Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Effects of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) on the Methane Emission in Littoral Zones of a Subtropical Lake, China

Wenchang Zhou
* ORCID logo ,
Xiangjuan Yuan
* ORCID logo ,
Liangkang He
,
Yuhu Shi
,
Xiuhuan Xu
,
Wenhui Ou
,
Shanshan Xiang
,
Jiawei Yang
,
Tian Fu
Version 1 : Received: 22 September 2023 / Approved: 22 September 2023 / Online: 25 September 2023 (06:04:52 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Zhou, W.; Yuan, X.; He, L.; Shi, Y.; Xu, X.; Ou, W.; Xiang, S.; Yang, J.; Fu, T. Effects of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) on the Methane Emission in Littoral Zones of a Subtropical Lake, China. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 11330. Zhou, W.; Yuan, X.; He, L.; Shi, Y.; Xu, X.; Ou, W.; Xiang, S.; Yang, J.; Fu, T. Effects of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) on the Methane Emission in Littoral Zones of a Subtropical Lake, China. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 11330.

Abstract

Freshwater lakes represent a potential source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. However, the CH4 emission contribution to the total emission in the littoral zones of lakes, especially emergent macrophytes (e.g., lotus), are poorly known. Lotus, has been cultivated in almost all provinces in China, is not only an aquatic plant but also a kind of vegetables. Two sampling zones (lotus plant and open water) were established in the lake of the middle reaches of Yangtze River. The CH4 emission was measured using a floating opaque chamber and gas chromatography between April to December of the years 2021 and 2022. The results indicated that the flux of CH4 emissions ranged from 0.10 to 59.75 mg m-2 h-1, with an average value of 5.61 mg m-2 h-1 in the open water, while ranged from 0.19 to 57.32 mg m-2 h-1, with an average value of 17.14 mg m-2 h-1 in the lotus plant zone. The maximal CH4 emissions occurred in July and August for the open water, which was highly related to the air and water temperature; whereas it happened in September for the lotus plant zone, due to the fresh organic matter inputting to sediments, CH4 transportation by lotus plant, high soil organic carbon content, and the lower dissolved oxygen concentration. Considering the carbon emissions (both CH4 and CO2) and plant productivity, although the greater CH4 emission occurring in lotus plant zone, it could still represent a potential carbon sink (213 g m-2 yr-1), compared to the open water.

Keywords

methane emission; littoral lake; lotus; carbon sink; greenhouse gases; Yangtze River

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Ecology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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