Seasonal Variation in CH4 Emission and Its C-Isotopic Signature from Spartina Alterniflora and Scirpus Mariqueter Soils in an Estuarine Wetland
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Plant Soil (2010) 327:85–94 DOI 10.1007/s11104-009-0033-y REGULAR ARTICLE 13 Seasonal variation in CH4 emission and its C-isotopic signature from Spartina alterniflora and Scirpus mariqueter soils in an estuarine wetland Xiaoli Cheng & Yiqi Luo & Qing Xu & Guanghui Lin & Quanfa Zhang & Jiakuai Chen & Bo Li Received: 16 February 2009 /Accepted: 12 May 2009 /Published online: 23 May 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2009 13 Abstract Although invasions by non-native species (CH4) emission and its C-CH4-isotope signature in represent a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem salt marshes. An invasive perennial C4 grass Spartina functioning, little attention has been paid to the alterniflora has spread rapidly along the east coast of potential impacts of these invasions on methane China since its introduction from North America in 1979. Since its intentional introduction to the Responsible Editor: Klaus Butterbach-Bahl. Jiuduansha Island in the Yangtze River estuary in : : : 1997, S. alterniflora monocultures have become the X. Cheng Y. Luo J. Chen B. Li (*) ’ Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River dominant component of the Jiuduansha s vegetation, Estuary, Ministry Education Key Laboratory where monocultures of the native plant Scirpus for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, mariqueter (a C3 grass) used to dominate the Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, vegetation for more than 30 years. We investigated Shanghai 200433, People’s Republic of China 13 e-mail: [email protected] seasonal variation in soil CH4 emission and its C- CH -isotope signature from S. alterniflora and S. : 4 X. Cheng Q. Zhang mariqueter marshes. The results obtained here show Wuhan Botanical Garden, that S. alterniflora invasion increased soil CH4 The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, People’s Republic of China emissions compared to native S. mariqueter, possibly resulting from great belowground biomass of S. : X. Cheng (*) Y. Luo alterniflora, which might have affected soil micro- Department of Botany and Microbiology, environments and /or CH4 production pathways. CH4 University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA emissions from soils in both marshes followed similar e-mail: [email protected] seasonal patterns in CH4 emissions that increased significantly from April to August and then decreased Q. Xu from August to October. CH4 emissions were posi- Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, tively correlated with soil temperature, but negatively Beijing 100091, China correlated with soil moisture for both S. alterniflora and S. mariqueter soils (p<0.05). The δ13C values of G. Lin CH4 from S. alterniflora, and S. mariqueter soils Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal ranged from -39.0‰ to -45.0‰, and -37.3‰ to - and Wetland Ecosystems, and School of Life Sciences, 13 Xiamen University, 45.7‰, respectively, with the lowest δ C values Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China occurring in August in both marshes. Although the 86 Plant Soil (2010) 327:85–94 leaves, roots and soil organic matter of S. alterniflora Soil temperature can also change decomposition of had significantly higher δ13C values than those of S. soil organic matter through regulating soil respira- mariqueter, S. alterniflora invasion did not signifi- tion rates and microbial activities (Rustad et al. cantly change the 13C- isotopic signature of soil 2001; Laine et al. 2007), and can eventually regulate emitted CH4 (p>0.05). Generally, the CH4 emissions the amount and seasonal pattern of CH4 emission in from both invasive S. alterniflora and native S. wetlands (Flessa et al. 2008). Additionally, soil mariqueter soils in the salt marshes of Jiuduansha moisture influences CH4 fluxes directly by control- Island were very low (0.01–0.26 mg m-2 h-1), ling the relative extent of oxic and anoxic environ- suggesting that S. alterniflora invasion along the east ments within soils, and indirectly by affecting soil coast of China may not be a significant potential genesis and vegetation composition, which are source of atmospheric CH4. important additional factors controlling CH4 fluxes (Kutzbach et al. 2004). Thus, the changes in the Keywords CH4 emission . Stable carbon isotope . relative importance of these processes, for example, Soil properties . Plant invasion . species composition caused by plant invasions Coastal sediments induced by human activities, may change soil organic matter input and quality (Ehrenfeld et al. 2001;Ehrenfeld2003), which can potentially lead to Introduction large changes in the magnitude of CH4 flux from wetland ecosystems. Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas Furthermore, numerous studies have reported that and its global warming potential is 25 times greater isotopic fractionation occurs during CH4 emissions than CO2 on a mass basis (IPCC 2007; Dalal et al. from the submerged anoxic soil into the atmosphere 2008). Natural wetlands play an important role in (Chanton et al. 1997; Bilek et al. 1999; Fey et al. contributing methane (CH4) to the atmosphere 2005; Venkiteswaran and Schiff 2005). Stable carbon 13 (Bartlett and Harriss 1993; Edwards et al. 2000). isotope ratios (δ C) of CH4 have proven to be a The CH4 produced from wetlands accounts for useful technique for partitioning individual atmo- approximately 20% of the total atmospheric budget spheric CH4 sources and sinks (Blair 1998; Edward (Rodhe 1990; IPCC 2007). Previous studies have et al. 2000), which is based on the fact that the CH4 reported that CH4 emissions from wetlands result production is almost exclusively derived from acetate from the complex interactions between the processes fermentation and CO2 reduction (H2/CO2 pathway) in of CH4 production, consumption, and transport, the anoxic wetland environments (Conrad 2005; which are governed by various interrelated environ- Penning et al. 2005). Production of CH4 from the mental factors, such as temperature, vegetation, soil CO2 reduction pathway exhibits larger isotope frac- properties, and microbial activities (e.g., Conrad tionation than that from acetate fermentation because 13 1999; Kutzbach et al. 2004; Laine et al. 2007). the C-CH4 produced by acetate fermentation is Vegetation is one of the important factors that more enriched (-30 ~ -60‰) than that produced by affect CH4 emissions from wetland ecosystems (e.g., CO2 reduction (-60 ~ -110‰) (Fey et al. 2005; Kutzbach et al. 2004; Minkkinen and Laine 2006). Conrad 2005). Thus, this difference in carbon isotope While an increasing number of studies has reported fractionation can be used for partitioning C-flux sources that vegetation affects gas emissions through regulat- in methanogenic environments (Conrad 2005). How- ing production and transport in wetland ecosystems ever, Penning et al. (2005) have demonstrated that the 13 worldwide (e.g., Van der Nat and Middelburg 2000; δ CvaluesofCH4 produced from either CO2 Cheng et al. 2007; Wilson et al. 2009), several reduction or acetate fermentation have a characteristic studies have indicated that belowground parts of signature, and the magnitude of fractionation is vegetation (decaying plant materials and fresh root usually considerably different among natural ecosys- exudates) could provide the substrates for methano- tems. Meanwhile, the pathway of CH4 production genesis (Whiting and Chanton 1993; Joabsson et al. from either CO2 or acetate can vary seasonally under 1999), which promote CH4 production (Whiting and field conditions, but the causes of the variations are Chanton 1993; Van der Nat and Middelburg 2000). not fully understood (Fey et al. 2005). Plant Soil (2010) 327:85–94 87 Spartina alterniflora was transplanted into tidal Materials and methods marshes of the coastal zone in China in 1979 from its native range in the United States because of its great Study area ability to rapidly colonize mudflats (Qin and Zhong 1992; Wang et al. 2006a). While its rapid growth has This study was conducted in Shanghai Jiuduansha greatly helped to stabilize the tidal flats, the negative Wetland Nature Reserve in the Yangtze River estuary impacts have also been characterized by the displace- (31o03'–31o17'N, and 121 o46'–122 o15'E). Jiuduan- ment of native species (Chen et al. 2004) and the sha Island is an alluvial island that was formed from changes of biotic communities and ecosystem pro- the sediments from the Yangtze River. The Island has cesses (Wang et al. 2006a; Liao et al. 2007, 2008;Li an area of 425 km2 in 2003 and still continues to grow et al. 2009). For example, Jiuduansha is an estuarine at about 70 m in radius per year (Chen 2003). Its island growing from constant deposition of sediments climate is characterized by annual precipitation of carried from the Yangtze River in China. Invasive S. 1,145 mm and annual mean temperature of 15.7°C, alterniflora,aC4 plant, was introduced to the island with monthly means of 27.3°C for July and 4.2°C for in 1997 under the Green Recovery for Birds project in January (Chen 2003). Jiuduansha has developed as a the Yangtze River estuary, where the native Scirpus stable island over a half century. The vegetation on mariqueter (a C3 plant) had dominated the island’s the island consists of very few species, and the vegetation for over 30 years (Cheng et al. 2006). structure of the plant communities is relatively simple. Previous studies have reported that S. alterniflora The native species, S. mariqueter, dominated the salt grows faster than the native species (Wang et al. marshes on this island until the invasive S. alterni- 2006b) and its invasion has significantly changed soil flora was introduced in 1997 (Chen 2003). organic matter (SOM) (Cheng et al. 2006), resulting in greater residue inputs to coastal marshes. Cheng Field sample collection et al. (2007) have compared trace gas emissions from S. alterniflora with those from a native Phragmites In April 2004, we selected two transects, 3 km long, australis by establishing brackish marsh mesocosms along a transitional zone from S.