Downstream emissions of CH4 and CO2 from hydroelectric reservoirs (Tucuruí, Samuel, and Curuá-Una) in the Amazon basin.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) generated in reservoirs are released downstream of dams, and few studies have considered these downstream emissions. Fluxes downstream of 3 Amazon hydroelectric reservoirs (Tucuruí, Samuel, and Curuá-Una) are reported here. Degassing through turbines was calculated as the difference between intake and outflow concentrations. Additional releases along the Tocantins, Jamari, and Curuá rivers were measured at were liberated at the turbine outflow. The total downstream emissions are sufficiently large to require consideration in assessments of greenhouse gas emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs.

Efluxo de metano (CH4) em dois solos do RS sob cultivo de arroz irrigado por alagamento.

O aumento da concentração de gases na atmosfera, decorrente da atividade humana, gera um aceleramento significativo do efeito estufa. Dentre os gases, o metano (CH4) é um dos que têm grande potencial em causar o efeito estufa, destacando-se como fonte geradora as áreas de várzea cultivadas com arroz irrigado por alagamento. Estima-se que estas áreas têm contribuído com até 45% da emissão de CH4 de origem antropogênica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efluxo de CH4 em dois solos, cultivados com arroz irrigado, no Estado do RS. O primeiro local avaliado foi uma lavoura na área experimental da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria - RS e o segundo na Estação Experimental do Arroz no Instituto Rio Grandense do Arroz (IRGA), Cachoeirinha - RS. Durante a safra do arroz realizaram-se coletas semanais de amostras de ar em câmaras coletoras com o auxílio de seringas plásticas de polipropileno aos 5, 10, 15, 20 e 25 minutos após o fechamento da câmara. Durante as coletas, foi registrada a temperatura do ar, da água de alagamento e do solo (0,05m de profundidade) para o cálculo das emissões. Os picos de emissão de CH4 em Santa Maria e Cachoeirinha ocorreram, respectivamente, aos 30 e 69 dias após o alagamento do solo, sendo que em Cachoeirinha os picos de emissão tiveram menor intensidade. O desencontro entre os picos de máxima emissão nas duas unidades de coleta e a menor intensidade de emissão na unidade de Cachoeirinha pode estar associado com as características dos solos, temperatura, como também, pelo uso de diferentes cultivares de arroz irrigado. Existe a necessidade de se conhecer melhor os fatores que influenciam as taxas de emissão de metano como também avaliar formas de manejo da cultura visando uma menor emissão deste gás, reduzindo os impactos da rizicultura sobre o efeito estufa.

Direct nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from soils under different land use in Brazil: a critical review.

Brazil typifies the land use changes happening in South America, where natural vegetation is continuously converted into agriculturally used lands, such as cattle pastures and croplands. Such changes in land use are always associated with changes in the soil nutrient cycles and result in altered greenhouse gas fluxes from the soil to the atmosphere. In this study, we analyzed literature values to extract patterns of direct nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soils of different ecosystems in Brazil. Fluxes from natural ecosystems exhibited a wide range: whereas median annual flux rates were highest in Amazonian and Atlantic rainforests (2.42 and 0.88 kg N ha-1), emissions from cerrado soils were close to zero. The decrease in emissions from pastures with increasing time after conversion was associated with pasture degradation. We found comparatively low N2O-N fluxes from croplands (-0.07 to 4.26 kg N ha-1 yr-1 , median 0.80 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and a low response to N fertilization. Contrary to the assumptions, soil parameters, such as pH, Corg, and clay content emerged as poor predictors for N2O fluxes. This could be a result of the formation of micro-aggregates, which strongly affect the hydraulic properties of the soil, and consequently define nitrification and denitrification potentials. Since data from croplands mainly derived from areas that had been under natural cerrado vegetation before, it could explain the low emissions under agriculture. Measurements must be more frequent and regionally spread in order to enable sound national estimates.

A new sward management strategy to mitigate the methane (CH4) emissions by grazing ruminants.

2016

Effect of seasons on enteric methane emissions from cattle grazing Urochloa brizantha.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of seasons under a tropical climate on forage quality, aswell the effect of an Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu grazing system on enteric methane (CH4) emissions fromNellore cattle in the Southeast region of Brazil. Sixteen Nellore steers (18 months old and initial weight 318.0 ± 116.59 kg of LW; final weight 469 ± 98.50 kg of LW) were used for a trial period of 10 months, with four collection periods in winter (August), spring (December), summer (February) and autumn (May). Each collection period consisted of 28 days, corresponding to the representative month of each season where the last six days were designed for methane data collection. Animals were randomly distributed within 16 experimental plots, distributed in four random blocks over four trial periods. CH4 emissions were determined using the sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer gas technique measured by gas chromatography and fluxes of CH4 calculated. The forage quality was characterized by higher CP and IVDMD and lower lignin contents in spring, differing specially from winter forage. Average CH4 emissions were between 102.49 and 220.91 g d-1 (37.4 to 80.6 kg ani-1 yr-1); 16.89 and 30.20 g kg-1 DMI; 1.35 and 2.90 Mcal ani-1 d-1; 0.18 and 0.57 g kg-1 ADG-1 and 5.05 and 8.76% of GE. Emissions in terms of CO2 equivalents were between 4.68 and 14.22 g CO2-eq-1 g-1 ADG. Variations in CH4 emissions were related to seasonal effect on the forage quality and variations in dry matter intake.

N20 fluxes evaluation in pasture management system under different densities of babassu palms.

2016