Fluxos de metano e óxido nitroso em solos sob coberturas vegetais e influência de aves em área de degelo em Rip Point, Ilha Nelson, Antártica

Abstract

Due to the problem of global warming is growing concern over the soil emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). It is known that the land use for agriculture and livestock, if managed incorrectly, cause severe impacts on the fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). But little is known about the behavior of these gases in soils of natural ecosystems. Analyzes of GHG emission or absorption in soil and edaphoclimatic factors that govern these fluxes are scarce in polar environments, such as defrost areas of maritime Antarctic. This study aimed to evaluate the GHG fluxes in soils in thaw areas in Rip Point, Nelson Island, Antarctica and check the soil and climate aspects that influence the emission and absorption of these gases. For both were selected five sites targeting the different vegetation cover and presence of sea birds. The first area was of bare ground, the second with 100% coverage by moss (Sanionia uncinata) and the third covered by lichens. The fourth and fifth areas suffered directly influences of the bird’s activity, one of which was covered by Prasiola crispa algae and other with Deschampsia Antarctica grass. The gases sampling occurred in the period of six days in February 2012, by the method of static chambers, and soil sampling was carried for chemical and physical analysis. For the evaluated period N2O fluxes varied with highest average 21.25±22.14 μg N2O m-2h-1 for P. crispa, and lowest at 0.11±1.93 μg N2O m-2h-1, in the Lichen soil. For CH4 only the area of P. crispa showed positive average, with 0.47±3.61 μg CH4 m-2h-1, and the area of bare soil showed greater influx of -11.92±5.7 μg CH4 m-2h-1. No correlation was observed between N2O fluxes and soil attributes. The accumulated CH4 flux correlated with stocks of Total Carbon (<0.01) and Total Nitrogen (<0.01) in the soil layer at 0.00-0.10 m. Areas of bare soil and S. uncinata showed accumulated N2O emission close to zero, and in some collection events were observed gas influx, which may have occurred N2O reduction. The area of bare soil had the highest cumulative CH4 influx and the area of P. crispa was the only to be presented cumulative emissions to the period, noting that the CH4 showed direct and significant relation with (p <0.001) whit the ammonium (NH4+) contents in the soil.