Soil-atmosphere exchange of nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide in a gradient of elevation in the coastal Brazilian Atlantic forest

Author(s):Show less -

Sousa Neto, E. ^[1] ; Carmo, J. B. ^[2] ; Keller, M. ^[3] ; Martins, S. C. ^[1] ; Alves, L. F. ^{[4, 5]} ; Vieira, S. A. ^[1] ; Piccolo, M. C. ^[1] ; Camargo, P. ^[1] ; Couto, H. T. Z. ^[6] ; Joly, C. A. ^[7] ; Martinelli, L. A. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] CENA USP, Ctr Energia Nucl Agr, Lab Ecol Isotop, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] US Forest Serv, Int Inst Trop Forestry, USDA, San Juan, PR - USA

^[4] Univ Colorado, INSTAAR, Boulder, CO 80309 - USA

^[5] Inst Bot, Secao Ecol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[6] ESALQ USP, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Biol Vegetal IB UNICAMP, BR-13081970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BIOGEOSCIENCES; v. 8, n. 3, p. 733-742, 2011.
• Web of Science Citations: 44

Abstract

Soils of tropical forests are important to the global budgets of greenhouse gases. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is the second largest tropical moist forest area of South America, after the vast Amazonian domain. This study aimed to investigate the emissions of nitrous oxide (N(2)O), carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and methane (CH(4)) fluxes along an altitudinal transect and the relation between these fluxes and other climatic, edaphic and biological variables (temperature, fine roots, litterfall, and soil moisture). Annual means of N(2)O flux were 3.9 (+/- 0.4), 1.0 (+/- 0.1), and 0.9 (+/- 0.2) ng N cm(-2) h(-1) at altitudes 100, 400, and 1000 m, respectively. On an annual basis, soils consumed CH(4) at all altitudes with annual means of -1.0 (+/- 0.2), -1.8 (+/- 0.3), and -1.6 (+/- 0.1) mg m(-2) d(-1) at 100 m, 400 m and 1000 m, respectively. Estimated mean annual fluxes of CO(2) were 3.5, 3.6, and 3.4 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) at altitudes 100, 400 and 1000 m, respectively. N(2)O fluxes were significantly influenced by soil moisture and temperature. Soil-atmosphere exchange of CH(4) responded to changes in soil moisture. Carbon dioxide emissions were strongly influenced by soil temperature. While the temperature gradient observed at our sites is only an imperfect proxy for climatic warming, our results suggest that an increase in air and soil temperatures may result in increases in decomposition rates and gross inorganic nitrogen fluxes that could support consequent increases in soil N(2)O and CO(2) emissions and soil CH(4) consumption. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/57549-8 - Nitrogen losses through the emission of gases and their relationship with the decomposition of the forest litter and biomass of roots in the woodlands of the Atlantic Rainforest
• Grantee: Eráclito Rodrigues de Sousa Neto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 03/12595-7 - Floristic composition, structure and functioning of the Dense Rainforest nuclei of Picinguaba and Santa Virgínia of Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, State of São Paulo, Brazil
• Grantee: Carlos Alfredo Joly
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants