Stable Isotopes in Greenhouse Gases from Soil: A Review of Theory and Application

Zhu, Xiao-Cong; Di, Dong-Rui; Ma, Mingguo; Shi, Weiyu

doi:10.3390/atmos10070377

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…Relative abundances of stable isotopes in ecosystem components can be used to reconstruct ecological processes like photosynthesis and microbial decomposition (Zhu et al, 2019). The difference in the heavy-to-light isotope ratio of stable carbon isotopes ( 13 C : 12 C) in a sample, compared to the standard Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB), is referred to as δ 13 C and is reported in parts per thousand, or per mill (‰).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable carbon isotopic composition of biomass burning emissions – implications for estimating the contribution of C3 and C4 plants

et al. 2022

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Abstract. Landscape fires are a significant contributor to atmospheric burdens of greenhouse gases and aerosols. Although many studies have looked at biomass burning products and their fate in the atmosphere, estimating and tracing atmospheric pollution from landscape fires based on atmospheric measurements are challenging due to the large variability in fuel composition and burning conditions. Stable carbon isotopes in biomass burning (BB) emissions can be used to trace the contribution of C3 plants (e.g. trees or shrubs) and C4 plants (e.g. savanna grasses) to various combustion products. However, there are still many uncertainties regarding changes in isotopic composition (also known as fractionation) of the emitted carbon compared to the burnt fuel during the pyrolysis and combustion processes. To study BB isotope fractionation, we performed a series of laboratory fire experiments in which we burned pure C3 and C4 plants as well as mixtures of the two. Using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), we measured stable carbon isotope signatures in the pre-fire fuels and post-fire residual char, as well as in the CO2, CO, CH4, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) emissions, which together constitute over 98 % of the post-fire carbon. Our laboratory tests indicated substantial isotopic fractionation in combustion products compared to the fuel, which varied between the measured fire products. CO2, EC, and residual char were the most reliable tracers of the fuel 13C signature. CO in particular showed a distinct dependence on burning conditions; flaming emissions were enriched in 13C compared to smouldering combustion emissions. For CH4 and OC, the fractionation was the other way round for C3 emissions (13C-enriched) and C4 emissions (13C-depleted). This indicates that while it is possible to distinguish between fires that were dominated by either C3 or C4 fuels using these tracers, it is more complicated to quantify their relative contribution to a mixed-fuel fire based on the δ13C signature of emissions. Besides laboratory experiments, we sampled gases and carbonaceous aerosols from prescribed fires in the Niassa Special Reserve (NSR) in Mozambique, using an unmanned aerial system (UAS)-mounted sampling set-up. We also provided a range of C3:C4 contributions to the fuel and measured the fuel isotopic signatures. While both OC and EC were useful tracers of the C3-to-C4 fuel ratio in mixed fires in the lab, we found particularly OC to be depleted compared to the calculated fuel signal in the field experiments. This suggests that either our fuel measurements were incomprehensive and underestimated the C3:C4 ratio in the field or other processes caused this depletion. Although additional field measurements are needed, our results indicate that C3-vs.-C4 source ratio estimation is possible with most BB products, albeit with varying uncertainty ranges.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable carbon isotopic composition of biomass burning emissions – implications for estimating the contribution of C3 and C4 plants

et al. 2022

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“…Importantly, stable isotopes have the potential of studying how GHG exchange with soils and atmosphere. This information is useful to enable researchers to understand the pathways of GHG, as well as the magnitude, as well as the magnitude is hence given rational recommendations (Zhu et al 2019). However, this method is expensive and local farmers cannot afford to use to make various estimates.…”

Section: Adopting To Isotopic Tracers In the Agricultural Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greenhouse Gases Emissions in Agricultural Systems and Climate Change Effects in Sub- Saharan Africa

Ntinyari

Gweyi-Onyango

2021

African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation

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Climate change has been viewed to result from anthropogenic human activities that have significantly altered the Nitrogen (N) cycle and carbon cycles, increasing the risks of global warming and pollution. A key cause of global warming is the increase in greenhouse gas emissions including methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon among others. The context of this chapter is based on a comprehensive desktop review on published scientific papers on climate change, greenhouse emissions, agricultural fertilizer use, modeling and projections of greenhouse gases emissions. Interestingly, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the least emissions of the greenhouses gases accounting for only 7% of the total world’s emissions, implying that there is overall very little contribution yet it has the highest regional burden concerning climate change impacts. However, the values could be extremely higher than this due to lack of proper estimation and measurement tools in the region and therefore, caution needs to be taken early enough to avoid taking the trend currently experienced in developed nations. In SSA, agricultural production is the leading sector in emissions of N compound to the atmosphere followed by energy and transportation. The greatest challenge lies in the management of the two systems to ensure sufficiency in food production using more bioenergy hence less pollution. Integrating livestock and cropping systems is one strategy that can reduce methane emissions. Additionally, developing fertilizer use policy to improve management of fertilizer and organic manure have been potentially considered as effective in reducing the effects of agriculture activities on climate change and hence the main focus of the current chapter.

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“…Atualmente, do total da área utilizada para agropecuária, aproximadamente 72% são pastagens e 10% são áreas cultivadas com milho ou cana-de--açúcar, que seguem o ciclo C 4 , e os demais 18% são outros usos agrícolas (IBGE 2017). A diferença na assinatura isotópica entre essas culturas pode ser utilizada em diversos estudos, dentre eles os relacionados às diferentes atividades agrícolas estabelecidas em uma área ao longo do tempo (BALESDENT et al 1987, MARTIN et al 1990, JASTROW et al 1996, às diferenças nos estoques de carbono (CAMARGO et al 1999, ASSAD et al 2013, OLIVEIRA et al 2016) e nas emissões de gases do efeito estufa (TRUMBORE et al 1995, LAPOLA et al 2013, ZHU et al 2019) devido às alterações no uso do solo, ou mesmo em estudos relacionados aos processos erosivos (GOMES et al 2019).…”

Section: 2unclassified

Aplicação de isótopos estáveis de carbono no estudo das mudanças climáticas e ambientais

Novello¹,

Campos²,

Chiessi³

et al. 2021

Derb.

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O carbono está presente em uma ampla variedade de reservatórios naturais como rochas, solos, oceanos e atmosfera e é um dos principais componentes dos organismos vivos. As razões entre os seus dois isótopos mais abundantes 12C e 13C, descritas pela notação δ13C, são fundamentais para o entendimento da dinâmica e evolução desses reservatórios. O fracionamento entre 12C e 13C ocorre principalmente pela fotossíntese, que incorpora preferencialmente 12C nas moléculas orgânicas, que por sua vez determinam os valores de δ13C de grande parte da biota, além de outros materiais. Por exemplo, no caso das plantas, sua assinatura isotópica pode ser transferida ao solo e posteriormente a espeleotemas de cavernas ou a sedimentos transportados pelos rios e depositados nos oceanos. Outro exemplo seria o caso da fotossíntese de algas marinhas que afeta a assinatura isotópica da água do mar, que é transferida para as carapaças carbonáticas de organismos marinhos, tal como foraminíferos. Os valores de δ13C desses materiais (i.e., moléculas orgânicas, espeleotemas, foraminíferos) estão intimamente relacionados com as condições climáticas e ambientais nas quais os mesmos se formaram. Nessa revisão, apresentamos como se dá a dinâmica do δ13C nas plantas, solos, rochas e oceanos e como o estudo desses reservatórios nos revela informações a respeito do clima e do ambiente do presente e do passado, além de propiciar o entendimento de processos biológicos e geológicos. Os exemplos analisados aqui tratam principalmente de estudos de reconstituições paleoambientais e paleoclimáticas desenvolvidas no território brasileiro e no oceano adjacente.

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Stable Isotopes in Greenhouse Gases from Soil: A Review of Theory and Application

Cited by 16 publications

References 106 publications

Stable carbon isotopic composition of biomass burning emissions – implications for estimating the contribution of C<sub>3</sub> and C<sub>4</sub> plants

Stable carbon isotopic composition of biomass burning emissions – implications for estimating the contribution of C<sub>3</sub> and C<sub>4</sub> plants

Greenhouse Gases Emissions in Agricultural Systems and Climate Change Effects in Sub- Saharan Africa

Aplicação de isótopos estáveis de carbono no estudo das mudanças climáticas e ambientais

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Stable Isotopes in Greenhouse Gases from Soil: A Review of Theory and Application

Cited by 16 publications

References 106 publications

Stable carbon isotopic composition of biomass burning emissions – implications for estimating the contribution of C&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; and C&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; plants

Stable carbon isotopic composition of biomass burning emissions – implications for estimating the contribution of C&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; and C&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; plants

Greenhouse Gases Emissions in Agricultural Systems and Climate Change Effects in Sub- Saharan Africa

Aplicação de isótopos estáveis de carbono no estudo das mudanças climáticas e ambientais

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Stable carbon isotopic composition of biomass burning emissions – implications for estimating the contribution of C<sub>3</sub> and C<sub>4</sub> plants

Stable carbon isotopic composition of biomass burning emissions – implications for estimating the contribution of C<sub>3</sub> and C<sub>4</sub> plants