Prairie Pothole wetlands have large temporal changes in water status. The wetlands are often flooded, with water above the soil surface during the early growing season, while becoming dry during the later growing season or for years under strong drought. We used the eddy covariance technique to assess the potential for ecosystem carbon sequestration as a natural climate solution in a large Prairie Pothole wetland in southern Alberta (Frank Lake wetland complex) that was dominated by the emergent macrophyte, Schoenoplectus acutus L. (bulrush). We made ecosystem-scale measurements of CO2 and CH4 exchange over two growing seasons during a time-period with environmental conditions that were warmer and drier than the climate normal. In particular, the study was conducted while the wetland had been experiencing a decade-long drought based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index. To provide perspective on the longer-term temporal variability of ecosystem carbon exchange processes, we also used LandSat NDVI measurements of vegetation greenness, calibrated with eddy covariance measurements of ecosystem CO2 exchange during 2022-23, to estimate carbon sequestration capacity during 1984-2023, a period that included several wet-dry cycles. Our measured growing season-integrated net CO2 uptake values were 47 and 70 g C m-2 season-1 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Including the measured low methane emissions (converted to CO2 equivalents based on a Sustained Global Warming Potential) only changed the net sink to 40 and 67 g C m-2 season-1 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Despite drought conditions over the last decade, measured ecosystem carbon sequestration values were close to average values during 1984-2023, based on NDVI measurements and model carbon flux calculations. Our results demonstrated net carbon sequestration as a natural climate solution in a Prairie Pothole wetland, even during a time-period that was not expected to be favourable for carbon sequestration because of the drought conditions.

River riparian basins play a crucial role in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through carbon sequestration and nitrogen sinks. However, increased ecological stresses led to the release of CO2, CH4 and N2O. This study aimed to investigate how extreme temperatures, water levels, moisture content, land use changes and soil composition influence GHG emissions in the riparian corridor and to recommend mitigation techniques. It was carried out at the Yangtze River Riparian zone, China, using soil column testing. It used soil column testing. The results showed that extreme temperatures caused the highest emissions of CO2 (29-45%), CH4 (24-43%) and N2O (27-33%). This was due to increased soil temperatures and accelerated organic carbon/nitrogen decomposition. Conversely, control and wet-dry cycles absorbed CO2 (1-3%), CH4 (3-10%) and N2O (1-21%) by improving soil aeration, increased oxygen availability, soil structure, stable water table and low temperature change. Grasses in riparian areas also improved carbon sinks. Highest water levels had lowest gas concentrations and emissions due to low oxygen level. Adaptive wet-dry cycles, grass cover and better water table management can restore riparian areas, maintain soil moisture, balance soil carbon/nitrogen levels and mitigate climate change by improving soil quality. Dissolved organic matter fluorescence (DOMFluor) components are essential for soil carbon dynamics, aquatic biome safety, nutrient cycling and ecological balance in riparian zones. The study recommends implementing restoration practices, managing soil moisture, afforestation, regulating temperature and monitoring water tables to mitigate GHG emissions and address climate change. Future policies should focus on promoting resilient land use and ecosystems.

Research in geocryology is currently principally concerned with the effects of climate change on permafrost terrain. The motivations for most of the research are (1) quantification of the anticipated net emissions of CO2 and CH4 from warming and thaw of near-surface permafrost and (2) mitigation of effects on infrastructure of such warming and thaw. Some of the effects, such as increases in ground temperature or active-layer thickness, have been observed for several decades. Landforms that are sensitive to creep deformation are moving more quickly as a result, and Rock Glacier Velocity is now part of the Essential Climate Variable Permafrost of the Global Climate Observing System. Other effects, for example, the occurrence of physical disturbances associated with thawing permafrost, particularly the development of thaw slumps, have noticeably increased since 2010. Still, others, such as erosion of sedimentary permafrost coasts, have accelerated. Geochemical effects in groundwater from trace elements, including contaminants, and those that issue from the release of sediment particles during mass wasting have become evident since 2020. Net release of CO2 and CH4 from thawing permafrost is anticipated within two decades and, worldwide, may reach emissions that are equivalent to a large industrial economy. The most immediate local concerns are for waste disposal pits that were constructed on the premise that permafrost would be an effective and permanent containment medium. This assumption is no longer valid at many contaminated sites. The role of ground ice in conditioning responses to changes in the thermal or hydrological regimes of permafrost has re-emphasized the importance of regional conditions, particularly landscape history, when applying research results to practical problems.

Context or problem: Most of the research evaluating rice varieties, a major global staple food, for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation has been conducted under continuous flooding. However, intermittent irrigation practices are expanding across the globe to address water shortages, which could alter emissions of methane (CH4) compared to nitrous oxide (N2O) for reducing overall global warming potential (GWP). To develop climate-smart rice production systems, it is critical to identify rice varieties that simultaneously reduce CH4 and N2O emissions while maintaining crop productivity under intermittent irrigation. Objective: This study assessed CH4 and N2O emissions, grain yield, and GWP of four rice varieties cultivated under intermittent irrigation in Colombia. Methods: Four common commercial rice varieties were evaluated over two seasons-wet and dry in 2020 and 2021-in two Colombian regions (Tolima and Casanare). Results: Wet-season crop productivity was similar among varieties. However, F68 in Tolima and F-Itagua in Casanare significantly reduced yields in the dry season, likely due to periods of crop water stress. Overall, CH4 emissions and GWP were relatively low due to frequent field drainage events, with GWP ranging from 349 to 4704 kg CO2 equivalents ha(-1). Accordingly, N2O emissions contributed 73% to GWP across locations, as wet-dry cycles can increase N2O emissions, creating a tradeoff for GWP when reducing CH4 through drainage. Varieties F67 in Tolima and F-Itagua in Casanare significantly reduced GWP by 32-61% across seasons, primarily by decreasing N2O rather than CH4 emissions. Conclusions: Rice varietal selection achieved significant GWP mitigation with limited impacts on grain yield, mainly due to reduced N2O emissions under non-continuously flooded irrigation. Implications/significance: This research underscores the critical role of rice varietal selection in addressing global climate-change and water-scarcity challenges, which drive the adoption of intermittent irrigation practices. By focusing on reducing N2O emissions through appropriate variety selection, this study provides valuable insights for rice systems worldwide that are adapting to these pressing environmental challenges.

Ratoon rice utilizes the axillary buds sprouting from the remaining stubble of the main crop after harvest to form panicles, enabling a second harvest. However, mechanized harvesting often resulted in damage to the rice stubbles in the rolling zone, potentially leading to reduced yield. Enhancing the number of tillers in the rolling zone through optimized agronomic measures was crucial for achieving higher yield. However, research on water and fertilizer management corresponding to low stubble ratoon rice under mechanized harvesting was limited. A two-factor experiment was conducted to assess the impacts of water regimes (flooded; alternate wetting and drying) and nitrogen fertilizer management (0 kg N ha(-1); Tiller promotion fertilizer 90 kg N ha(-1); Split nitrogen application: Tiller promotion fertilizer 60 kg N ha(-1) + Booting stage fertilizer 30 kg N ha(-1)) on the yield formation, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon footprint of low stubble ratoon rice. The results indicated significant effects of water regimes and nitrogen fertilizer on yield. Compared to single application of tillerpromoting fertilizer coupled with continuous flooding (N-FL), Split application of tiller-promoting fertilizer coupled with alternate wetting and drying (SN-AWD) significantly increased average annual yield by 25.4%. SNAWD significantly increased the ratoon ability of the basal first and second nodes compared to N-FL. The soil quality index and ecosystem multifunctionality under SN-AWD increased by an average of 32.37% and 10.16 times, respectively, compared to N-FL. This increase resulted in significant enhancements in root length and root surface area, consequently improving pre-anthesis and post-anthesis dry matter accumulation and ultimately enhancing yield. Although N2O emissions increased under SN-AWD compared to N-FL, CH4 cumulative emissions decreased significantly by 37.86% on average over two years, leading to a 23.02% reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions and a 38.62% reduction in carbon footprint per unit grain. SN-AWD attained maximum net ecosystem economic benefit (NEEB), increasing by 35.42% compared to N-FL. Overall, the comprehensive analysis suggested that SN-AWD was a sustainable water and fertilizer management approach beneficial for balancing ratoon season yields, environmental footprint, and economic benefits.

Agriculture plays a significant role in economic development and livelihood and is a key contributor to food security and nutrition. However, global concerns regarding the sustainability of the agricultural sector (mainly environmental damage) is linked to agricultural activities such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of ORUN (R) (a formulated agricultural chemical mixture) to reduce N2O emissions from urine patches and to improve pasture yield, pasture N uptake, and soil mineral N concentrations. The field trials were conducted during the spring of 2015 on dairy urine patches at Massey University, New Zealand. Treatments consisted of control nil urine, control nil urine + ProGibb (R), urine only, urine + ProGibb (R), urine + ORUN (R), and urine + ORUN PLUS (R) replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. At 31 days after treatment (DAT), analysis of soil samples in 0-5 cm soil profiles showed that urine + ProGibb (R) significantly (p = 0.0041) increased the soil nitrate concentration (121.40 kgN/ha) compared with 48.15 kgN/ha from urine only. The urine + ProGib (R) treatment produced significantly lower herbage N recovery (35% of applied N) compared with the urine only. Throughout the trial period, the urine patches treated with ProGibb (R) and ORUN (R) produced significantly higher N2O fluxes compared with urine only and urine + ORUN PLUS (R), as well as higher surface soil nitrate and mineral N concentrations.

Salinity stress poses a significant challenge to agriculture, impacting soil health, plant growth and contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In response to these intertwined challenges, the use of biochar and its nanoscale counterpart, nano-biochar, has gained increasing attention. This comprehensive review explores the heterogeneous role of biochar and nano-biochar in enhancing salt resilience in plants and soil while concurrently mitigating GHG emissions. The review discusses the effects of these amendments on soil physicochemical properties, improved water and nutrient uptake, reduced oxidative damage, enhanced growth and the alternation of soil microbial communities, enhance soil fertility and resilience. Furthermore, it examines their impact on plant growth, ion homeostasis, osmotic adjustment and plant stress tolerance, promoting plant development under salinity stress conditions. Emphasis is placed on the potential of biochar and nano-biochar to influence soil microbial activities, leading to altered emissions of GHG emissions, particularly nitrous oxide(N2O) and methane (CH4), contributing to climate change mitigation. The comprehensive synthesis of current research findings in this review provides insights into the multifunctional applications of biochar and nano-biochar, highlighting their potential to address salinity stress in agriculture and their role in sustainable soil and environmental management. Moreover, it identifies areas for further investigation, aiming to enhance our understanding of the intricate interplay between biochar, nano-biochar, soil, plants, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Stiffened composite pile (SCP) composed of cement-soil mixing piles and precast pipe piles have been widely used in the construction industry to effectively handle soft soil in foundation treatments. In this study, the mechanical properties of a SCP were analyzed through field tests and numerical simulations and the optimal arrangement of the SCP group was obtained. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the construction process of the SCP group were calculated by considering three aspects: material consumption, mechanical requirements, and labor consumption. The results were then evaluated and compared with those of the traditional bored cast-in-place pile (BCP) group. It was found that the optimal arrangement of ground treatment with the SCP group was determined with a pile having an inner core diameter of 500 mm, an outer diameter of 700 mm and pile spacing of 2.8 m, which is four times the pile outer diameter. Compared to the BCP group, the SCP group has advantages of 6.16 % reductions GHG emissions of building materials, 42.76 % that of mechanical usage, and 53.11 % that of labor consumption. The final settlement of pile groups exhibits a clear negative correlation with their GHG emissions. The variation in GHG emissions is primarily dependent on changes in pile spacing, while the effect of the inner core pile diameter is relatively minor. The scientific significance of this study is rooted in the quantitative evaluation and comparison of GHG emissions during the construction phase of two different types of pile foundations. It also elucidates the interplay between the load-bearing capacity of SCP group and their GHG emissions. This study can serve as a crucial reference for the design and construction of foundation engineering, ensuring that pile foundation construction aligns with both the requisite load-bearing performance and low-carbon construction standards.

Climate change poses a serious threat to permafrost integrity, with expected warmer winters and increased precipitation, both raising permafrost temperatures and active layer thickness. Under ice-rich conditions, this can lead to increased thermokarst activity and a consequential transfer of soil organic matter to tundra ponds. Although these ponds are known as hotspots for CO2 and CH4 emissions, the dominant carbon sources for the production of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are still poorly studied, leading to uncertainty about their positive feedback to climate warming. This study investigates the potential for lateral thermo-erosion to cause increased GHG emissions from small and shallow tundra ponds found in Arctic ice-wedge polygonal landscapes. Detailed mapping of fine-scale erosive features revealed their strong impact on pond limnological characteristics. In addition to increasing organic matter inputs, providing carbon to heterotrophic microorganisms responsible for GHG production, thermokarst soil erosion also increases shore instability and water turbidity, limiting the establishment of aquatic vegetation-conditions that greatly increase GHG emissions from these aquatic systems. Ponds with more than 40% of the shoreline affected by lateral erosion experienced significantly higher rates of GHG emissions (similar to 1200 mmol CO2 m-2 yr-1 and similar to 250 mmol CH4 m-2 yr-1) compared to ponds with no active shore erosion (similar to 30 mmol m-2 yr-1 for both GHG). Although most GHGs emitted as CO2 and CH4 had a modern radiocarbon signature, source apportionment models implied an increased importance of terrestrial carbon being emitted from ponds with erosive shorelines. If primary producers are unable to overcome the limitations associated with permafrost disturbances, this contribution of older carbon stocks may become more significant with rising permafrost temperatures.

Arctic permafrost soils store substantial reserves of organic matter (OM) from which microbial transformation contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions of CH4 and CO2. However, many younger sediments exposed by glacier retreat and sea level change in fjord landscapes lack significant organic carbon resources, so their capacity to promote greenhouse gas emissions is unclear. We therefore studied the effects of increased temperatures (4 degrees C and 21 degrees C) and OM on rates of Fe(III) reduction, CO2 production, and methanogenesis in three different Holocene sedimentary units from a single site within the former marine limit of Adventdalen, Svalbard. Higher temperature and OM addition generally stimulated CH4 production and CO2 production and an increase in Bacteria and Archaea abundance in all units, whereas an equal stimulation of Fe(II) production by OM amendment and an increase in temperature to 21 degrees C was only observed in a diamicton. We observed an accumulation of Fe(II) in beach and delta deposits as well but saw no stimulating effect of additional OM or increased temperature. Interestingly, we observed a small but significant production of CH4 in all units despite the presence of large reservoirs of Fe(III), sulfate, and nitrate, indicating either the availability of substrates that are primarily used by methanogens or a tight physical coupling between fermentation and methanogenesis by direct electron transfer. Our study clearly illustrates a significant challenge that comes with the large heterogeneity on a narrow spatial scale that one encounters when studying soils that have complex histories.