Open AccessReed canary grass cultivation mitigates greenhouse gas emissions from abandoned peat extraction areas
Author(s) -
Mander Ülo,
Järveoja Järvi,
Maddison Martin,
Soosaar Kaido,
Aavola Rene,
Ostonen Ivika,
Salm JüriOtt
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
gcb bioenergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.378
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1757-1707
pISSN - 1757-1693
DOI - 10.1111/j.1757-1707.2011.01138.x
Subject(s) - peat , methanogenesis , mineralization (soil science) , greenhouse gas , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , agronomy , chemistry , methane , zoology , soil water , biology , soil science , ecology , organic chemistry
We studied the impact of reed canary grass ( RCG ) cultivation on greenhouse gas emission in the following sites of an abandoned peat extraction area in E stonia: a bare soil ( BS ) site, a nonfertilized P halaris (nfP) plot, a fertilized P halaris (fP) plot, and a natural bog ( NB ) and a fen meadow ( FM ) as reference areas. The C balance and global warming potential ( GWP ) were estimated by measuring CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O emissions and aboveground and belowground biomass variations. The high CO 2 flux from the nfP and fP sites and the low CO 2 emission from the BS are due to the enhancement of mineralization by plant growth on planted sites and inhibited mineralization by the recalcitrant C of BS . The NB site emitted 24 kg CH 4 ha −1 yr −1 , whereas the almost zero CH 4 emission from the P halaris plots and the BS site was due to the high S concentration in peat, which probably inhibited methanogenesis. The N 2 O flux varied from <0.1 kg on the P halaris plots and the NB to 2.64 kg N 2 O ha −1 yr −1 on the FM . The highest yield of RCG was obtained in autumn (13.9 t and 8.0 t dw ha −1 on the fP and nfP, respectively). By spring, the biomass yield on the fP and nfP plot was 12.7 and 7.9 t dw ha −1 , respectively. The C balance of nfP and fP plots was negative in comparison to the BS (−3322, −5983, and 2504 kg CO 2 ha −1 yr −1 , respectively). This indicates that the cultivation of RCG transformed them from a net source of C into a net sink of C. The GWP for the fP and nfP sites was −5981 and −3885 kg CO 2 eq ha −1 yr −1 , respectively. The BS site had a total GWP of 2544 kg CO 2 eq ha −1 yr −1 .