Fluxes of greenhouse gases in a temperature forest following a simulated hurricane

Conference · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)

OSTI ID:6146118

Bowden, R D ^[1]; Castro, M C; Melillo, J M; Steudler, P A ^[2]; Aber, J D ^[3]

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1. Allegheny College, Meadville, PA (United States)
2. The Ecosystems Center, Woods Hole, MA (United States)
3. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham (United States)

Fluxes of N[sub 2]O, CO[sub 2]m and CH[sub 4] between soils and the atmosphere were measured in a temperate forest for one year following toppling of overstory trees by a simulated hurricane. Mean annual emissions of CO[sub 2] (63.8 mg C m[sup [minus]2]h[sup [minus]1], 4.92 MT C ha[sup [minus]2]y[sup [minus]1]) and uptake of CH[sub 4] (0.049 mg C m[sup [minus]2]h[sup [minus]1], 3.87 kg C ha[sup [minus]2]y[sup [minus]1]) for the control plot were not different in the blowdown plot. Annual N[sub 2]O emissions in the control were low (2.86 ug N m[sup [minus]2]h[sup [minus]1] 0.23 kg N ha[sup [minus]2]y[sup [minus]1]) and were reduced 78% by the blowdown (0.64 ug N m[sup [minus]2]h[sup [minus]1] 0.05 kg N ha[sup [minus]2]y[sup [minus]1]). Net nitrification rates in soil were low, and showed no treatment differences. Emissions of CO[sub 2] and uptake of CH[sub 4] were related positively to soil temperature; CH[sub 4] uptake was inversely related to soil moisture. Substantial resprouting and leafing out of downed or damaged trees, and increased growth of understory vegetation were probably responsible for the small changes in soil temperature, moisture, and nitrogen cycling, thus resulting in no change in CO[sub 2] or CH[sub 4] fluxes, and no increase in N[sub 2]O emissions.

• OSTI ID: 6146118
• Report Number(s): CONF-930798--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States) Journal Volume: 74:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BLOWDOWN
CHEMISTRY
DISASTERS
EMISSION
FORESTS
GREENHOUSE GASES
GROWTH
HURRICANES
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
SIMULATION
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
STORMS
TREES