Variations of Stable Carbon Isotopes of CH4 Emission from Three Typical Rice Fields in China

doi:10.1016/S1002-0160(15)60096-0

Pedosphere

Volume 27, Issue 1, February 2017, Pages 52-64

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(15)60096-0 Get rights and content

Abstract

Little is known about the stable carbon isotopes of methane (CH₄) emitted (δ¹³CH_4emitte4) from permanently flooded rice fields and double rice-cropping fields. The CH₄ emission and corresponding δ¹³CH_4emitte4 under various field managements (mulching, water regime, tillage, and nitrogen (N) fertilization) were simultaneously measured in three typical Chinese rice fields, a permanently flooded rice field in Ziyang City, Sichuan Province, Southwest China, a double-rice cropping field in Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, Southeast China, and a rice-wheat rotation field in Jurong City, Jiangsu Province, East China, from 2010 to 2012. Results showed different seasonal variations of δ¹³CH_4emitte4 among the three fields during the rice-growing season. The values of δ¹³CH_4emitte4 were negatively correlated with corresponding CH₄ emissions in seasonal variation and mean, indicating the importance of CH₄ production, oxidation, and transport associated with isotopic fractionation effects to the δ¹³CH_4emitte4. Seasonal variations of δ¹³CH_4emitte4 were slightly impacted by mulching cultivation, tillage, and N application, but highly controlled by drainage. Meanwhile, tillage, N application, and especially mulching cultivation had important effects on seasonal mean CH₄ emissions and corresponding δ¹³CH_4emitte4, with low emissions accompanied by high values of δ¹³CH_4emitte4. Seasonal mean values of δ¹³CH_4emitte4 from the three fields were similar, mostly ranging from −60‰ to −50‰, which are well in agreement with previously published data. These demonstrated that seasonal variations of δ¹³CH_4emitte4 mainly depended on the changes in CH₄ emission from rice fields and further indicated the important effects of methanogenic pathways, CH₄ oxidation, and CH₄ transport associated with isotope fractionation effects influenced by field managements on δ¹³CH_4emitte4.

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Cited by (16)

Historical water regime determines the methanogenic pathway response to the current soil:water ratio
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Paddy fields differ greatly in their soil historical water regimes, which in turn vary substrate availability and assembly of methanogenic communities for methane (CH₄) production. However, it remains unclear how the response of the methanogenesis process to current soil moisture is impacted by past water regimes. Here, we noticed that the composition of the methanogenic community was influenced much more by long-term water management practices than by short-term soil moisture changes. Methanogenesis in a permanent flooding system [rice-fallow (RF) with 70–80% historical soil volumetric moisture content (SVMC)] exhibited a higher positive response to moisture variation compared to the alternating aerobic-anaerobic conditions [ricewheat (RW) and double-rice (DR) with 30–50% historical SVMC]. Although the soil CH₄ production potential (MPP) from these systems increased with increasing current moisture levels (water:soil ratios of 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.5), it was more sensitive to moisture changes in RF soil than in RW and DR soils. This increase in MPP was probably due to the enhanced available dissolved organic carbon with moisture promotion. Moreover, the relative contribution of acetoclastic methanogenesis (f_ac) significantly increased from approximately 70% to 80% in the RF soil (p < 0.05) when the moisture rose from 0.5 to 1.5. Structural equation modelling analysis showed that this change was mainly ascribed to the simultaneous increase in acetate content. In contrast, the f_ac values under the four moisture contents were relatively stable at approximately 50% and 65% in RW and DR soils, respectively. The abundance of acetoclastic Methanosarcina was far higher in RF soil than in RW and DR soils, which was possibly the reason for the larger f_ac values. The findings indicate that methanogenesis in high historical SVMC was more sensitive to the current moisture regulation and further suggest that its CH₄ production reduction via drainage was mainly due to the decline in acetate-dependent methanogenesis.
Subsurface methane dynamics of a paddy field under long-term fertilization: <sup>13</sup>C-evidence from in-situ belowground labeling
2021, Journal of Cleaner Production
Citation Excerpt :
According to stoichiometrical reactions and free Gibbs energy yield, in soils, 67% of CH4 is produced from acetate fermentation (acetoclastic methanogenesis: CH3COOH → CH4 + CO2), and 33% is produced from H2/CO2 reduction (hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis: 4H2 + CO2 → CH4 + 2H2O) theoretically (Malyan et al., 2016). However, relative contributions of these two pathways vary depending on management practices of rice cultivation (Fey et al., 2002), especially fertilization (Zhang et al., 2017). For example, the quantity and quality of root exudates are affected by fertilizers along a rice growth season (Watanabe and Kimura, 1998), which is the primary carbon source for methanogens (Zhang et al., 2016).
Rice paddies are a significant source and sink of methane (CH₄). The field surface emission and laboratory turnover potential of CH₄ have been extensively studied. However, there is a knowledge gap in underlying mechanisms linking in-situ belowground CH₄ production and oxidation potentials affected by rice growth and fertilization. Here, we implemented an improved soil silicone tube approach and ¹³C-labeled CH₄ to measure the in-situ production and oxidation of CH₄ in the subsoil (20–30 cm) during rice growth under four long-term (7 years) fertilization treatments. Urea N (uN) fertilization decreased 3-folds CH₄ production as compared to non-fertilized control (Control). In combination with uN, biochar application (uN + Biochar) resulted in similarly low [CH₄], but manure fertilization (uN + Manure) stimulated CH₄ production which increased with rice growth and reached 0.6 mmol L⁻¹ of soil tube at mature stage relative to uN. During the rice growth, δ¹³C–CH₄ values under all fertilizations progressively decreased as compared with the start of the experiment but remained in the range of acetoclastic methanogenesis (−75‰). Pronounced δ¹³C–CO₂ enrichment under uN + Manure indicated the increasing contribution of CO₂-reduction pathway. The CH₄ oxidation was highest (20.1 μmol L⁻¹) under uN + Manure at tillering stage, followed by uN (14.6 μmol L⁻¹) at seedling stage. The lowest oxidation potential was under uN + Biochar along with the weakest CH₄ concentration dynamics. Water-locked conditions, low measured O₂ concentration in silicon tubes, as well as the positive relationship between CH₄ oxidation and NO₃⁻ and DOC suggested a possibility of anaerobic oxidation of CH₄ (AOM). In conclusion, the intensive rice growth during seedling and tillering stages controls subsoil CH₄ concentrations via methanotrophic activity (anaerobic oxidation pathway). Manure fertilization offset the inhibiting effect of mineral N fertilization on CH₄ production but stimulated CH₄ oxidation. Among all fertilization treatments biochar strongly suppressed the CH₄ turnover and can therefore be recommended for greenhouse gas mitigation strategy in cleaner rice production.
Contributions of photosynthate carbon to methane emissions from rice paddies cultivated using different organic amendment methods: Results from an in-situ <sup>13</sup>C-labelling study
2021, Geoderma
Citation Excerpt :
Previous C isotope tracer labelling studies of CH4 production, oxidation and transportation processes in rice ecosystems were mainly based on soil incubation experiments, primarily because the C isotope tracer labelling technologies were mature and relatively easy to control under laboratory conditions (Conrad and Claus, 2005; Conrad et al., 2012; Ye et al., 2016). Conversely, the 13C natural abundance method was considered the priority option when it came to field conditions, especially for the research based on C isotope fractionation (Uzaki et al., 1991; Zhang et al., 2012a, 2017). Attempts to apply an in-situ 13C tracer labelling method in field experiments were made in some studies in which enriched 13CO2, derived from the reaction of Ba13CO3 and H3PO4, was absorbed by rice plants to investigate some specific C cycling processes in rice paddies (Sasaki et al., 2007; Cheng et al., 2008).
A field experiment was conducted in Shanghai, China, to examine whether different organic amendment methods can influence the emissions of methane (CH₄) from a rice paddy by regulating the availability of photosynthate carbon (C), which is the methanogenic substrate for the production of CH₄. Three treatments involving different organic amendment methods, rice–wheat without organic amendment (RW), rice–wheat with straw incorporation (RW-S) and Chinese milk vetch-rice with green manure incorporation (RM), were employed during the 2018 rice growing season. The results showed that, compared with the RW treatment, the RW-S and RM treatments significantly increased photosynthate C-induced CH₄ emissions by factors of 5.55 and 1.74 in the tillering stage and 6.03 and 1.62 in the booting stage, respectively. However, the contribution ratios of the photosynthate C-induced CH₄ fluxes to the gross fluxes of CH₄ in descending order were RM > RW > RW-S, which can be attributed to background differences in CH₄ fluxes among the different organic amendment methods. Compared with the tillering stage, the average contribution ratios of photosynthate C-induced CH₄ emissions in the booting stage were 1.59, 4.43 and 2.46 times higher for the RW, RW-S and RM treatments, respectively. These results indicated that the different organic amendment methods affected CH₄ emissions from the rice paddies not only via direct C inputs but also by influencing the availability of rice photosynthate C in rhizosphere.
Responses of the methanogenic pathway and fraction of CH<inf>4</inf> oxidization in a flooded paddy soil to rice planting
2021, Pedosphere
Rice planting (RP) is significant to methane (CH₄) emissions from paddy fields, but its effect on the relative contribution of the acetoclastic methanogenesis to total CH₄ production (F_ac) and the fraction of CH₄ oxidized (F_ox) is poorly understood. To quantify the responses of the F_ac and F_ox to RP, we investigated CH₄ fluxes, CH₄ production and oxidation potentials, dissolved CH₄ concentrations, and their stable carbon isotopes in a flooded paddy soil. The mcrA and pmoA gene copies were also determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Compared with the unplanted soil (control, CK), the seasonal CH₄ emissions from the planted soil were significantly enhanced, 13.6 times, resulting in large decreases in the CH₄ concentrations in the soil solution. This indicated that much more CH₄ was released into the atmosphere by the RP than was stored in the soils. Acetoclastic methanogenesis became more important from the tillering stage (TS) to the ripening stage (RS) for the CK, with F_ac values increased from 17%–20% to 46%–55%. With RP, the Fac values were enhanced by 10%–20%, and it significantly increased the copy numbers of the mcrA gene at the four rice stages (TS, booting stage (BS), grain-filling stage (GS), and RS). Furthermore, the effect of the RP on the abundance of the mcrA gene was highly concurrent with the effect on the F_ac values. At the TS, the F_ox values at the soil-water interface were around 50%–75% for the CK, being 15%–20% lower than those of the RP in the rhizosphere. It increased to 65%–100% at the GS, but was reduced by 20%–30% after the RP. These differences might be because the copy numbers of the pmoA gene were significantly raised at the TS while lowered at the GS by the RP. This was further demonstrated by the strong correlations between the effect of the RP on the abundance of the pmoA gene and the effect on the F_ox values. These findings suggest that RP markedly impacts on the abundances of the mcrA and pmoA genes, affecting the pathway of CH₄ production and the fraction of CH₄ oxidization, respectively.
No-tillage effects on soil CH<inf>4</inf> fluxes: A meta-analysis
2021, Soil and Tillage Research
No-tillage (NT) has widely been promoted as a conservation practice that also offsets agriculture-driven greenhouse gases and boosts agroecosystem performance. While most studies have focused on the effects of no-till on nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide fluxes, much less attention has been paid to the impacts on methane (CH₄) emissions. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine whether tillage management (conventional till, CT vs. NT) affects soil CH₄ fluxes, and what management and environmental conditions regulate the effect. The regulating factors we identified include crop, climatic zone, soil class and experiment age (i.e. years since beginning NT). Our study included 41 papers, with a total number of 90 case studies, that covered arable lands of all five continents. On average, NT significantly decreased CH₄ emissions from paddy fields, from 12.39 to 9.55 mg m⁻² h^-1 (p < 0.05). Conversely, NT showed a slight but non-significant tendency to increase CH₄ emissions in maize-cultivated fields, from an average of -0.15 mg m⁻² h^-1 of CT to 0.05 mg m⁻² h^-1 of NT. Other factors moderating the NT effect – like climate, soil, or years since the conversion to NT management – had weak regulation on soil CH₄ emissions, with the exception for a slight tendency (not significant) of NT to reduce emissions in humid subtropical climate, with average CH₄ fluxes of 3.90 mg m⁻² h^-1 vs. 5.01 mg m⁻² h^-1 of CT. However, we found that the effect of climate is often confounded by choice of crop, and thus should be interpreted with caution. While NT is used for many other soil benefits, our results indicate that the effect on CH₄ emissions in dryland crops is nonexistent or weak in the investigated literature. However, considerable CH₄ emission reduction is possible for rice production or other production systems that use flooded soils.
Effects of Straw Incorporation Methods on Nitrous Oxide and Methane Emissions from a Wheat-Rice Rotation System
2019, Pedosphere
The incorporation of straw with a microbial inoculant (a mixture of bacteria and fungi, designed to accelerate straw decomposition) is being increasingly adopted within the agricultural sector in China. However, its effects on N and C trace gas emissions remain unclear. We conducted a field experiment to investigate the effects of different straw incorporation methods (with and without microbial inoculant) in the wheat season on nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) emissions from a wheat-rice rotation system in China. The treatments comprised N, P, and K fertilizers only (NPK), NPK plus rice straw (NPKS), NPKS plus Ruilaite microbial inoculant (NPKSR), and NPKS plus Jinkuizi microbial inoculant (NPKSJ). Rice straw incorporation before wheat sowing significantly decreased N₂O emissions during the wheat season and stimulated N₂O and CH₄ emissions during the subsequent rice season. Compared with the NPKS treatment, the NPKSR and NPKSJ treatments decreased N₂O emissions during the wheat season, but had no effect on N₂O or CH₄ emissions during the subsequent rice season. Annually, the two treatments were comparable regarding N₂O emissions. Although the global warming potentials of the NPKSR and NPKSJ treatments were lower than that of the NPKS treatment during the wheat season, no significant differences were observed during the subsequent rice season, or over the entire rotation cycle. The annual greenhouse gas intensity was slightly lower in the NPKSR and NPKSJ treatments than in the NPKS treatment. Overall, these results suggest that the incorporation of rice straw with a microbial inoculant in the wheat season was the best strategy tested for managing straw resources within the wheat-rice rotation system.

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Variations of Stable Carbon Isotopes of CH4 Emission from Three Typical Rice Fields in China

Abstract

Org Geochem

Soil Biol Biochem

Chemosphere

Geochim Cosmochim Acta

Appl Geochem

Chem Geol

Soil Biol Biochem

Atmos Environ

Do nitrogen fertilizers stimulate or inhibit methane emissions from rice fields?

Glob Change Biol

Seasonal variations of stable hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios in methane from a Chinese rice paddy

J Geophys Res

Differences in CH4 oxidation and pathways of production between rice cultivars deduced from measurements of CH4 flux and δ13C of CH4 and CO2

Glob Biogeochem Cycle

Advances in CH4 emission from paddy fields in China (in Chinese)

Soils

Methane emission from rice fields in China: Measurements and influencing factors

J Geophys Res

Methane and Nitrous Oxide Eissions from Rice-Based Ecosystems (in Chinese)

Determination of nitrogen, carbon and oxgen stable isotope ratios in N2O, CH4 and CO2 at natural abundance levels by mass spectrometer?

Acta Pedol Sin (in Chinese)

Factors influencing the stable carbon isotopic signature of methane from combustion and biomass burning

J Geophys Res-Atmos

Carbon and other biogeochemical cycles

China Agriculture Yearbook 2014 (in Chinese)

Effects of fertilization on microbial abundance and emissions of greenhouse gases (CH4 and N2O) in rice paddy fields

Ecol Evol

Methane emission from paddy fields and its affecting factors inhills of the central sichuan basin?

Rural Eco-Environment (in Chinese)

Microbial biomass carbon and methane oxidation influenced by rice cultivars and elevated CO2 in a Japanese paddy soil

Eur J Soil Sci

Effects of rice cultivars on methane fluxes in a paddy soil

Nutr Cycl Agroecosys

CH4 and N2O emission from a winter-time flooded paddy field in a hilly area of Southwest China?

Chin J Appl Ecol (in Chinese)

Variations of Stable Carbon Isotopes of CH₄ Emission from Three Typical Rice Fields in China

Differences in CH₄ oxidation and pathways of production between rice cultivars deduced from measurements of CH₄ flux and δ¹³C of CH₄ and CO₂

Advances in CH₄ emission from paddy fields in China (in Chinese)

Determination of nitrogen, carbon and oxgen stable isotope ratios in N₂O, CH₄ and CO₂ at natural abundance levels by mass spectrometer?

Effects of fertilization on microbial abundance and emissions of greenhouse gases (CH₄ and N₂O) in rice paddy fields

Microbial biomass carbon and methane oxidation influenced by rice cultivars and elevated CO₂ in a Japanese paddy soil

CH₄ and N₂O emission from a winter-time flooded paddy field in a hilly area of Southwest China?