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Du Z, Cui H, Wang L, Yan F, Liu Y, Xu Q, Xie S, Dou T, Li Y, Liu P, Qin X, Xiao C. Characteristics of methane and carbon dioxide in ice caves at a high-mountain glacier of China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174074. [PMID: 38909794 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The exploration of the spatiotemporal distribution of greenhouse gas (GHG) exchange in the cryosphere (including ice sheet, glaciers, and permafrost) is important for understanding its future feedback to the atmosphere. Mountain glaciers and ice sheets may be potential sources of GHG emissions, but the magnitude and distribution of GHG emissions from glaciers and ice sheets remain unclear because observation data are lacking. In this study, in situ CH4 and CO2 and the mixing ratios of their carbon isotope signatures in the air inside an ice cave were measured, and CH4 and CO2 exchange in the meltwater of Laohugou glacier No. 12, a high-mountain glacier in an arid region of western China, was also analyzed and compared with the exchange in downstream rivers and a reservoir. The results indicated elevated CH4 mixing ratios (up to 5.7 ppm) and depleted CO2 (down to 168 ppm) in the ice cave, compared to ambient levels during field observations. The CH4 and CO2 fluxes in surface meltwater of the glacier were extremely low compared with their fluxes in rivers from the Tibetan Plateau (TP). CH4 and CO2 mixing ratios in the air inside the ice cave were mainly controlled by local meteorological conditions (air temperature, wind speed and direction) and meltwater runoff. The carbon isotopic compositions of CH4 and CO2 in the ice cave and terminus meltwater indicated δ13C-CH4 depletion compared to ambient air, suggesting an acetate fermentation pathway. The abundances of key genes for methanogenic archaea/genes encoding methyl coenzyme M reductase further indicated the production of CH4 by methanogenic archaea from the subglacial meltwater of high-mountain glaciers. The discovery of CH4 emissions from even small high-mountain glaciers indicates a more prevalent characteristic of glaciers to produce and release CH4 from the subglacial environment than previously believed. Nevertheless, further research is required to understand the relationship between this phenomenon and glacial dynamics in the third pole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiheng Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hao Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Advanced Interdisciplinary Institute of Environment and Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China.
| | - Fangping Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yushuo Liu
- Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecological Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qian Xu
- Center for the Pan-Third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Simin Xie
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tingfeng Dou
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanzhao Li
- Zhejiang Climate Center, Hangzhou 310051, China
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Center for the Pan-Third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiang Qin
- Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecological Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Cunde Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Chen L, Yang G, Bai Y, Chang J, Qin S, Liu F, He M, Song Y, Zhang F, Peñuelas J, Zhu B, Zhou G, Yang Y. Permafrost carbon cycle and its dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1833-1848. [PMID: 38951429 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2601-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Our knowledge on permafrost carbon (C) cycle is crucial for understanding its feedback to climate warming and developing nature-based solutions for mitigating climate change. To understand the characteristics of permafrost C cycle on the Tibetan Plateau, the largest alpine permafrost region around the world, we summarized recent advances including the stocks and fluxes of permafrost C and their responses to thawing, and depicted permafrost C dynamics within this century. We find that this alpine permafrost region stores approximately 14.1 Pg (1 Pg=1015 g) of soil organic C (SOC) in the top 3 m. Both substantial gaseous emissions and lateral C transport occur across this permafrost region. Moreover, the mobilization of frozen C is expedited by permafrost thaw, especially by the formation of thermokarst landscapes, which could release significant amounts of C into the atmosphere and surrounding water bodies. This alpine permafrost region nevertheless remains an important C sink, and its capacity to sequester C will continue to increase by 2100. For future perspectives, we would suggest developing long-term in situ observation networks of C stocks and fluxes with improved temporal and spatial coverage, and exploring the mechanisms underlying the response of ecosystem C cycle to permafrost thaw. In addition, it is essential to improve the projection of permafrost C dynamics through in-depth model-data fusion on the Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leiyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Guibiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Yuxuan Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Jinfeng Chang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Shuqi Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Futing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Mei He
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Yutong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC- UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Barcelona, 08193, Spain
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry (CREAF), Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Biao Zhu
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Guoying Zhou
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Yuanhe Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Pellegrinetti TA, Cotta SR, Feitosa YB, Melo PLA, Bieluczyk W, Silva AMM, Mendes LW, Sarmento H, Camargo PB, Tsai SM, Fiore MF. The role of microbial communities in biogeochemical cycles and greenhouse gas emissions within tropical soda lakes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 947:174646. [PMID: 38986696 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Although anthropogenic activities are the primary drivers of increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is crucial to acknowledge that wetlands are a significant source of these gases. Brazil's Pantanal, the largest tropical inland wetland, includes numerous lacustrine systems with freshwater and soda lakes. This study focuses on soda lakes to explore potential biogeochemical cycling and the contribution of biogenic GHG emissions from the water column, particularly methane. Both seasonal variations and the eutrophic status of each examined lake significantly influenced GHG emissions. Eutrophic turbid lakes (ET) showed remarkable methane emissions, likely due to cyanobacterial blooms. The decomposition of cyanobacterial cells, along with the influx of organic carbon through photosynthesis, accelerated the degradation of high organic matter content in the water column by the heterotrophic community. This process released byproducts that were subsequently metabolized in the sediment leading to methane production, more pronounced during periods of increased drought. In contrast, oligotrophic turbid lakes (OT) avoided methane emissions due to high sulfate levels in the water, though they did emit CO2 and N2O. Clear vegetated oligotrophic turbid lakes (CVO) also emitted methane, possibly from organic matter input during plant detritus decomposition, albeit at lower levels than ET. Over the years, a concerning trend has emerged in the Nhecolândia subregion of Brazil's Pantanal, where the prevalence of lakes with cyanobacterial blooms is increasing. This indicates the potential for these areas to become significant GHG emitters in the future. The study highlights the critical role of microbial communities in regulating GHG emissions in soda lakes, emphasizing their broader implications for global GHG inventories. Thus, it advocates for sustained research efforts and conservation initiatives in this environmentally critical habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry A Pellegrinetti
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil.
| | - Simone R Cotta
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil
| | - Yara B Feitosa
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil
| | - Paul L A Melo
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil
| | - Wanderlei Bieluczyk
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil
| | - Antonio M M Silva
- University of São Paulo (USP), "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture, Soil Science Department, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Lucas W Mendes
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil
| | - Hugo Sarmento
- Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Department of Hydrobiology, São Carlos, São Paulo 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Plinio B Camargo
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil
| | - Siu M Tsai
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil
| | - Marli F Fiore
- University of São Paulo (USP), Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Avenida Centenário 303, Piracicaba, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil.
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Yang P, Zhang L, Lin Y, Yang H, Lai DYF, Tong C, Zhang Y, Tan L, Zhao G, Tang KW. Significant inter-annual fluctuation in CO 2 and CH 4 diffusive fluxes from subtropical aquaculture ponds: Implications for climate change and carbon emission evaluations. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 249:120943. [PMID: 38064785 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Aquaculture ponds are potential hotspots for carbon cycling and emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) like CO2 and CH4, but they are often poorly assessed in the global GHG budget. This study determined the temporal variations of CO2 and CH4 concentrations and diffusive fluxes and their environmental drivers in coastal aquaculture ponds in southeastern China over a five-year period (2017-2021). The findings indicated that CH4 flux from aquaculture ponds fluctuated markedly year-to-year, and CO2 flux varied between positive and negative between years. The coefficient of inter-annual variation of CO2 and CH4 diffusive fluxes was 168% and 127%, respectively, highlighting the importance of long-term observations to improve GHG assessment from aquaculture ponds. In addition to chlorophyll-a and dissolved oxygen as the common environmental drivers, CO2 was further regulated by total dissolved phosphorus and CH4 by dissolved organic carbon. Feed conversion ratio correlated positively with both CO2 and CH4 concentrations and fluxes, showing that unconsumed feeds fueled microbial GHG production. A linear regression based on binned (averaged) monthly CO2 diffusive flux data, calculated from CO2 concentrations, can be used to estimate CH4 diffusive flux with a fair degree of confidence (r2 = 0.66; p < 0.001). This algorithm provides a simple and practical way to assess the total carbon diffusive flux from aquaculture ponds. Overall, this study provides new insights into mitigating the carbon footprint of aquaculture production and assessing the impact of aquaculture ponds on the regional and global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Yang
- School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China; Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Resources and Environment, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, PR China; Research Centre of Wetlands in Subtropical Region, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China.
| | - Linhai Zhang
- School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China; Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Resources and Environment, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, PR China
| | - Yongxin Lin
- School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China; Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Resources and Environment, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, PR China
| | - Hong Yang
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Derrick Y F Lai
- Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chuan Tong
- School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China; Key Laboratory of Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China; Research Centre of Wetlands in Subtropical Region, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China.
| | - Yifei Zhang
- School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China
| | - Lishan Tan
- Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Guanghui Zhao
- School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, PR China
| | - Kam W Tang
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
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