Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Eivazi, F.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI 65101

SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOIL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND SOIL MICROBIAL DIVERSITY AND FUNCTION IN CONVENTIONAL AND ALTERNATE LAND USE SYSTEMS IN FLOODPLAIN SOILS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Agricultural sources continue to account for significant proportions of global anthropogenic production of major greenhouse gases (GHG), such as nitrous oxide and methane. Soil-based fluxes of GHG are produced primarily through plant and microbial processes and are affected by soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. The lower Missouri River Floodplain (MRF) region encompasses many different land use systems including agriculture and riparian forest. The effects of these different land use systems in the MRF on soil GHG (i.e., carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane) emissions have been little studied. Likelihood of climate change induced frequent flooding may alter the GHG fluxes from these landscapes further. The specific objectives are to evaluate soil GHG emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O) in floodplain soils under agroforestry, row-crop agriculture, and forested systems in response to differences in soil water content, temperature, land use, and nitrogen inputs. Since, microbial processes are big drives of GHG emissions, efforts will be made to evaluate the microbial communities in these landscapes as well as in response to flooding. Characterization of the spatial variation of GHG emissions in these land-use systems in the Missouri River floodplain is also a needed area of study. Future GHG research projects within the region need a solid understanding of the systems for proper statistical design. Last but not least, this project aims to develop a curriculum for undergraduate research with an objective to build capacity for Lincoln University to train the next generation of environmental professionals from underrepresented communities.

OBJECTIVES: Soils contain the second largest global pool of C after ocean sediments, more than twice the amount contained in atmospheric and living biomass pools. Soil physical properties influence the exchange of gases between the soil surface and atmosphere. Similarly, soil microbial activity dominates soil CO2 production. Land management practices, such as tillage, compaction, removal of biomass, fertilizer applications, and vegetation changes alter GHG transportation and production factors, and consequently affect their emissions. Alteration of the hydrological cycle and frequent flooding (with associated deposition of sand and silt) can influence several of the above mentioned properties. It is essential to develop a better understanding of how such events influence emissions of greenhouse gases with higher frequency of predicted extreme weather events. Therefore the following objectives are proposed:Research ObjectivesTo determine the in-situ variations in GHG emissions among different land use systemsTo assess the impact of flooding to better understand how each system will be influenced by frequent extreme flooding using laboratory incubation.Compare the soil microbial communities in-situ and in response to the flood treatments.Educational ObjectiveTo increase students' knowledge and interest in agricultural sciences through experiential learning.