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Water management effect on soil oxidation, greenhouse gas emissions, and nitrogen leaching in drained peat soils
Author(s) -
Rodriguez Andres F.,
Daroub Samira H.,
Gerber Stefan,
Jennewein Stephen P.,
Singh Maninder P.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.1002/saj2.20247
Subject(s) - soil water , peat , environmental science , leaching (pedology) , leachate , lysimeter , drainage , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental chemistry , soil science , geology , chemistry , ecology , geotechnical engineering , biology
Abstract Soil subsidence of peatlands occurs worldwide due to drainage. The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), located in South Florida, has been drained for agriculture since 1914, with subsidence resulting in shallow soils in certain areas. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of water management strategies on soil oxidation and N release as affected by differences in proximity to the bedrock. Oxidation rates (CO 2 efflux), as well as CH 4 and N 2 O emissions, were measured in lysimeters filled with shallow and deep peat subjected to four water treatments. Additionally, NO 3 –N, NH 4 –N, soluble organic N, and dissolved organic C were measured in leachate obtained from the collected soils. Average annual emissions from constantly drained soils were 298 g CO 2 –C m –2 yr –1 , with most of the oxidation taking place between June and October. Short flood cycles increased annual oxidation rates compared with constantly drained soils, which had the second highest oxidation rate. Constantly flooded soils had the lowest annual oxidation rates, followed by summer flooded soils. Total N lost in leachate was highest for constantly drained soils, with NO 3 being the dominant form. The deep soils had higher losses of soluble N and C, whereas NO 3 losses from shallow soils were higher. Soil oxidation rates did not differ depending on proximity to the bedrock. We conclude that strategies that avoid short flooding cycles and include crop rotations that allow flooding during summer can reduce oxidation and N losses in leachate from EAA peats.