Osvaldo Borges Pinto

Soil CO2 Dynamics in a Tree Island Soil of the Pantanal: The Role of Soil Water Potential

The Pantanal is a biodiversity hotspot comprised of a mosaic of landforms that differ in vegetative assemblages and flooding dynamics. Tree islands provide refuge for terrestrial fauna during the flooding period and are particularly important to the regional ecosystem structure. Little soil CO2 research has been conducted in this region. We evaluated soil CO2 dynamics in relation to primary controlling environmental parameters (soil temperature and soil water). Soil respiration was computed using the gradient method using in situ infrared gas analyzers to directly measure CO2 concentration within the soil profile. Due to the cost of the sensors and associated equipment, this study was unreplicated. Rather, we focus on the temporal relationships between soil CO2 efflux and related environmental parameters. Soil CO2 efflux during the study averaged 3.53 µmol CO2 m−2 s−1, and was equivalent to an annual soil respiration of 1220 g C m−2 y−1. This efflux value, integrated over a year, is comparable to soil C stocks for 0–20 cm. Soil water potential was the measured parameter most strongly associated with soil CO2 concentrations, with high CO2 values observed only once soil water potential at the 10 cm depth approached zero. This relationship was exhibited across a spectrum of timescales and was found to be significant at a daily timescale across all seasons using conditional nonparametric spectral Granger causality analysis. Hydrology plays a significant role in controlling CO2 efflux from the tree island soil, with soil CO2 dynamics differing by wetting mechanism. During the wet-up period, direct precipitation infiltrates soil from above and results in pulses of CO2 efflux from soil. The annual flood arrives later, and saturates soil from below. While CO2 concentrations in soil grew very high under both wetting mechanisms, the change in soil CO2 efflux was only significant when soils were wet from above.

Variations in aboveground vegetation structure along a nutrient availability gradient in the Brazilian pantanal

Background and aimsForest expansion into seasonally flooded (hyperseasonal) savanna of the Brazilian Pantanal has been occurring for decades. Our goal was to evaluate how ecosystem physiognomy varied across a nutrient availability gradient and if hyperseasonal savanna had adequate nutrient stocks to support forest expansion.MethodsWe quantified soil properties, aboveground ecosystem structure, and nutrient stocks of three savanna and three forest stands in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and used correlation analysis to assess how aboveground vegetation structure varied across a soil nutrient availability gradient.ResultsWood and foliage carbon storage and leaf area index were positively correlated with soil extractable phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca2+), and magnesium (Mg2+) concentrations but not soil organic matter or texture. Soil profiles indicated that vegetation enriched surface P and K+ availability but not Ca2+ and Mg2+. Savanna ecosystems had adequate K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ to support gallery and riparian forests but not palm forest, while the savanna P stock was inadequate to support forest expansion.ConclusionsHyperseasonal savanna has adequate nutrients (except P) to support forest expansion. Forest trees likely invade P-deficient savanna by surviving in P-rich microsites. Over time, biotic enrichment of soil may accelerate forest expansion into P-poor savanna.

Large net CO2 loss from a grass‐dominated tropical savanna in south‐central Brazil in response to seasonal and interannual drought

The savanna vegetation of Brazil (Cerrado) accounts for 20–25% of the land cover of Brazil and is the second largest ecosystem following Amazonian forest; however, Cerrado mass and energy exchange is still highly uncertain. We used eddy covariance to measure the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) of grass-dominated Cerrado (campo sujo) over 3 years. We hypothesized that soil water availability would be a key control over the seasonal and interannual variations in NEE. Multiple regression indicated that gross primary production (GPP) was positively correlated (Pearsons r = 0.69; p < 0.001) with soil water content, radiation, and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived enhanced vegetation index (EVI) but negatively correlated with the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), indicating that drier conditions increased water limitations on GPP. Similarly, ecosystem respiration (Reco) was positively correlated (Pearsons r = 0.78; p < 0.001) with the EVI, radiation, soil water content, and temperature but slightly negatively correlated with rainfall and the VPD. While the NEE responded rapidly to temporal variations in soil water availability, the grass-dominated Cerrado stand was a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere during the study period, which was drier compared to the long-term average rainfall. Cumulative NEE was approximately 842 gC m−2, varying from 357 gC m−2 in 2011 to 242 gC m−2 in 2012. Our results indicate that grass-dominated Cerrado may be an important regional CO2 source in response to the warming and drying that is expected to occur in the southern Amazon Basin under climate change.

Soil CO2 concentrations and efflux dynamics of a tree island in the Pantanal wetland

The Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland on the planet and yet little information is available on the biomes carbon cycle. We used an automatic station to measure soil CO2 concentrations and oxidation-reduction potential over the 2014 and 2015 flood cycles of a tree island in the Pantanal that is immune to inundation during the wetlands annual flooding. The soil CO2 concentration profile was then used to estimate soil CO2 efflux over the two periods. In 2014, subsurface soil saturation at 0.30 m depth created conditions in that layer that led to CO2 buildup close to 200,000 ppm and soil oxidation-reduction potential below –300 mV, conditions that were not repeated in 2015 due to annual variability in soil saturation at the site. Mean CO2 efflux over the 2015 flood cycle was 0.023 ± 0.103 mg CO2-C m-2 s-1 representing a total annual efflux of 593 ± 2690 mg CO2-C m-2 y-1. Unlike a nearby tree island site that experiences full inundation during the wet season, here the soil dried quickly following repeated rain events throughout the year which led to the release of soil CO2 pulses from the soil. This study not only highlights the complexity and heterogeneity in the Pantanals carbon balance based on differences in topography, flood cycles and vegetation, but also the challenges of applying the gradient-method in the Pantanal due to deviations from steady-state conditions.

Transpiração pelo método da sonda de dissipação térmica em floresta de transição Amazônica-Cerrado

The objective of this study was to analyse the behavior of sap flow in a transition Amazon-Savannah forest species, to characterize the dependence of sap flow as a function of atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD). The sap flow was measured using the technique proposed by Granier, using heat dissipation probes in five different species. The data were divided into four seasons. In the experimental period, the curves of seasonal variation of sap flow showed an occurrence of peaks in the wet season. This seasonal sap flow trend was evidenced by the relationship between daily values of transpiration and VPD. The threshold value of VPD at these stations ranged from 1 to 1.5 kPa. Considering sap flow as representative of plant transpiration, reduction of the flux in the dry season did not confirm the hypothesis of maintenance of evapotranspiration process. The sap flow in the studied species was influenced more by weather than soil water availability. This raises the possibility of water storage in the stem during drier periods, when leaf area decreases. However the transpiration rate is not significantly different from that of the rainy season.

EVAPOTRANSPIRAÇÃO DO ALGODOEIRO ESTIMADO PELO MÉTODO DO BALANÇO DE ENERGIA E PELO MÉTODO DE PENMAN-MONTEITH

This work objective was compare the evapotranspiration of thecotton crop measure by the balance of energy and estimate by the Penman-Monteith (PM) model. Methods to calculate energy balance, mainly Bowenratio and Penman-Monteith (PM) model were applied. The values ofradiation varied from 8,50 W.m-2 to 642,06 W.m-2, with average of 251,01W.m-2. The crop resistance was 7.01 s.m-1to 333,33 s.m-1, with average 81.10s.m-1. The rainfall in the growing period was 347.20 mm during 150 dayswith a daily average approximately 2.31 mm. The daily evapotranspirationwas 0,27; 3,44; 3,50; 1,46; 1,53 and 3,02 mm.day-1 during the 52, 62, 83, 97,110 and 125 days after sowing (DAP), respectively. The results ofevapotranspiration obtained for the Bowen ratio method (ETB) werecorrelated with the results estimated by the Penman-Monteith model (PM),with R² = 0,97. The time of evapotranspiration verified by PM was 21%lower than that by ETB.