Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(10):471-477 | DOI: 10.17221/223/2011-PSE

Soil-atmosphere greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) exchange in evergreen oak woodland in southern Portugal

A. Shvaleva1,2, R. Lobo-do-Vale2, C. Cruz3, S. Castaldi4, A.P. Rosa3, M.M. Chaves1,2, J.S. Pereira2
1 Institute of Technological Chemistry and Biology, New University of Lisbon, Av. República, Oeiras, Portugal
2 Institute of Agronomy, Technical University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal
3 Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon (CBA), Lisbon, Portugal
4 Second University, Caserta, Italy

A 10-20% decrease in annual precipitation is predicted in the Mediterranean basin, and in particular to the Iberian Peninsula, with foreseen effects on the exchange of soil-atmosphere greenhouse gases (GHGs; CO2, CH4, and N2O). To simulate this scenario, we setup an experimental design in the particularly dry period of 2008-2009 using rainfall exclusion and irrigation, to obtain plots receiving 110% (538 mm), 100% (493 mm) and 74% (365 mm) of the natural precipitation. Soil CO2 fluxes showed a strong increase from summer to autumn as a consequence of increasing soil heterotrophic respiration that resulted from rewetting. Fluxes of N2O were negligible. According to our data, soil was a permanent CH4 sink independent of the soil water content (in the range between 6-26% WFPS - water-filled pore space) and of soil temperature (in the range of 7-28°C), supporting the concept that seasonally dry ecosystems (Mediterranean) may represent a significant sink of atmospheric CH4. The study provides evidence that the 26% decrease or 10% increase in the ambient rainfall from annual precipitation of ca 500 mm did not significantly affect soil functionality and had a limited impact on soil-atmosphere net GHGs exchange in evergreen oak woodlands in southern Portugal.

Keywords: climate change; drought; Mediterranean; precipitation

Published: October 31, 2011  Show citation

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Shvaleva A, Lobo-do-Vale R, Cruz C, Castaldi S, Rosa AP, Chaves MM, Pereira JS. Soil-atmosphere greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) exchange in evergreen oak woodland in southern Portugal. Plant Soil Environ. 2011;57(10):471-477. doi: 10.17221/223/2011-PSE.
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