Potential short-term effects of yak and Tibetan sheep dung on greenhouse gas emissions in two alpine grassland soils under laboratory conditions

• Published in: Biology and fertility of soils 2013-11, Vol.49 (8), p.1215-1226
• Main Authors: Cai, Yanjiang, Wang, Xiaodan, Ding, Weixin, Tian, Linlin, Zhao, Hui, Lu, Xuyang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Alpine environments; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carbon dioxide emissions; Climate change; Dung; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Global warming; Grasslands; Greenhouse gases; Life Sciences; Livestock; Meadows; Methane; Nitrous oxide; Original Paper; Pastures; Sheep; Sheep manure; Soil moisture; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil sciences; Soil treatment; Steppes
• ISSN: 0178-2762; 1432-0789
• DOI: 10.1007/s00374-013-0821-7

Yak and Tibetan sheep graze extensively on natural grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and large amounts of excrement are directly deposited onto alpine grasslands. However, information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from this excrement is limited. This study evaluated the short-term effects of yak and Tibetan sheep dung on nitrous oxide (N 2 O), methane (CH 4 ), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from alpine steppe soil at a water holding capacity (WHC) of 40 or 60 % and from alpine meadow soil at a WHC of 60 or 80 % under laboratory conditions. Cumulative N 2 O emissions over a 15-day incubation period at low soil moisture conditions ranged from 111 to 232 μg N 2 O–N kg soil −1 in the yak dung treatments, significantly ( P