skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: CO2 uptake is offset by CH4 and N2O emissions in a poplar short-rotation coppice

Journal Article · · Global Change Biology. Bioenergy
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12269· OSTI ID:1363924

The need for renewable energy sources will lead to a considerable expansion in the planting of dedicated fast-growing biomass crops across Europe. These are commonly cultivated as short-rotation coppice (SRC), and currently poplar (Populus spp.) is the most widely planted. In this study, we report the greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) measured using eddy covariance technique in an SRC plantation for bioenergy production. Measurements were made during the period 2010–2013, that is, during the first two rotations of the SRC. The overall GHG balance of the 4 years of the study was an emission of 1.90 (±1.37) Mg CO2eq ha-1; this indicated that soil trace gas emissions offset the CO2 uptake by the plantation. CH4 and N2O contributed almost equally to offset the CO2 uptake of -5.28 (±0.67) Mg CO2eq ha-1 with an overall emission of 3.56 (±0.35) Mg CO2eq ha-1 of N2O and of 3.53 (±0.85) Mg CO2eq ha-1 of CH4. N2O emissions mostly occurred during one single peak a few months after the site was converted to SRC; this peak comprised 44% of the total N2O loss during the two rotations. Accurately capturing emission events proved to be critical for deriving correct estimates of the GHG balance. The nitrogen (N) content of the soil and the water table depth were the two drivers that best explained the variability in N2O and CH4, respectively. Here, this study underlines the importance of the ‘non-CO2 GHGs’ on the overall balance. Further long-term investigations of soil trace gas emissions should monitor the N content and the mineralization rate of the soil, as well as the microbial community, as drivers of the trace gas emissions.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Antwerp, Wilrijk (Belgium); Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
FC02-07ER64494; DE‐FC02‐07ER64494
OSTI ID:
1363924
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1401622; OSTI ID: 1438212
Journal Information:
Global Change Biology. Bioenergy, Vol. 8, Issue 3; ISSN 1757-1693
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 22 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (79)

Denitrification and N2O:N2 production in temperate grasslands: Processes, measurements, modelling and mitigating negative impacts journal November 2013
Fluxes of the greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) above a short-rotation poplar plantation after conversion from agricultural land journal February 2013
Soil carbon sequestration beneath hybrid poplar plantations in the North Central United States journal January 1993
Land-use change to bioenergy production in Europe: implications for the greenhouse gas balance and soil carbon journal September 2011
A Simple Formula for Attenuation of eddy Fluxes Measured with First-Order-Response Scalar Sensors journal February 1997
Environmental controls over soil-atmosphere exchange of N 2 O, NO, and CO 2 in a temperate Norway spruce forest : SPRUCE FOREST N journal May 2010
CO2 fluxes of transitional bioenergy crops: effect of land conversion during the first year of cultivation: CO2 FLUXES OF TRANSITIONAL BIOENERGY CROPS journal February 2011
N2O exchange over managed grassland: Application of a quantum cascade laser spectrometer for micrometeorological flux measurements journal June 2010
Importance of indirect nitrous oxide emissions at the field, farm and catchment scale journal October 2009
Regulation of N2O and NOx emission patterns in six acid temperate beech forest soils by soil gas diffusivity, N turnover, and atmospheric NOx concentrations journal January 2013
Experimental assessment of N 2 O background fluxes in grassland systems journal January 2007
Relative humidity effects on water vapour fluxes measured with closed-path eddy-covariance systems with short sampling lines journal November 2012
Photosynthesis drives anomalies in net carbon-exchange of pine forests at different latitudes journal October 2007
Ecosystem-scale measurements of nitrous oxide fluxes for an intensely grazed, fertilized grassland: ECOSYSTEM-SCALE MEASUREMENTS OF NITROUS OXIDE journal August 2003
Correction of flux measurements for density effects due to heat and water vapour transfer journal January 1980
Bi-directional soil/atmosphere N2O exchange over two mown grassland systems with contrasting management practices journal December 2005
An estimate of the global sink for nitrous oxide in soils journal May 2013
Long term carbon dioxide exchange above a mixed forest in the Belgian Ardennes journal July 2001
First vs. second rotation of a poplar short rotation coppice: Above-ground biomass productivity and shoot dynamics journal February 2015
Leaf litter production and decomposition in a poplar short-rotation coppice exposed to free air CO2 enrichment (POPFACE) journal June 2005
Identifying potential environmental impacts of large-scale deployment of dedicated bioenergy crops in the UK journal January 2009
Greenhouse gas budget (CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O) of intensively managed grassland following restoration journal February 2014
Litter Decomposition in Four Woody Species in a Mediterranean Climate: Weight Loss, N and P Dynamics journal December 2000
Nitrous oxide emission from an agricultural field: Comparison between measurements by flux chamber and micrometerological techniques journal December 1996
Influence of organic and mineral N fertiliser on N2O fluxes from a temperate grassland journal June 2007
Soils, a sink for N 2 O? A review journal January 2007
Soil carbon changes associated with short-rotation systems journal April 1998
Uncertainties in eddy covariance flux measurements assessed from CH4 and N2O observations journal June 2010
Production physiology and growth potential of poplars under short-rotation forestry culture journal August 1999
Greenhouse gas fluxes in a drained peatland forest during spring frost-thaw event journal January 2010
Field comparison of nitrous oxide emission measurements using micrometeorological and chamber methods journal January 1997
Gap-filling techniques for the annual sums of nitrous oxide fluxes journal December 2011
Essentials of the self-organizing map journal January 2013
Increases in early season ecosystem uptake explain recent changes in the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO 2 at high northern latitudes journal September 1999
Suitability of quantum cascade laser spectroscopy for CH<sub>4</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O eddy covariance flux measurements journal January 2007
Land Clearing and the Biofuel Carbon Debt journal February 2008
Land use change effects on ecosystem carbon balance: From agricultural to hybrid poplar plantation journal May 2011
Nitrogen Cycling in Tropical Plantation Forests: Potential Controls on Nitrogen Retention journal October 2005
Primary production control of methane emission from wetlands journal August 1993
More new carbon in the mineral soil of a poplar plantation under Free Air Carbon Enrichment (POPFACE): Cause of increased priming effect?: MORE NEW SOIL C UNDER POPLAR FACE journal March 2004
Nitrogen and phosphorus release from decomposing litter in relation to the disappearance of lignin journal April 1989
Impact of extreme precipitation and water table change on N<sub>2</sub>O fluxes in a bio-energy poplar plantation journal January 2011
Measurement, Tower, and Site Design Considerations book November 2011
Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen journal June 2014
Peatland hydrology and carbon release: why small-scale process matters journal October 2005
Short-rotation plantations of balsam poplars, aspen and willows on former arable land in the Federal Republic of Germany. III. Soil ecological effects journal August 1999
Net ecosystem production and carbon balance of an SRC poplar plantation during its first rotation journal September 2013
Nitrous oxide emissions from managed grassland: a comparison of eddy covariance and static chamber measurements journal January 2011
Changes in the functioning of wetlands along environmental gradients journal June 1993
Tools for quality assessment of surface-based flux measurements journal January 1996
Simulating the effects of climate change on the carbon balance of North American high-latitude forests journal December 2000
Greenhouse Gases in Intensive Agriculture: Contributions of Individual Gases to the Radiative Forcing of the Atmosphere journal September 2000
Application of quantum cascade lasers to high-precision atmospheric trace gas measurements journal November 2010
Selection and testing of Populus alba and Salix spp. as bioenergy feedstock: Preliminary results journal February 2013
Biophysical drivers of the carbon dioxide, water vapor, and energy exchanges of a short-rotation poplar coppice journal September 2015
Initial nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane costs of converting conservation reserve program grassland to row crops under no-till vs. conventional tillage journal May 2013
Use of U.S. Croplands for Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gases Through Emissions from Land-Use Change journal February 2008
On the separation of net ecosystem exchange into assimilation and ecosystem respiration: review and improved algorithm journal September 2005
Impacts of biofuel cultivation on mortality and crop yields journal January 2013
A case study of eddy covariance flux of N 2 O measured within forest ecosystems: quality control and flux error analysis journal January 2010
Nitrous oxide emissions from a beech forest floor measured by eddy covariance and soil enclosure techniques journal January 2005
Playing scales in the methane cycle: From microbial ecology to the globe journal August 2004
Sustainable bioenergy production from marginal lands in the US Midwest journal January 2013
Comparing laser-based open- and closed-path gas analyzers to measure methane fluxes using the eddy covariance method journal October 2011
No general soil carbon sequestration under Central European short rotation coppices journal April 2014
Spatial and Seasonal Nitrous Oxide and Methane Fluxes in Danish Forest-, Grassland-, and Agroecosystems journal January 1995
Biogeochemistry of Methane Exchange between Natural Wetlands and the Atmosphere journal January 2005
N 2 O fluxes of a bio-energy poplar plantation during a two years rotation period journal October 2012
Establishment and two-year growth of a bio-energy plantation with fast-growing Populus trees in Flanders (Belgium): Effects of genotype and former land use journal July 2012
Nitrogen Dynamics in Decomposing Litter book January 2005
Agriculture's impact on microbial diversity and associated fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane journal April 2011
Soil microorganisms as controllers of atmospheric trace gases (H2, CO, CH4, OCS, N2O, and NO). journal January 1996
The Eddy Covariance Method book November 2011
Self-organizing Maps book January 2012
Nitrous oxide emissions from managed grassland: a comparison of eddy covariance and static chamber measurements posted_content February 2011
A case study of eddy covariance flux of N2O measured within forest ecosystems: quality control and flux error analysis journal July 2009
Experimental assessment of N 2 O background fluxes in grassland systems journal July 2007
Self-Organizing Maps journal January 1998
Nitrous oxide emissions from a beech forest floor measured by eddy covariance and soil enclosure techniques journal May 2005

Cited By (5)

A method to calculate a locally relevant water year for ecohydrological studies using eddy covariance data: Locally Relevant Water Year journal April 2018
Advances in the Eddy Covariance Approach to CH 4 Monitoring Over Two and a Half Decades journal March 2019
Environmental factors function as constraints on soil nitrous oxide fluxes in bioenergy feedstock cropping systems journal October 2018
Greenhouse gas budget of a poplar bioenergy plantation in Belgium: CO 2 uptake outweighs CH 4 and N 2 O emissions journal October 2019
Carbon Dioxide Emissions from the Littoral Zone of a Chinese Reservoir journal July 2017