Nonlinear response of greenhouse gases emission to nitrogen addition in a meadow steppe

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2023.0011

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims How nitrogen (N) addition impacts the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is now becoming a hot issue in the study of global change. We aim to delineate the effects of N addition on the emission of major greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄and N₂O).

Methods In order to achieve this goal, the flux of the three major GHGs was measured using static chamber gas chromatography during the growing seasons (May through September) of 2020 and 2021 in a meadow steppe of Hulun Buir in Nei Mongol. The experiment was conducted by applying NH₄NO₃ to simulate the atmospheric N deposition, which involved six N addition levels (i.e., 0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 g·m^-2·a^-1) and two grassland utilization levels (i.e., mown and unmown).

Important findings The results showed that the response of the three GHGs to N addition showed clear nonlinear patterns, but there was a remarkable difference in the patterns among the three GHGs. The emission of CO₂ was increased with increasing N addition but saturated at around 10 g·m^-2·a^-1. The uptake of CH₄ was promoted with increasing N addition when N addition was low (0-5 g·m^-2·a^-1), but this promotion effect was diminished with further increase in N addition (5-10 g·m^-2·a^-1), and the uptake of CH₄ was inhibited when N addition reached 50 g·m^-2·a^-1. The emission of N₂O increased significantly with the increase of N addition rates, but the response patterns and amplitude showed remarkable difference between the two years. With the data in the two years pooled, the CO₂ flux had a significant positive correlation with precipitation and nitrate nitrogen (NO- 3-N) content, and a significant negative correlation with pH; CH₄ absorption flux was significantly positively correlated with precipitation and ammonium nitrogen (NH+ 4-N) content, while negatively correlated with pH; N₂O flux was significantly positively correlated with soil temperature and NH+ 4-N content, while significantly negatively correlated with NO- 3-N content. Our findings demonstrated that the response of the three GHGs to increasing atmospheric N deposition was largely nonlinear, and the response patterns were remarkably different among the three GHGs. These findings may be of great importance for controlling N fertilizer use, selecting appropriate grassland use, and evaluating grassland ecosystem warming potential under increasing atmospheric N deposition.

Key words: meadow steppe, nitrogen addition, mowing, greenhouse gas emission, Hulun Buir, nonlinear response, nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen

GE Ping, LI Ang, WANG Yin-Liu, JIANG Liang-Chao, NIU Guo-Xiang, HASI Muqi’er, WANG Yan-Bing, XUE Jian-Guo, ZHAO Wei, HUANG Jian-Hui. Nonlinear response of greenhouse gases emission to nitrogen addition in a meadow steppe[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2023, 47(11): 1483-1492.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2023.0011

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2023/V47/I11/1483

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 Monthly precipitation and mean air temperature of the experimental site across 2020 and 2021 in Hulun Buir meadow steppe.

Fig. 2 Dynamics of CO2 emission flux with days after nitrogen (N) addition in a meadow steppe (mean ± SE). A, B, Year 2020. C, D, Year 2021. N0, N2, N5, N10, N20, N50 represent N addition of 0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 g·m-2·a-1, respectively.

Fig. 3 Variation of the mean CO2 emission flux with nitrogen (N) addition levels in a meadow steppe (mean ± SE). A, B, Year 2020. C, D, Year 2021. **, p < 0.01.

Fig. 4 Dynamics of CH4 uptake flux with days after nitrogen (N) addition in a meadow steppe (mean ± SE). A, B, Year 2020. C, D, Year 2021. N0, N2, N5, N10, N20, N50 represent N addition of 0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 g·m-2·a-1, respectively.

Fig. 5 Variation of the mean CH4 uptake flux with nitrogen (N) addition levels in a meadow steppe (mean ± SE). A, B, Year 2020. C, D, Year 2021. *, p < 0.05.

Fig. 6 Dynamics of N2O emission flux with days after nitrogen (N) addition in a meadow steppe (mean ± SE). A, B, Year 2020. C, D, Year 2021. N0, N2, N5, N10, N20, N50 represent N addition of 0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 g·m-2·a-1, respectively.

Fig. 7 Variation of the mean N2O emission flux with nitrogen (N) addition levels in a meadow steppe (mean ± SE). A, B, Year 2020 C, D, Year 2021. *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01.

Table 1 Correlation between greenhouse gas (GHG) flux and environmental factors in a meadow steppe

温室气体 GHGs	土壤温度 Soil temperature	降水量 Precipitation	pH	铵态氮含量 NH⁺₄-N content	硝态氮含量 NO^-₃-N content
CO₂	-0.02	0.36^**	-0.41^**	0.04	0.43^**
CH₄	0.18^**	0.25^**	-0.23^**	0.37^**	0.07
N₂O	0.59^**	-0.10	-0.02	0.26^**	-0.23^**

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