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Greenhouse gas flux response in biochar- and compost-amended urban soils under simulated soil hydrologic dynamics

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2998645· OSTI ID:2998645

Understanding greenhouse gas emission dynamics in lawn soils is essential for improving climate change mitigation strategies in urban and suburban environments. This project measured fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from turfgrass soil columns amended with biochar, compost, biochar-compost blend, control (no amendment) in a controlled greenhouse mesocosm experiment. This project simulated contrasting water saturation regimes consisting of normal irrigation with sprinkler, transient half or full saturation by water table manipulation, and subsequent drying phase under both sod or seeded grass conditions. Compost-amended columns (compost or biochar-compost blend) exhibited higher average CO2 fluxes (6 µmol m-2 s-1) compared to biochar or control columns (4.5 – 5.0 µmol m-2 s-1) across all saturation levels under sod conditions. Seeded grass conditions generally resulted in less CO2 emissions. The CO2 fluxes were positively correlated with air temperature and negatively correlated with soil moisture. Biochar-amended columns retained high soil moisture (~95 %) throughout experiments, demonstrating superior moisture retention compared to compost. CH4 and N2O fluxes exhibited temporal increases (5-8 nmol m-2 s-1) during saturation and drainage phases, indicating their sensitivity to hydrologic conditions. These findings suggest that temperature and amendment types are primary driver of CO2 emissions, while CH4 and N2O fluxes are more responsive to water saturation dynamics in lawn soils.

Research Organization:
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE Office of Sciences
DOE Contract Number:
SC0023104
OSTI ID:
2998645
Report Number(s):
DOE-UTRGV-DE-23104
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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