Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland

<p>Raising the water table is an effective way to abate greenhouse gas emissions from cultivated peat soils. We experimented a gradual water table rise at a highly degraded agricultural peat soil site with plots of willow, forage and mixed vegetation (set-aside) in southern Finland. We measure...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: K. Lång, H. Honkanen, J. Heikkinen, S. Saarnio, T. Larmola, H. Kekkonen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2024-11-01
Series:SOIL
Online Access:https://soil.copernicus.org/articles/10/827/2024/soil-10-827-2024.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846151566676983808
author K. Lång
H. Honkanen
J. Heikkinen
S. Saarnio
T. Larmola
H. Kekkonen
author_facet K. Lång
H. Honkanen
J. Heikkinen
S. Saarnio
T. Larmola
H. Kekkonen
author_sort K. Lång
collection DOAJ
description <p>Raising the water table is an effective way to abate greenhouse gas emissions from cultivated peat soils. We experimented a gradual water table rise at a highly degraded agricultural peat soil site with plots of willow, forage and mixed vegetation (set-aside) in southern Finland. We measured the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>), methane (CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span>) and nitrous oxide (N<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>O) for 4 years. The mean annual groundwater table depth was about 54, 40, 40 and 30 cm in 2019–2022, respectively. The results indicated that a 10 cm rise in the water table depth was able to slow down annual CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> emissions from soil respiration by 0.87 Mg CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>-C ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>. CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> fluxes changed from uptake to emissions with a rise in the water table depth, and the maximum mean annual emission rate was 11 kg CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span>-C ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>. Nitrous oxide emissions ranged from 2 to 33 kg N<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>O-N ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>; they were high in bare soil at the beginning of the experiment but decreased towards the end of the experiment. Short rotation cropping of willow reached net sequestration of carbon before harvest, but all treatments and years showed a net loss of carbon based on the net ecosystem carbon balance. Overall, the short rotation coppice of willow had the most favourable carbon and greenhouse gas balance over the years (10 Mg CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> eq. on average over 4 years). The total greenhouse gas balance of the forage and set-aside treatments did not go under 27 Mg CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> eq. ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>, highlighting the challenge in curbing peat decomposition in highly degraded cultivated peatlands.</p>
format Article
id doaj-art-bf233c004f8a4677bbc139a036e2d8e7
institution Kabale University
issn 2199-3971
2199-398X
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series SOIL
spelling doaj-art-bf233c004f8a4677bbc139a036e2d8e72024-11-27T09:31:10ZengCopernicus PublicationsSOIL2199-39712199-398X2024-11-011082784110.5194/soil-10-827-2024Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatlandK. Lång0H. Honkanen1J. Heikkinen2S. Saarnio3T. Larmola4H. Kekkonen5Natural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, FinlandNatural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, FinlandNatural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, FinlandNatural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, FinlandNatural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, FinlandNatural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland<p>Raising the water table is an effective way to abate greenhouse gas emissions from cultivated peat soils. We experimented a gradual water table rise at a highly degraded agricultural peat soil site with plots of willow, forage and mixed vegetation (set-aside) in southern Finland. We measured the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>), methane (CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span>) and nitrous oxide (N<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>O) for 4 years. The mean annual groundwater table depth was about 54, 40, 40 and 30 cm in 2019–2022, respectively. The results indicated that a 10 cm rise in the water table depth was able to slow down annual CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> emissions from soil respiration by 0.87 Mg CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>-C ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>. CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span> fluxes changed from uptake to emissions with a rise in the water table depth, and the maximum mean annual emission rate was 11 kg CH<span class="inline-formula"><sub>4</sub></span>-C ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>. Nitrous oxide emissions ranged from 2 to 33 kg N<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span>O-N ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>; they were high in bare soil at the beginning of the experiment but decreased towards the end of the experiment. Short rotation cropping of willow reached net sequestration of carbon before harvest, but all treatments and years showed a net loss of carbon based on the net ecosystem carbon balance. Overall, the short rotation coppice of willow had the most favourable carbon and greenhouse gas balance over the years (10 Mg CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> eq. on average over 4 years). The total greenhouse gas balance of the forage and set-aside treatments did not go under 27 Mg CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> eq. ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>, highlighting the challenge in curbing peat decomposition in highly degraded cultivated peatlands.</p>https://soil.copernicus.org/articles/10/827/2024/soil-10-827-2024.pdf
spellingShingle K. Lång
H. Honkanen
J. Heikkinen
S. Saarnio
T. Larmola
H. Kekkonen
Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland
SOIL
title Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland
title_full Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland
title_fullStr Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland
title_full_unstemmed Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland
title_short Impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland
title_sort impact of crop type on the greenhouse gas ghg emissions of a rewetted cultivated peatland
url https://soil.copernicus.org/articles/10/827/2024/soil-10-827-2024.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT klang impactofcroptypeonthegreenhousegasghgemissionsofarewettedcultivatedpeatland
AT hhonkanen impactofcroptypeonthegreenhousegasghgemissionsofarewettedcultivatedpeatland
AT jheikkinen impactofcroptypeonthegreenhousegasghgemissionsofarewettedcultivatedpeatland
AT ssaarnio impactofcroptypeonthegreenhousegasghgemissionsofarewettedcultivatedpeatland
AT tlarmola impactofcroptypeonthegreenhousegasghgemissionsofarewettedcultivatedpeatland
AT hkekkonen impactofcroptypeonthegreenhousegasghgemissionsofarewettedcultivatedpeatland