Life‐Cycle Plasticity Underlying the Survival of Glandirana rugosa Tadpoles in Intensively Managed Rice Fields

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a human and environmental toxin produced in flooded soils. Little is known about MeHg in rice (Oryza Sativa L.) fields in Sacramento Valley, California. The objectives of this study were to quantify mercury fractions in irrigation water and within rice fields and to determine their mercury pools in surface water, soil, and grain. Soil, grain, and surface water (dissolved and particulate) MeHg and total mercury (THg) were monitored in six commercial rice fields throughout a winter fallow season and subsequent growing season. Both dissolved and particulate mercury fractions were higher in fallow season rice field water. Total suspended solids and particulate mercury concentrations were positively correlated (r=0.99 and 0.98 for THg and MeHg, respectively), suggesting that soil MeHg was suspended in the water column and potentially exported. Dissolved THg and MeHg concentrations were positively correlated with absorbance at 254nm (r=0.47 and 0.58, respectively) in fallow season field water. In the growing season, fields with higher irrigation water MeHg concentrations (due to recycled water use) had elevated field-water MeHg (r=0.86) and grain MeHg concentrations (r=0.96). Based on a mass balance analysis, soil mercury pools were orders of magnitude larger than surface water or grain mercury pools; however, fallow season drainage and grain harvest were the primary pathways for MeHg export. Based on these findings, reducing (1) discharge when water is turbid, (2) straw inputs, and (3) use of recycled irrigation water could help reduce mercury exports in rice field drainage water.

Reduced tillage is a useful practice to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and decrease methane (CH4) emission in a rice paddy. However, the impacts of reduced tillage on the global warming potential (GWP) are generally analyzed for CH4 fluxes only during rice cultivation season. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of tillage on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission including both CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O) and SOC stock changes were evaluated during the fallow season under two different tillage systems (conventional tillage and reduced tillage practice). The emission rate of GHG emissions was monitored using the closed chamber method. The SOC stock changes were estimated by the net ecosystem C budget (NECB), which is defined as the difference between total organic C input and output. Finally, the net global warming potential (net GWP), which was calculated as CO2 equivalents was compared between the different tillage system in rice paddy during fallow season. The net GWP of tillage and reduced tillage treatment were 4.09 and 4.96 Mg CO2 eq. ha-1, respectively during fallow season. However, the net GWP was not significantly different tillage systems. The decrease of SOC stock as CO2 emission was the most influential part on increasing the net GWP. Our study suggest that regardless of tillage conditions, it is necessary to establish a greenhouse gas reduction strategy focusing on increasing SOC accumulation during the fallow season. However, as this study was conducted for only single fallow season, long-term study is required to estimate the cumulative effects of tillage treatment on GHG emissions during fallow seasons in paddy.Net global warming potential (net GWP) under different tillage systems during fallow season in rice paddy (CT, conventional tillage; RT, reduced tillage).

Paddy rice fields are one of the most important sources of anthropogenic methane. Improving the accuracy in the CH4 budget is fundamental to identify strategies to mitigate climate change. Such improvement requires a mechanistic understanding of the complex interactions between environmental and agronomic factors determining CH4 emissions, and also the characterization of the annual temporal CH4 emissions pattern in the whole crop cycle. Hence, both the growing and fallow seasons must be included. However, most of the previous research has been based on single-factor analyses that are focused on the growing season. In order to fill this gap, a study was conducted in a Mediterranean rice agrosystem (Ebre Delta, Catalonia) following a farm-to-farm approach with the purpose of 1) evaluating the cumulative and temporal pattern of CH4 emission, and 2) conducting a multi-variate analyses to assess the associative pattern, relative contribution and temporal variation of the main explanatory variables concerning the observed CH4 emissions. Measurements of CH4 emissions and agronomic and environmental parameters in 15 commercial rice fields were monitored monthly, during a whole crop field cycle. The temporal pattern of CH4 emission followed a bi-modal distribution peaking in August and October. The cumulative annual CH4 emissions from rice fields amounted 314 kg CH4 kg ha-1, of which ca. 70% were emitted during the fallow season. The main controlling factors of the CH4 emission rate in the growing season were positive related to water level and plant cover, while soil redox was negatively related. The main controlling factors in the fallow season were water level (negatively related, conversely to the growing season), as well as straw incorporation and soil temperature (positively related). The results of this study highlight the importance of the often neglected fallow season in the accurate estimation of CH4 emissions and, thus, the necessity of measurement programs that cover the whole crop field cycle. This information is the first step for setting effective mitigation strategies based on straw and water management.

冬季水分管理和水稻覆膜栽培对川中丘陵地区冬水田CH_4排放的影响

Since its introduction to southern Spain 30 years ago, the red swamp crayfi sh Procambarus clarkii has established stable populations in both natural and man-made water bodies of the Lower Guadalquivir river basin, including the Donana National Park. In order to provide background data for potential management measures, we assessed the fertility, timing of and size at reproduction for this species at 11 sites differing in hydroperiod and habitat characteristics. Fecundity (in terms of the number of eggs per female) was size dependent, with reproduc- tive output per unit of weight being highest in large females from permanent water bodies, especially those from river branches. Size at reproduction was related to water temperature, population density, and the length of the hydroperiod. The smallest mature individuals were found in rice fi eld habitats, which had the highest densities ob- served, were fi lled with water throughout the summer, and had the longest dry period of all the habitats studied (6 months). In rice fi elds, recruitment peaks were observed in early summer and autumn. In permanent water bodies, most recruitment took place in late autumn and spring, whereas in water bodies that dry out in the summer, recruit- ment was mainly in the autumn or early winter. In order to reconcile confl icting interests between economy and ecology in the study area, we propose the transformation of unused rice fi elds, where crayfi sh densities are high, into crayfi sh culture grounds. Creating a hydrological cycle similar to that found in river branches would guarantee their large size at maturity.

Tracking the dynamics of paddy rice planting area in 1986–2010 through time series Landsat images and phenology-based algorithms

Mapping paddy rice planting areas through time series analysis of MODIS land surface temperature and vegetation index data

Few studies have considered how methylmercury (MeHg, a toxic form of Hg produced in anaerobic soils) production in rice ( L.) fields can affect water quality, and little is known about MeHg dynamics in rice fields. Surface water MeHg and total Hg (THg) imports, exports, and storage were studied in two commercial rice fields in the Sacramento Valley, California, where soil THg was low (25 and 57 ng g). The median concentration of MeHg in drainage water exiting the fields was 0.17 ng g (range: <0.007-2.1 ng g). Compared with irrigation water, drainage water had similar MeHg concentrations, and lower THg concentrations during the growing season. Significantly elevated drainage water MeHg and THg concentrations were observed in the fallow season compared with the growing season. An analysis of surface water loads indicates that fields were net importers of both MeHg (76-110 ng m) and THg (1947-7224 ng m) during the growing season, and net exporters of MeHg (35-200 ng m) and THg (248-6496 ng m) during the fallow season. At harvest, 190 to 700 ng MeHg m and 1400 to 1700 ng THg m were removed from fields in rice grain. Rice straw, which contained 120 to 180 ng MeHg m and 7000-10,500 ng m THg was incorporated into the soil. These results indicate that efforts to reduce MeHg and THg exports in rice drainage water should focus on the fallow season. Substantial amounts of MeHg and THg were stored in plants, and these pools should be considered in future studies.

In Japan, rice paddies play an important role as a substitute habitat for wetland species, and support rich indigenous ecosystems. However, since the 1950s, agricultural modernization has altered the rice paddy environment, and many previously common species are now endangered. It is urgently necessary to evaluate rice paddies as habitats for conservation. Among the species living in rice paddies, frogs are representative and are good indicator species, so we focused on frog species and analyzed the influence of environmental factors on their habitat use. We found four frog species and one subspecies (Hyla japonica, Pelophylax nigromaculatus, Glandirana rugosa, Lithobates catesbeianus, and Pelophylax porosa brevipoda) at our study sites in Shiga prefecture. For all but L. catesbeianus, we analyzed the influence of environmental factors related to rice paddy structure, water management and availability, agrochemical use, connectivity, and land use on breeding and non-breeding habitat use. We constructed generalized additive mixed models with survey date as the smooth term and applied Akaike's information criterion to choose the bestranked model. Because life histories and biological characteristics vary among species, the factors affecting habitat use by frogs are also expected to differ by species. We found that both breeding and non-breeding habitat uses of each studied species were influenced by different combinations of environmental factors and that in most cases, habitat use showed seasonality. For frog conservation in rice paddies, we need to choose favorable rice paddy in relation to surrounding land use and apply suitable management for target species.

ABSTRACTAgricultural fields, including rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddy fields, constitute one of the major sources of atmospheric methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Organic matter application, such as straw and organic fertilizer, enhances CH4 emission from paddy fields. In addition, rice straw management after harvest regulates CH4 emissions in the growing season. The interaction of tillage times and organic fertilizer application on CH4 and N2O emissions is largely unknown. Therefore, we studied the effects of fallow-season tillage times and fertilizer types on CH4 and N2O emissions in paddy fields in Ehime, southwestern Japan. From November 2011 to October 2013, four treatments, two (autumn and spring) or one (spring) in the first year, or two (autumn and spring) or three (autumn, winter, and spring) in the second year times of tillage with chemical or organic fertilizer application, were established. Gas fluxes were measured by the closed-chamber method. Increasing the number of tillage times from one to two decreased succeeding CH4 emission and the emission factor for CH4 (EFCH4) in the rice-growing season, suggesting that the substrate for CH4 production was reduced by autumn and spring tillage in the fallow season. Higher EFCH4 [1.8–2.0 kg carbon (C) ha−1 d−1] was observed when more straw was applied (6.9–7.2 Mg ha−1) in the second year. Organic fertilizer application induced higher CH4 emission just after the application as basal and supplemental fertilizers, especially at a lower straw application rate. This indicated that EFCH4 in the organically managed fields should be determined individually. Organic fertilizer application with two tillage times induced N2O efflux during the rice-growing season in the second year, but N2O emissions were not affected by winter tillage. Although paddy fields can act as an N2O sink because of reduced soil conditions when straw application was high, application of organic C and nitrogen as fertilizer can enhance N2O production by the denitrification process during the growing season, especially in the ripening stage when soil anaerobic conditions became moderate. These results suggest that negative emission factors for N2O (EFN2O) can be applied, and EFN2O of organic fertilizer should be considered during the estimation of N2O emission in the paddy field.

Paddy rice is one of the most important crops in the world. Information of the area and spatial distribution of paddy rice is significant for food security, water resources management, and greenhouse gas (methane) emissions. Paddy rice field is characterized by an initial period of flooding and transplanting, during which period open canopy (a mixture of rice crops and surface water) exists. The present algorithms for paddy rice recognition are mainly based on the unique physical features of paddy rice and the vegetation indices, which are sensitive to dynamics of the canopy and surface water content. In this study, the rice growth calendar data and the cropping pattern (e.g., single rice or double rice) information were used to improve present phenology-based rice recognition approach by determining the potential temporal window of flooding and transplanting periods over a year. Other land cover types (e.g., snow, evergreen vegetation and permanent water bodies) with potential influences on paddy rice identification were removed (masked out) due to different temporal profiles. The results showed that the estimated rice area is in line with the provincial agricultural statistics with R2 and slope are 0.951, 1.049, respectively, and the relative errors of the different province are between -15.81% to 25.75%.

Intensive field experiments were conducted from 1999 to 2001 to examine the effects of farmland improvement on methane (CH4) emission from two rice paddy fields in Niigata, Japan. Rice cultivation and field management were similar in both paddy fields; however, one field had a subsurface drainage system installed 0.6–0.8 m below the soil surface (drained paddy field) and the other had no such system (non-drained paddy field). Methane emissions from the drained paddy field during each rice-growing season were approximately 71% lower than those from the non-drained paddy field. The subsurface drainage system lowered the groundwater level and top of the gley soil layer to the drainage pipe level, enhanced soil permeability, and resulted in more oxidized soil conditions in the fallow season. The lower total and hot water extractable carbon in the plowed layer soil of the drained field versus the non-drained field strongly suggests that the organic substrate that gives rise to CH4 decomposed more quickly in the drained field. Ferrous iron concentrations in the fresh plowed layer soil, collected from before submergence up to mid-summer drainage, were also much lower in the drained field. This indicated that ferrous iron produced during the flooding seasons was quickly oxidized to ferric iron in the fallow season, which then acted as an electron accepter and inhibited CH4 production in the subsequent rice-growing season. In contrast, the continuous reductive conditions in the non-drained field (even in the fallow season) prevented most of the ferrous iron from being oxidized. Therefore, installing a subsurface drainage system greatly reduced CH4 emissions by improving aerobic conditions and reducing CH4 production potential. Methane emissions with a large inter-annual variation in the rice-growing season from the non-drained field were positively correlated with soil moisture in the plowed layer before submergence, which, in turn, greatly affected CH4 emission in the following rice-growing season.

Present study examined the influence of different types of slow/controlled release urea on rice yield and annual greenhouse gas emissions in a paddy field, and assessed the greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI, equivalent to global warming potential GWP/rice yield). The results indicated that the optimized fertilization (OPT) treatment recorded the similar yield with reduced nitrogen fertilizer (21.4%) supply compared with the farmers' fertilizer practice (FFP) treatment, and decreased the annual emissions of CH4 (12.6%) and N2O (12.5%) during the rice season, and N2O emission (33.3%) during the fallow period. Application of controlled release urea (CRU) reduced CH4 emission by 28.9% during the rice-growing season with respect to OPT treatment, and showed negligible CH4 emission during the fallow season. However, nitrification inhibitor (DMPP) treatment was found to reduce the CH4 emissions by 41.6% and 76.9%, and N2O emissions by 85.7% and 6.5%, during the rice growing season and fallow season, respectively, compared with OPT treatment. In the fallow season, the N2O emissions accounted for 76.8%-94.9% of annual N2O emissions, which was clearly a key point for evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions in paddy. The average values of GHGI in OPT, CRU and DMPP treatments were 0.50, 0.41 and 0.33 kg·kg-1, respectively. Considering the benefits of higher rice yield and lower annual greenhouse gas emissions, combined application of urea and nitrification inhibitor could be the best combination in paddy fields.

ABSTRACTBiochar application can reduce global warming via carbon (C) sequestration in soils. However, there are few studies investigating its effects on greenhouse gases in rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddy fields throughout the year. In this study, a year-round field experiment was performed in rice paddy fields to investigate the effects of biochar application on methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and C budget. The study was conducted on three rice paddy fields in Ehime prefecture, Japan, for 2 years. Control (Co) and biochar (B) treatments, in which 2-cm size bamboo biochar (2 Mg ha−1) was applied, were set up in the first year. CH4 and N2O emissions and heterotrophic respiration (Rh) were measured using a closed-chamber method. In the fallow season, the mean N2O emission during the experimental period was significantly lower in B (67 g N ha−1) than Co (147 g N ha−1). However, the mean CH4 emission was slightly higher in B (2.3 kg C ha−1) than Co (1.2 kg C ha−1) in fallow season. The water-filled pore space increased more during the fallow season in B than Co. In B, soil was reduced more than in Co due to increasing soil moisture, which decreased N2O and increased CH4 emissions in the fallow season. In the rice-growing season, the mean N2O emission tended to be lower in B (−104 g N ha−1) than Co (−13 g N ha−1), while mean CH4 emission was similar between B (183 kg C ha−1) and Co (173 kg C ha−1). Due to the C release from applied biochar and soil organic C in the first year, Rh in B was higher than that in Co. The net greenhouse gas emission for 2 years considering biochar C, plant residue C, CH4 and N2O emissions, and Rh was lower in B (5.53 Mg CO2eq ha−1) than Co (11.1 Mg CO2eq ha−1). Biochar application worked for C accumulation, increasing plant residue C input, and mitigating N2O emission by improving soil environmental conditions. This suggests that bamboo biochar application in paddy fields could aid in mitigating global warming.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Northeast China Rice Fields in Fallow Season