A high-intensity wildfire burnt through a dry Eucalyptus forest in south-eastern Australia that h... more A high-intensity wildfire burnt through a dry Eucalyptus forest in south-eastern Australia that had been fuel reduced with fire 3 months prior, presenting a unique opportunity to measure the effects of fuel reduction (FR) on forest carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wildfires at the start of the fuel accumulation cycle. Less than 3% of total forest carbon to 30-cm soil depth was transferred to the atmosphere in FR burning; the subsequent wildfire transferred a further 6% to the atmosphere. There was a 9% loss in carbon for the FR–wildfire sequence. In nearby forest, last burnt 25 years previously, the wildfire burning transferred 16% of forest carbon to the atmosphere and was characterised by more complete combustion of all fuels and less surface charcoal deposition, compared with fuel-reduced forest. Compared to the fuel-reduced forests, release of non-CO2 GHG doubled following wildfire in long-unburnt forest. Although this is the maximum emission mitigation likely with...
Post-photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation might alter the isotopic signal imprinted on org... more Post-photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation might alter the isotopic signal imprinted on organic matter (OM) during primary carbon fixation by Rubisco. To characterise the influence of post-photosynthetic processes, we investigated the effect of starch storage and remobilisation on the stable carbon isotope signature (δ13C) of different carbon pools in the Eucalyptus delegatensis R. T. Baker leaf and the potential carbon isotope fractionation associated with phloem transport and respiration. Twig phloem exudate and leaf water-soluble OM showed diel variations in δ13C of up to 2.5 and 2‰, respectively, with 13C enrichment during the night and depletion during the day. Damped diel variation was also evident in bulk lipids of the leaf and in the leaf wax fraction. δ13C of nocturnal phloem exudate OM corresponded with the δ13C of carbon released from starch. There was no change in δ13C of phloem carbon along the trunk. CO2 emitted from trunks and roots was 13C enriched compared wit...
Soils provide the largest terrestrial carbon store, the largest atmospheric CO2 source, the large... more Soils provide the largest terrestrial carbon store, the largest atmospheric CO2 source, the largest terrestrial N2O source and the largest terrestrial CH4 sink, as mediated through root and soil microbial processes. A change in land use or management can alter these soil processes such that net greenhouse gas exchange may increase or decrease. We measured soil–atmosphere exchange of CO2, N2O and CH4 in four adjacent land-use systems (native eucalypt woodland, clover-grass pasture, Pinus radiata and Eucalyptus globulus plantation) for short, but continuous, periods between October 2005 and June 2006 using an automated trace gas measurement system near Albany in southwest Western Australia. Mean N2O emission in the pasture was 26.6 μg N m−2 h−1, significantly greater than in the natural and managed forests (< 2.0 μg N m−2 h−1). N2O emission from pasture soil increased after rainfall events (up to 100 μg N m−2 h−1) and as soil water content increased into winter, whereas no soil water response was detected in the forest systems. Gross nitrification through 15N isotope dilution in all land-use systems was small at water holding capacity < 30%, and under optimum soil water conditions gross nitrification ranged between < 0.1 and 1.0 mg N kg−1 h−1, being least in the native woodland/eucalypt plantation < pine plantation < pasture. Forest soils were a constant CH4 sink, up to −20 μg C m−2 h−1 in the native woodland. Pasture soil was an occasional CH4 source, but weak CH4 sink overall (−3 μg C m−2 h−1). There were no strong correlations (R < 0.4) between CH4 flux and soil moisture or temperature. Soil CO2 emissions (35–55 mg C m−2 h−1) correlated with soil water content (R < 0.5) in all but the E. globulus plantation. Soil N2O emissions from improved pastures can be considerable and comparable with intensively managed, irrigated and fertilised dairy pastures. In all land uses, soil N2O emissions exceeded soil CH4 uptake on a carbon dioxide equivalent basis. Overall, afforestation of improved pastures (i) decreases soil N2O emissions and (ii) increases soil CH4 uptake.
Temperate pastures are often managed with P fertilizers and N2-fixing legumes to maintain and inc... more Temperate pastures are often managed with P fertilizers and N2-fixing legumes to maintain and increase pasture productivity which may lead to greater nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and reduced methane (CH4) uptake. However, the diel and inter-daily variation in N2O and CH4 flux in pastures is poorly understood, especially in relation to key environmental drivers. We investigated the effect of pasture productivity, rainfall, and changing soil moisture and temperature upon short-term soil N2O and CH4 flux dynamics during spring in sheep grazed pasture systems in southeastern Australia. N2O and CH4 flux was measured continuously in a High P (23 kg P ha−1 yr−1) and No P pasture treatment and in a sheep camp area in a Low P (4 kg P ha−1 yr−1) pasture for a four week period in spring 2005 using an automated trace gas system. Although pasture productivity was three-fold greater in the High P than No P treatment, mean CH4 uptake was similar (−6.3 ± SE 0.3 to −8.6 ± 0.4 μg C m−2 hr−1) as were mean N2O emissions (6.5 to 7.9 ± 0.8 μg N m−2 hr−1), although N2O flux in the No P pasture did not respond to changing soil water conditions. N2O emissions were greatest in the Low P sheep camp (12.4 μg ± 1.1 N m−2 hr−1) where there were also net CH4 emissions of 5.2 ± 0.5 μg C m−2 hr−1. There were significant, but weak, relationships between soil water and N2O emissions, but not between soil water and CH4 flux. The diel temperature cycle strongly influenced CH4 and N2O emissions, but this was often masked by the confounding covariate effects of changing soil water content. There were no consistently significant differences in soil mineral N or gross N transformation rates, however, measurements of substrate induced respiration (SIR) indicated that soil microbial processes in the highly productive pasture are more N limited than P limited after >20 years of P fertilizer addition. Increased productivity, through P fertilizer and legume management, did not significantly increase N2O emissions, or reduce CH4 uptake, during this 4 week measurement period, but the lack of an N2O response to rainfall in the No P pasture suggests this may be evident over a longer measurement period. This study also suggests that small compacted and nutrient enriched areas of grazed pastures may contribute greatly to the overall N2O and CH4 trace gas balance.
Oxidation of methane by methanotrophic bacteria in aerated soils does provide a considerable glob... more Oxidation of methane by methanotrophic bacteria in aerated soils does provide a considerable global sink for greenhouse gases (-30 Tg CH4/yr). The form of land-use can have a significant impact on the methane uptake capacity of a soil. We investigated the sink strength for methane uptake of forest ecosystems and agro- ecosystems in Australia using automated measurement systems and manual chamber methods. Our results demonstrate large differences in the methane uptake capacity of Australian soils. Data from Western Australia showed that CH4 uptake rates increased with stand age of plantations and were greatest in an undisturbed native forest and lowest in an improved pasture. Measurements in differently aged forest ecosystems indicated that sites with the most recent fire disturbance had the lowest methane uptake rates. Generally, native forest ecosystems showed the greatest methane uptake rates (up to 130 kg CO2-e ha yr). Plantations (eucalyptus/pine) showed significantly lower methane uptake rates (around 15 kg CO2-e ha yr). Grazed pastures in Australia had the lowest uptake rates (6 kg CO2-e ha yr) and were occasional methane sources. The methane uptake rates of soils were only marginally influenced by environmental parameters over the course of a year. Between sites the methane uptake rates were not related to soil parameters such as soil bulk density. Experiments with excavated soil cores demonstrated that diffusivity of methane through the upper soil layer was the rate limiting step. Our results indicate that the community structure of methanotrophic bacteria and substrate diffusivity are the most important factor influencing methane uptake rates in soils. Disturbance events such as change of land-use or vegetation structure can have significant impacts on the capacity of soils to take up methane.
A high-intensity wildfire burnt through a dry Eucalyptus forest in south-eastern Australia that h... more A high-intensity wildfire burnt through a dry Eucalyptus forest in south-eastern Australia that had been fuel reduced with fire 3 months prior, presenting a unique opportunity to measure the effects of fuel reduction (FR) on forest carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wildfires at the start of the fuel accumulation cycle. Less than 3% of total forest carbon to 30-cm soil depth was transferred to the atmosphere in FR burning; the subsequent wildfire transferred a further 6% to the atmosphere. There was a 9% loss in carbon for the FR–wildfire sequence. In nearby forest, last burnt 25 years previously, the wildfire burning transferred 16% of forest carbon to the atmosphere and was characterised by more complete combustion of all fuels and less surface charcoal deposition, compared with fuel-reduced forest. Compared to the fuel-reduced forests, release of non-CO2 GHG doubled following wildfire in long-unburnt forest. Although this is the maximum emission mitigation likely with...
Post-photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation might alter the isotopic signal imprinted on org... more Post-photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation might alter the isotopic signal imprinted on organic matter (OM) during primary carbon fixation by Rubisco. To characterise the influence of post-photosynthetic processes, we investigated the effect of starch storage and remobilisation on the stable carbon isotope signature (δ13C) of different carbon pools in the Eucalyptus delegatensis R. T. Baker leaf and the potential carbon isotope fractionation associated with phloem transport and respiration. Twig phloem exudate and leaf water-soluble OM showed diel variations in δ13C of up to 2.5 and 2‰, respectively, with 13C enrichment during the night and depletion during the day. Damped diel variation was also evident in bulk lipids of the leaf and in the leaf wax fraction. δ13C of nocturnal phloem exudate OM corresponded with the δ13C of carbon released from starch. There was no change in δ13C of phloem carbon along the trunk. CO2 emitted from trunks and roots was 13C enriched compared wit...
Soils provide the largest terrestrial carbon store, the largest atmospheric CO2 source, the large... more Soils provide the largest terrestrial carbon store, the largest atmospheric CO2 source, the largest terrestrial N2O source and the largest terrestrial CH4 sink, as mediated through root and soil microbial processes. A change in land use or management can alter these soil processes such that net greenhouse gas exchange may increase or decrease. We measured soil–atmosphere exchange of CO2, N2O and CH4 in four adjacent land-use systems (native eucalypt woodland, clover-grass pasture, Pinus radiata and Eucalyptus globulus plantation) for short, but continuous, periods between October 2005 and June 2006 using an automated trace gas measurement system near Albany in southwest Western Australia. Mean N2O emission in the pasture was 26.6 μg N m−2 h−1, significantly greater than in the natural and managed forests (< 2.0 μg N m−2 h−1). N2O emission from pasture soil increased after rainfall events (up to 100 μg N m−2 h−1) and as soil water content increased into winter, whereas no soil water response was detected in the forest systems. Gross nitrification through 15N isotope dilution in all land-use systems was small at water holding capacity < 30%, and under optimum soil water conditions gross nitrification ranged between < 0.1 and 1.0 mg N kg−1 h−1, being least in the native woodland/eucalypt plantation < pine plantation < pasture. Forest soils were a constant CH4 sink, up to −20 μg C m−2 h−1 in the native woodland. Pasture soil was an occasional CH4 source, but weak CH4 sink overall (−3 μg C m−2 h−1). There were no strong correlations (R < 0.4) between CH4 flux and soil moisture or temperature. Soil CO2 emissions (35–55 mg C m−2 h−1) correlated with soil water content (R < 0.5) in all but the E. globulus plantation. Soil N2O emissions from improved pastures can be considerable and comparable with intensively managed, irrigated and fertilised dairy pastures. In all land uses, soil N2O emissions exceeded soil CH4 uptake on a carbon dioxide equivalent basis. Overall, afforestation of improved pastures (i) decreases soil N2O emissions and (ii) increases soil CH4 uptake.
Temperate pastures are often managed with P fertilizers and N2-fixing legumes to maintain and inc... more Temperate pastures are often managed with P fertilizers and N2-fixing legumes to maintain and increase pasture productivity which may lead to greater nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and reduced methane (CH4) uptake. However, the diel and inter-daily variation in N2O and CH4 flux in pastures is poorly understood, especially in relation to key environmental drivers. We investigated the effect of pasture productivity, rainfall, and changing soil moisture and temperature upon short-term soil N2O and CH4 flux dynamics during spring in sheep grazed pasture systems in southeastern Australia. N2O and CH4 flux was measured continuously in a High P (23 kg P ha−1 yr−1) and No P pasture treatment and in a sheep camp area in a Low P (4 kg P ha−1 yr−1) pasture for a four week period in spring 2005 using an automated trace gas system. Although pasture productivity was three-fold greater in the High P than No P treatment, mean CH4 uptake was similar (−6.3 ± SE 0.3 to −8.6 ± 0.4 μg C m−2 hr−1) as were mean N2O emissions (6.5 to 7.9 ± 0.8 μg N m−2 hr−1), although N2O flux in the No P pasture did not respond to changing soil water conditions. N2O emissions were greatest in the Low P sheep camp (12.4 μg ± 1.1 N m−2 hr−1) where there were also net CH4 emissions of 5.2 ± 0.5 μg C m−2 hr−1. There were significant, but weak, relationships between soil water and N2O emissions, but not between soil water and CH4 flux. The diel temperature cycle strongly influenced CH4 and N2O emissions, but this was often masked by the confounding covariate effects of changing soil water content. There were no consistently significant differences in soil mineral N or gross N transformation rates, however, measurements of substrate induced respiration (SIR) indicated that soil microbial processes in the highly productive pasture are more N limited than P limited after >20 years of P fertilizer addition. Increased productivity, through P fertilizer and legume management, did not significantly increase N2O emissions, or reduce CH4 uptake, during this 4 week measurement period, but the lack of an N2O response to rainfall in the No P pasture suggests this may be evident over a longer measurement period. This study also suggests that small compacted and nutrient enriched areas of grazed pastures may contribute greatly to the overall N2O and CH4 trace gas balance.
Oxidation of methane by methanotrophic bacteria in aerated soils does provide a considerable glob... more Oxidation of methane by methanotrophic bacteria in aerated soils does provide a considerable global sink for greenhouse gases (-30 Tg CH4/yr). The form of land-use can have a significant impact on the methane uptake capacity of a soil. We investigated the sink strength for methane uptake of forest ecosystems and agro- ecosystems in Australia using automated measurement systems and manual chamber methods. Our results demonstrate large differences in the methane uptake capacity of Australian soils. Data from Western Australia showed that CH4 uptake rates increased with stand age of plantations and were greatest in an undisturbed native forest and lowest in an improved pasture. Measurements in differently aged forest ecosystems indicated that sites with the most recent fire disturbance had the lowest methane uptake rates. Generally, native forest ecosystems showed the greatest methane uptake rates (up to 130 kg CO2-e ha yr). Plantations (eucalyptus/pine) showed significantly lower methane uptake rates (around 15 kg CO2-e ha yr). Grazed pastures in Australia had the lowest uptake rates (6 kg CO2-e ha yr) and were occasional methane sources. The methane uptake rates of soils were only marginally influenced by environmental parameters over the course of a year. Between sites the methane uptake rates were not related to soil parameters such as soil bulk density. Experiments with excavated soil cores demonstrated that diffusivity of methane through the upper soil layer was the rate limiting step. Our results indicate that the community structure of methanotrophic bacteria and substrate diffusivity are the most important factor influencing methane uptake rates in soils. Disturbance events such as change of land-use or vegetation structure can have significant impacts on the capacity of soils to take up methane.
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