Dynamics of CO2 and N2O in Seasonal Frozen Soil Profiles for a Typical Steppe in Inner Mongolia

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effect of grazing on the mechanism for greenhouse gas emissions in the seasonal frozen soils for a typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, variations of N2O and CO2 concentrations in different soil layers were monitored by an in situ gas collection system. Three conditions were selected:ungrazed since 1979 (UG79), ungrazed since 1999 (UG99), and continuously grazed (CG). The results showed that the profile soil N2O and CO2 concentrations demonstrated a significant spatio-temporal distribution. ① The average concentrations of CO2 in the soil profile of the three conditions were:CO2 in the growth period > in the freezing-thawing period > in the freezing period. The CO2 concentrations in the growing period were much higher than in the freezing-thawing period and freezing period. The CO2 concentration was the highest in the UG79, and the lowest was in the CG. The concentration of CO2 in different soil layers was ordered as 20 cm ≥ 50 cm ≥ 35 cm ≥ 10 cm ≥ 5 cm at the UG79 and UG99 sites, and 50 cm ≥ 35 cm ≥ 20 cm ≥ 10 cm ≥ 5 cm at the CG site. ② The spatial and temporal variation of N2O concentration in the soil profile was different from that of CO2. While the UG79 and UG99 sites showed a "single peak type" change, the CG site had a "bimodal" pattern. The N2O concentration of the three conditions increased sharply during the soil freezing-thawing period, and the N2O was also released weakly during the growing season at the CG site (P<0.05). The average N2O concentration of the CG was significantly higher than that of UG79 and UG99 (P<0.05). The results show that the concentration of N2O in different soil layers was ordered as follows:UG79:20 cm ≥ 50 cm ≥ 35 cm ≥ 10 cm ≥ 5 cm; CG:50 cm ≥ 35 cm ≥ 20 cm ≥ 10 cm ≥ 5 cm, and UG99:35 cm ≥ 50 cm ≥ 20 cm ≥ 10 cm ≥ 5 cm. The results concluded that grazing decreased the profiled soil CO2 concentration and increased N2O concentration, which provides a basis for the accurate estimation of greenhouse gas emissions in the seasonal frozen soil in grasslands.