Örjan Berglund

Nitrous oxide and methane fluxes during the growing season from cultivated peat soils, peaty marl and gyttja clay under different cropping systems

ABSTRACT Drainage of peatlands affects the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Organic soils used for agriculture contribute a large proportion of anthropogenic GHG emissions, and on-farm mitigation options are important. This field study investigated whether choice of a cropping system can be used to mitigate emissions of N2O and influence CH4 fluxes from cultivated organic and carbon-rich soils during the growing season. Ten different sites in southern Sweden representing peat soils, peaty marl and gyttja clay, with a range of different soil properties, were used for on-site measurements of N2O and CH4 fluxes. The fluxes during the growing season from soils under two different crops grown in the same field and same environmental conditions were monitored. Crop intensities varied from grasslands to intensive potato cultivation. The results showed no difference in median seasonal N2O emissions between the two crops compared. Median seasonal emissions ranged from 0 to 919 µg N2O m−2 h−1, with peaks on individual sampling occasions of up to 3317 µg N2O m−2 h−1. Nitrous oxide emissions differed widely between sites, indicating that soil properties are a regulating factor. However, pH was the only soil factor that correlated with N2O emissions (negative exponential correlation). The type of crop grown on the soil did not influence CH4 fluxes. Median seasonal CH4 flux from the different sites ranged from uptake of 36 µg CH4 m−2 h−1 to release of 4.5 µg CH4 m−2 h−1. From our results, it was concluded that farmers cannot mitigate N2O emissions during the growing season or influence CH4 fluxes by changing the cropping system in the field.

Plant-derived CO2 flux from cultivated peat soils

Abstract Methods used to estimate the CO2 emission from soil commonly measure the total CO2 flux. To be able to quantify the net CO2 emission from cultivated peat soils there is a need to distinguish between soil organic matter-derived CO2 respiration and plant-derived respiration. In this investigation we used the root exclusion method to separate the plant-derived respiration from total CO2 emission. The plant-derived contribution was estimated to be between 27 and 63% of total CO2 emission depending on soil type and season. We also found a relationship between soil temperature, biomass growth and CO2 efflux, which can be used to estimate plant-derived respiration. Due to the priming effect the root exclusion method is less reliable late in the season.