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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Effects of an Experimental Water-level Drawdown on Methane Emissions from a Eutrophic Reservoir
Ecosystems (New York), Vol.21(4), pp.657-674
2018
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/107080
PMCID: PMC6445499
PMID: 31007569
Abstract
Reservoirs are a globally significant source of methane (CH 4 ) to the atmosphere. However, emission rate estimates may be biased low due to inadequate monitoring during brief periods of elevated emission rates (that is, hot moments). Here we investigate CH 4 bubbling (that is, ebullition) during periods of falling water levels in a eutrophic reservoir in the Midwestern USA. We hypothesized that periods of water-level decline trigger the release of CH 4 -rich bubbles from the sediments and that these emissions constitute a substantial fraction of the annual CH 4 flux. We explored this hypothesis by monitoring CH 4 ebullition in a eutrophic reservoir over a 7-month period, which included an experimental water-level drawdown. We found that the ebullitive CH 4 flux rate was among the highest ever reported for a reservoir (mean = 32.3 mg CH 4 m −2 h −1 ). The already high ebullitive flux rates increased by factors of 1.4–77 across the nine monitoring sites during the 24-h experimental water-level drawdown, but these emissions constituted only 3% of the CH 4 flux during the 7-month monitoring period due to the naturally high ebullitive CH 4 flux rates that persist throughout the warm weather season. Although drawdown emissions were found to be a minor component of annual CH 4 emissions in this reservoir, our findings demonstrate a link between water-level change and CH 4 ebullition, suggesting that CH 4 emissions may be mitigated through water-level management in some reservoirs.
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Details
- Title
- Effects of an Experimental Water-level Drawdown on Methane Emissions from a Eutrophic Reservoir
- Creators
- Jake J Beaulieu - 26 W Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 USADavid A Balz - Pegasus Technical Services, Cincinnati, Ohio USAM. Keith Birchfield - Vancouver, Washington USAJohn A Harrison - Vancouver, Washington USAChristopher T Nietch - 26 W Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 USAMichelle C Platz - 26 W Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 USAWilliam C Squier - Denver, Colorado USASarah Waldo - 26 W Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 USAJohn T Walker - Durham, North Carolina USAKaren M White - 26 W Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 USAJade L Young - Louisville, Kentucky USA
- Publication Details
- Ecosystems (New York), Vol.21(4), pp.657-674
- Academic Unit
- Harrison Research Group: Global Change and Watershed Biochemistry ; Environment, School of the (CAS)
- Publisher
- Springer US; New York
- Identifiers
- 99900546837201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article