Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Floodplain Forest – The Role of Future Flooding Regimes
Abstract
Favorable hydrological properties combined with periodic input of organic matter and nutrients dispose floodplain forests as potential “hot spots” of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. Despite the positive effects on productivity and C sequestration, the high N and C availability in soil and the specific hydrological conditions might incline floodplain forests to act as substantial sources of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Greenhouse gas efflux from temperate floodplain forest has not yet been adequately assessed although it could be important at the regional, national or even global scale. With the proposed project we will close this gap by an extensive study of soil C and N dynamics and N2O and CH4 fluxes in the floodplain forests of the Danube National Park, Austria (ca. 10.000 ha). We will take a comprehensive approach and (i) gather detailed process understanding of N2O and CH4 formation, transport, and consumption in soil and ground water, (ii) study the spatial and temporal dynamics of N2O and CH4 fluxes in the floodplain forest as well as the role of environmental drivers, and (iii) upscale and model N2O and CH4 fluxes at the whole National Park level under current site conditions as well as under different climate and flooding scenarios. A special focus will lay on the role of tree stems as potential transport and release channels of soil prone N2O and CH4. With our designated approach, we will not only improve process understanding of biogeochemical C and N cycling and greenhouse gas formation, but we will further provide N2O and CH4 emissions budgets of the floodplain forest of the Danube National Park which is considered as important information regarding regional and/or national greenhouse gas budgets. In the proposed study, we will merge hydrological and biological expertise, which we see as a key prerequisite in improved understanding of floodplain biogeochemistry. Biogeochemical modelling and the simulation of different future flooding scenarios will increase our understanding how climate change may affect the GHG budget of floodplain forest and allow a better integration of floodplain forest into GHG reporting (Tier II).
Publikationen
FloodFlux - Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Floodplain Forest – An Underestimated Natural Source?
Autoren: Schindlbacher, A; Tritthart, M; Glock, K; Kiese, R; Kraus, D; Kitzler, B; Jahr: 2018
Projektbericht
Mitarbeiter*innen
Michael Tritthart
Assoc. Prof. Priv.-Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Michael Tritthart
michael.tritthart@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-81910
Projektleiter*in
01.04.2017 - 31.03.2020