Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T16:45:50.026Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nutrient compositions and potential greenhouse gas production in penguin guano, ornithogenic soils and seal colony soils in coastal Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2009

Renbin Zhu ,
Yashu Liu ,
Erdeng Ma ,
Jianjun Sun ,
Hua Xu  and
Liguang Sun
Renbin Zhu*
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei City, Anhui Province 230026, P.R. China State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, P.R. China
Yashu Liu
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei City, Anhui Province 230026, P.R. China
Erdeng Ma
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, P.R. China
Jianjun Sun
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei City, Anhui Province 230026, P.R. China
Hua Xu
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, P.R. China
Liguang Sun
Affiliation:
Institute of Polar Environment, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei City, Anhui Province 230026, P.R. China
*
*[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We investigated nutrient composition and the potential for greenhouse gas production in Antarctic penguin guano, ornithogenic soils and seal colony soils through a laboratory incubation experiment. Total organic carbon contents ranged from 0.2–14.7% and total nitrogen contents ranged from 0.05–3.60% across all the samples. Penguin guano and the soils had the δ13Corg values of -28.4‰ to -22.8‰ and highly enriched δ15N values (8.28–35.51‰), indicating a rapid N cycling in local ecosystems. The mean CO2 and CH4 emission rates from penguin guano were significantly higher than those from the soils under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The CO2-C/TOC rate indicated that the bioavailability of TOC was markedly higher in penguin guano than in the soils. These soils showed higher N2O emission rates under anaerobic conditions, indicating that denitrification may be the major process in N2O emission. The CO2 and CH4 emissions have a significant correlation with TOC in both penguin guano and the soils. Our results show that marine animal excreta are an important factor determining storage and composition of nutrients in coastal Antarctica, and that they may considerably affect current and future net fluxes of greenhouse gases in this region.

Keywords

carbon dioxidemethanenitrous oxide
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 21 , Issue 5 , October 2009 , pp. 427 - 438
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amaral, J.A., Ren, T.Knowles, R. 1998. Atmospheric methane consumption by forest soils and extracted bacteria at different pH values. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64, 2397–2402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Amundson, R., Austin, A.T., Schuur, G., Yoo, K., Matzek, V., Kendall, C., Uebersax, C., Brenner, D.Baisden, W.-T. 2003. Global patterns of the isotopic composition of soil and plant nitrogen. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 17, 1031–1043.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrett, J.E., Virginia, R.A., Wall, D.H., Cary, S.C., Adams, B.J., Hacker, A.L.Aislabie, J.M. 2006. Co-variation in soil biodiversity and biogeochemistry in northern and southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 18, 535–548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bertora, C., Alluvione, F., Zavattaro, L., Van Groenigen, J.W., Velthof, G.Grignani, C. 2008. Pig slurry treatment modifies slurry composition, N2O, and CO2 emissions after soil incorporation. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40, 1999–2006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beyer, L.Bölter, M. 2000. Chemical and biological properties, formation, occurrence and classification of Spodic Cryosols in a terrestrial ecosystem of East Antarctica (Wilkes Land). Catena, 39, 95–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bird, M.I., Santruckova, H., Arneth, A., Grigoriev, S., Gleixner, G., Kalaschnikov, Y.N., Lloyd, J.Schulze, E.-D. 2002b. Soil carbon inventories and carbon-13 on a latitude transect in Siberia. Tellus, 54B, 631–641.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bird, M.I., Santruckova, H., Lloyd, J.Lawson, E. 2002a. The isotopic composition of soil organic carbon on a north–south transect in western Canada. European Journal of Soil Science, 53, 393–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burkins, M.B., Virginia, R.A.Wall, D.H. 2001. Organic carbon cycling in Taylor Valley, Antarctica: quantifying soil reservoirs and soil respiration. Global Change Biology, 7, 113–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cannone, N., Wagner, D., Hubberten, H.W.Guglielmin, M. 2008. Biotic and abiotic factors influencing soil properties across a latitudinal gradient in Victoria Land, Antarctica. Geoderma, 144, 50–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castro, M.S., Steudler, P.A., Melillo, J.M., Aber, J.D.Millham, S. 1993. Exchange of N2O and CH4 between the atmosphere and soils in spruce-fir forests in the northeastern United States. Biogeochemistry, 18, 119–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christensen, S.Christensen, B.T. 1991. Organic matter available for denitrification in different soil fractions: effect of freeze/thaw cycles and straw disposal. Journal of Soil Science, 42, 637–647.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cocks, M.P., Newton, I.P.Stock, W.D. 1998. Bird effects on organic processes in soils from five microhabitats on a nunatak with and without breeding snow petrels in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Polar Biology, 20, 112–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalal, R.C.Allen, D.E. 2008. Greenhouse gas fluxes from natural ecosystems. Australian Journal of Botany, 56, 369–407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dorland, S.Beauchamp, E.G. 1991. Denitrification and ammonification at low soil temperatures. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 71, 293–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erskine, P.D., Bergstrom, D.M., Schmidt, S., Stewart, G.R., Tweedie, C.E.Shaw, J.D. 1998. Subantarctic Macquarie Island - a model ecosystem for studying animal-derived nitrogen sources using 15N natural abundance. Oecologia, 117, 187–193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregorich, E.G., Hopkins, D.W., Elberling, B., Sparrow, A.D., Novis, P., Greenfield, L.G.Rochette, P. 2006. Emission of CO2, CH4 and N2O from lakeshore soils in an Antarctic dry valley. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 38, 3120–3129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris, J.M.Tibbles, B.J. 1997. Factors affecting bacterial productivity in soils on isolated inland nunataks in Continental Antarctica. Microbial Ecology, 33, 106–123.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heine, J.C.Speir, T.W. 1989. Ornithogenic soils of the Cape Bird Adélie penguin rookeries, Antarctica. Polar Biology, 10, 89–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hofstee, E.H., Balks, M.R., Petchey, F.Campbell, D.I. 2006. Soils of Seabee Hook, Cape Hallett, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 18, 473–486.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hopkins, D.W., Sparrow, A.D., Gregorich, E.G., Novis, P., Elberling, B.Greenfield, L.G. 2008. Redistributed lacustrine detritus as a spatial subsidy of biological resources for soils in an Antarctic dry valley. Geoderma, 144, 86–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huiskes, A.H.L., Boschker, H.T.S., Lud, D.Moerdijk-Poortvliet, T.C.W. 2006. Stable isotope ratios as a tool for assessing changes in carbon and nutrient sources in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. Plant Ecology, 182, 79–86.Google Scholar
Hynšt, J., Šimek, M., Brůček, P.Petersen, S.O. 2007. High fluxes but different patterns of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from soil in a cattle overwintering area. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 120, 269–279.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennedy, A.D. 1993. Water as a limiting factor in the Antarctic terrestrial environment: a biogeographical synthesis. Arctic and Alpine Research, 25, 308–315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, X.D., Li, H.C., Sun, L.G., Yin, X.B., Zhao, S.P.Wang, Y.H. 2006. δ13C and δ15N in the ornithogenic sediments from the Antarctic maritime as palaeoecological proxies during the past 2000 yr. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 243, 424–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Michalski, G., Bockheim, J.G., Kendall, C.Thiemens, M. 2005. Isotopic composition of Antarctic Dry Valley nitrate: implication for NOy sources and cycling in Antarctica. Geophysical Research Letters, 32, L13817.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Michel, R.F.M., Schaefer, C.E.G.R., Dias, L., Simas, F.N.B., Benites, V.Mendonça, E.S. 2006. Ornithogenic Gelisols (Cryosols) from Maritime Antarctica: pedogenesis, vegetation and carbon studies. Soil Science Society of American Journal, 70, 1370–1376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Misselbrook, T.H., Webb, J., Chadwick, D.R., Ellis, S.Pain, B.F. 2001. Gaseous emissions from outdoor concrete yards used by livestock. Atmospheric Environment, 35, 5331–5338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mizutani, H.Wada, E. 1988. Nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in seabird rookeries and their ecological implications. Ecology, 69, 340–349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mosier, A.R., Delgado, J.A., Cochran, V.L., Valentine, D.W.Parton, W.J. 1997. Impact of agriculture on soil consumption of atmospheric of CH4 and N2O flux in subarctic, temperate and tropical grasslands. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 49, 71–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Myrcha, A.Tatur, A. 1991. Ecological role of the current and abandoned penguin rookeries in the land environment of the maritime Antarctic. Polish Polar Research, 12, 3–24.Google Scholar
Oenema, O., Velthof, G.L., Yamulki, S.Jarvis, S.C. 1997. Nitrous oxide emissions from grazed grassland. Soil Use and Management, 13, 288–295.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Park, J.H., Day, T.A., Strauss, S.Ruhland, C.T. 2007. Biogeochemical pools and fluxes of carbon and nitrogen in a maritime tundra near penguin colonies along the Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biology, 30, 199–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parsons, A.N., Barrett, J.E., Wall, D.H.Virginia, R.A. 2004. Soil carbon dioxide flux in Antarctic dry valley ecosystems. Ecosystems, 7, 286–295.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porazinska, D.L., Wall, D.H.Virginia, R.A. 2002. Invertebrates in ornithogenic soils on Ross Island, Antarctica. Polar Biology, 25, 569–574.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramsay, A.J.Stannard, R.E. 1986. Numbers and viability of bacteria in ornithogenic soils of Antarctica. Polar Biology, 5, 195–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodionow, A., Flessa, H., Kazansky, O.Guggenberger, G. 2006. Organic matter composition and potential trace gas production of permafrost soils in the forest tundra in northern Siberia. Geoderma, 135, 49–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roser, D.J., Seppelt, R.D.Ashbolt, N. 1993. Microbiology of ornithogenic soils from the Windmill Islands, Budd Coast, continental Antarctica: microbial biomass distribution. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 25, 165–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaefer, C.E.G.R., Simas, F.N.B., Gilkes, R.J., Mathison, C., Da Costa, L.M.Albuquerque, M.A. 2008. Micromorphology and microchemistry of selected Cryosols from maritime Antarctica. Geoderma, 144, 104–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schiller, C.L.Hastie, D.R. 1994. Exchange of nitrous oxide within the Hudson Bay lowland. Journal of Geophysical Research, 99, 1573–1588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simas, F.N.B., Schaefer, C.E.G.R., Filho, M.R.A., Francelino, M.R., Filho, E.I.F.Da Costa, L.M. 2008. Genesis, properties and classification of Cryosols from Admiralty Bay, maritime Antarctica. Geoderma, 144, 116–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simas, F.N.B., Schaefer, C.E.G.R., Melo, V.F., De Albuquerque-Filho, M.R., Michel, R.F.M., Pereira, V.V., Gomes, M.R.M.Da Costa, L.M. 2007. Ornithogenic Cryosols from Maritime Antarctica: phosphatization as a soil forming process. Geoderma, 138, 191–203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, R.C., Ainley, D., Baker, K., Domack, E., Emslie, S., Fraser, B., Kennett, J., Laventer, A., Mosely-Thompson, E., Stammerjohn, S.Vernet, M. 1999. Marine ecosystem sensitivity to climate change. Bioscience, 49, 393–404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., Averyt, K.B., Tignor, M.Miller, H.L., eds. Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 996 pp.Google Scholar
Speir, T.W.Cowling, J.C. 1984. Ornithogenic soils of the Cape Bird Adélie penguin rookeries, Antarctica. 1. Chemical properties. Polar Biology, 2, 199–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stark, J.M.Stephen, S.C. 1997. High rates of nitrification and nitrate turnover in undisturbed coniferous forests. Nature, 385, 61–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, L.G., Zhu, R.B., Xie, Z.Q.Xing, G.X. 2002. Emissions of nitrous oxide and methane from Antarctic tundra: role of penguin dropping deposition. Atmospheric Environment, 36, 4977–4982.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, L.G., Liu, X.D., Yin, X.B., Zhu, R.B., Xie, Z.Q.Wang, Y.H. 2004a. A 1500-year record of Antarctic seal populations in response to climate change. Polar Biology, 27, 495–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, L.G., Zhu, R.B., Yin, X.B., Liu, X.D., Xie, Z.Q.Wang, Y.H. 2004b. A geochemical method for the reconstruction of the occupation history of a penguin colony in the maritime Antarctic. Polar Biology, 27, 670–678.Google Scholar
Tatur, A. 1989. Ornithogenic soils of the maritime Antarctic. Polish Polar Research, 4, 481–532.Google Scholar
Tatur, A.Myrcha, A. 1984. Ornithogenic soils of King George Island. Polish Polar Research, 5, 31–60.Google Scholar
Tatur, A.Myrcha, A. 2002. Ornithogenic ecosystems in the Maritime Antarctic: formation, development and disintegration. Ecological Studies, 154, 161–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tortoso, A.C.Hutchinson, G.L. 1990. Contributions of autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrifiers to soil NO and N2O emissions. Applied Environmental Microbiology, 56, 1799–1805.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Treonis, A.M., Wall, D.H.Virginia, R.A. 2002. Field and microcosm studies of decomposition and soil biota in a cold desert soil. Ecosystems, 5, 159–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tscherko, D., Boelter, M., Beyer, L., Chen, J., Elster, J., Kandeler, E., Kuhn, D.Blume, H.P. 2003. Biomass and enzyme activity of two soil transects at King George Island, maritime Antarctica. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 35, 34–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ugolini, F.C. 1970. Antarctic soils and their ecology. In Holdgate, M.W.,ed. Antarctic ecology, vol. 2. London: Academic Press, 673–692.Google Scholar
Wada, E., Shibata, R.Torii, T. 1981. 15N abundance in Antarctica: origin of soil nitrogen and ecological implications. Nature, 292, 327–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xing, G.X.Zhu, Z.L. 1997. Preliminary studies on N2O emission fluxes from upland soil and paddy soils in China. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 49, 249–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zdanowski, M.K., Zmunda, M.J.Zwolska, I. 2005. Bacterical role in the decomposition of marine-derived material (penguin guano) in the terrestrial maritime Antarctic. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 37, 581–595.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, R.B.Sun, L.G. 2005. Methane fluxes from tundra soils and snowpack in the maritime Antarctic. Chemosphere, 59, 1583–1593.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhu, R.B., Sun, L.G.Ding, W.X. 2005. Nitrous oxide emissions from tundra soil and snowpack in the maritime Antarctic. Chemosphere, 59, 1667–1675.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhu, R.B., Liu, Y.S., Sun, L.G.Xu, H. 2007. Methane emissions from two tundra wetlands in eastern Antarctica. Atmospheric Environment, 41, 4711–4722.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, R.B., Liu, Y.S., Xu, H., Ma, J., Gong, Z.J.Zhao, S.P. 2008a. Methane emissions from three sea animal colonies in the maritime Antarctic. Atmospheric Environment, 42, 1197–1205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, R.B., Liu, Y.S., Xu, H., Ma, J., Zhao, S.P.Sun, L.G. 2008b. Nitrous oxide emissions from sea animal colonies in the maritime Antarctic. Geophysical Research Letters, 35, 10.1029/2007 GL032541.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, R.B., Liu, Y.S., Li, X.L., Sun, J.J., Xu, H.Sun, L.G. 2008c. Stable isotope natural abundance of nitrous oxide emitted from Antarctic tundra soils: effects of sea animal excrement depositions. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 22, 3570–3578.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed