Temperature Effects on Greenhouse Gas Production From Treatment Wetland Soils Along a Nutrient Gradient

Authors

Kyle Dittmer, University of Central Florida
Havalend Steinmuller, University of Central Florida

Mentor

Dr. Lisa Chambers

Abstract

It is generally accepted that increased temperatures are positively correlated with microbial respiration rates, causing greater greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CO₂ and CH₄) from wetlands. The goal of this study was to understand the interacting effects of temperature and nutrient concentrations on GHG emissions from wetland soils. Complementary field studies and a laboratory study were completed within Cell 1 of the Orlando Wetlands Park (Christmas, FL). Four sampling locations were established along a transect and sampled in summer and winter for the field studies. Soils (0-10 cm) were incubated under anaerobic conditions for 48-hours at ambient or elevated temperatures and GHG flux was measured. Surface water nutrients and soil physiochemical properties were also analyzed. Carbon dioxide and methane production both differed through an interaction between season and site (p = 0.04 and p < 0.001, respectively) with higher rates in the summer and at sites with the higher soil organic matter; water nutrients did not have a significant effect on GHG emissions. The laboratory study used only one soil sample, but varied water nutrients and temperature (3 x 3 factorial design) using four replicates per treatment and incubating under anaerobic conditions for 10 days. Temperature had a significant effect on both CO₂ and CH₄ production (both p < 0.001), but water nutrients did not have an effect, presumably due to exiting high nutrient levels within the soil porewater. These results highlight the importance of soil properties (organic matter content and porewater nutrients) when determining the influence of temperature and water nutrients on GHG production.

About the Author

Kyle Dittmer graduated from UCF in Fall of 2016 with a BS degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology. He began volunteering in Dr. Lisa Chambers' Aquatic Biogeochemistry Laboratory in November of 2015 as a Research Assistant and shortly after began conducting guided independent research. As of Fall 2017, Kyle began his Master's degree in Natural Resources at the University of Vermont within Carol Adair's Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Laboratory. His thesis is focusing on the potential for best management practices to mitigate nutrient losses, via greenhouse gas emissions and leaching, from agricultural soils.

Havalend Steinmuller is a PhD student within the Aquatic Biogeochemistry Lab in the Department of Biology. Havalend earned her Bachelor's degree at Louisiana State University in Coastal Environmental Science, and her Master's at LSU in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences. Her research focuses on ecosystem change within coastal wetlands, and the biogeochemical responses of coastal wetland soils to sea level rise.

Recommended Citation

Dittmer, Kyle and Steinmuller, Havalend (2017) "Temperature Effects on Greenhouse Gas Production From Treatment Wetland Soils Along a Nutrient Gradient," The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 9: Iss. 2, Article 2.
Available at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/urj/vol9/iss2/2