Effects of water table and nitrogen addition on CO2 emission from wetland soil

Abstract

Soil respiration is a main dynamic process of carbon cycle in wetland. It is important to contribute to global climate changes. Water table and nutritious availability are significant impact factors to influence responses of CO2 emission from wetland soil to climate changes. Twenty-four wetland soil monoliths at 4 water-table positions and in 3 nitrogen status have been incubated to measure rates of CO2 emission from wetland soils in this study. Three static water-table controls and a fluctuant water-table control, with 3 nitrogen additions in every water-table control, were carried out. In no nitrogen addition treatment, high CO2 emissions were found at a static low water table (I) and a fluctuant water table (IV), averaging 306.7mg/(m2·h) and 307.89mg/(m2·h), respectively, which were 51%–57% higher than that at static high water table (II and III). After nitrogen addition, however, highest CO2 emission was found at II and lowest emission at III. The results suggested that nutritious availability of wetland soil might be important to influence the effect of water table on the CO2 emission from the wetland soil. Nitrogen addition led to enhancing CO2 emissions from wetland soil, while the highest emission was found in 1N treatments other than in 2N treatments. In 3 nutritious treatments, low CO2 emissions at high water tables and high CO2 emissions at low water tables were also observed when water table fluctuated. Our results suggested that both water table changes and nutritious imports would effect the CO2 emission from wetland.