletes the stratospheric ozone. Nitrogen fertilizers are considered to be a major source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from arable soils. To investigate the characteristics of N2O emission, its influencing factors, and its response to nitrogen application in dry grassland in the Loess Plateau, one of the most intensively used agricultural regions in China, we conducted a field trial with two treatments including N0 (0 kg hm-2) and N150 (150 kg hm-2) at the Qingyang Loess Plateau grassland agricultural research station of Lanzhou University. An LGR-N2O/CO gas analyzer was used to monitor the emissions. The results showed that the N2O fluxes of the N0 and N150 treatments during the monitoring period were -0.0036 and 0.0118 mg m-2 h-1, respectively; the flux in case of the N150 treatment was significantly higher than that for the N0 treatment. The N2O emission flux has a distinct diurnal variation characteristic, which first showed the trend of decreasing and then increasing. Regression analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between the N2O flux and the surface soil water content at a depth of 10 cm. The N2O emission flux increased by 131.3%, compared with that during the non-precipitation days. At the same time, the N2O emission flux showed a trend of decreasing with the increase of the surface soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm. The daily emission characteristics indicated that there may be a significant underestimation of the N2O flux at the daily or longer time-scale, based on the N2O flux value measured at 9:00-11:00. In summary, the N2O emissions from the sown alfalfa grassland of the eastern Gansu are strongly affected by precipitation and nitrogen application and have obvious daily dynamic characteristics. It is recommended that the accuracy and representativeness of N2O emission flux data be enhanced by continuous dynamic measurement using the instrument. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Flow of chemical energy in Alwar jheel of Yamuna basin near Allahabad

The water quality, rate of energy transformation, chemical composition of producers and flow of chemical energy were studied in both feeding river Yamuna and Alwar jheel near Allahabad. As the river Yamuna had high value of alkalinity (210.0 mgl(-1)), conductance (518.0 micromhos), dissolved solids (260.0 mgl(-1)), hardness (162.0 mgl(-1)) and chloride (54.6 mgl(-1)) jheel also showed high values of these parameters. The rate of energy transformation from kinetic radiant energy to chemical energy was very high in the jheel 32,315 Cal m(-2) day(-1) of which 25,620 Cal m(-2) day(-1) was contributed by aquatic plants. Out of 11,764 x 10(4) Kcal ha(-1) yr(-1) total energy fixed in the system, producers stored 7,154 x 10(4) Kcal ha(-1) yr(-1) and the rest was lost as heat of respiration. The pattern of storage of energy was different in two groups of producers and thus most of the energy fixed by phytoplankton was stored as protein (56.2%) and less as carbohydrate (11.7%) while aquatic plants stored more energy as carbohydrate (40.8%) than protein (23.2%). The chemical energy obtained from the system was 1,85,000 Kcal ha(-1) yr(-1) and thus only 0.260% of the chemical energy stored by producers was harvested. The potential chemical energy resource in the jheel was 81.4 x 10(4) Kcal ha(-1) yr(-1) of which only 22.6% was harvested in the jheel and there is enough scope for further enhancement.