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Effects of whole-soil warming on CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes in an alpine grassland.

Authors :: Chen Y
Han M
Qin W
Hou Y
Zhang Z
Zhu B
Source :: Global change biology [Glob Chang Biol] 2024 Jan; Vol. 30 (1), pp. e17033.
Publication Year :: 2024
Abstract: Global climate warming could affect the methane (CH <subscript>4</subscript> ) and nitrous oxide (N <subscript>2</subscript> O) fluxes between soils and the atmosphere, but how CH <subscript>4</subscript> and N <subscript>2</subscript> O fluxes respond to whole-soil warming is unclear. Here, we for the first time investigated the effects of whole-soil warming on CH <subscript>4</subscript> and N <subscript>2</subscript> O fluxes in an alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau, and also studied the effects of experimental warming on CH <subscript>4</subscript> and N <subscript>2</subscript> O fluxes across terrestrial ecosystems through a global-scale meta-analysis. The whole-soil warming (0-100 cm, +4°C) significantly elevated soil N <subscript>2</subscript> O emission by 101%, but had a minor effect on soil CH <subscript>4</subscript> uptake. However, the meta-analysis revealed that experimental warming did not significantly alter CH <subscript>4</subscript> and N <subscript>2</subscript> O fluxes, and it may be that most field warming experiments could only heat the surface soils. Moreover, the warming-induced higher plant litter and available N in soils may be the main reason for the higher N <subscript>2</subscript> O emission under whole-soil warming in the alpine grassland. We need to pay more attention to the long-term response of greenhouse gases (including CH <subscript>4</subscript> and N <subscript>2</subscript> O fluxes) from different soil depths to whole-soil warming over year-round, which could help us more accurately assess and predict the ecosystem-climate feedback under realistic warming scenarios in the future.<br /> (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)