CO₂/heat fluxes in rice fields: Comparative assessment of flooded and non-flooded fields in the Philippines

• Published in: Agricultural and forest meteorology Vol. 149; no. 10; pp. 1737 - 1750
• Main Authors: Alberto, Ma. Carmelita R, Wassmann, Reiner, Hirano, Takashi, Miyata, Akira, Kumar, Arvind, Padre, Agnes, Amante, Modesto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam [Oxford]: Elsevier Science Ltd 01.10.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: aerobic conditions; Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; anaerobic conditions; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; carbon dioxide; cell respiration; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; dry matter accumulation; eddy covariance method; environmental impact; flood irrigation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gas exchange; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Cropping systems and patterns; heat transfer; latent heat; net ecosystem exchange; Oryza sativa; photosynthesis; primary productivity; rice; seasonal variation; sensible heat; Synecology; water use efficiency; water vapor; Philippines; Asia; South east Asia; Biometeorology; Net ecosystem CO; Monocotyledones; Waterlogging (soil); exchange (NEE); Material flow; Tropical zone; Aerobic rice fields; Carbon dioxide; Heat flow; Physical environment; Microclimate; Cereal crop; Flooded rice fields; Gas flux; Oryza sativa; Flood; Gramineae; Ecosystem; Angiospermae; Paddy field; C3-Type; Intertropical zone; Vegetals; Flooded rice; Cropping system; Heat fluxes; Rainfed lowland rice cultivation; Flooded soil; Spermatophyta; Gas exchange; Comparative study; Field study
• ISSN: 0168-1923; 1873-2240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2009.06.003

The seasonal fluxes of heat, moisture and CO₂ were investigated under two different rice environments: flooded and aerobic soil conditions, using the eddy covariance technique during 2008 dry season. The fluxes were correlated with the microclimate prevalent in each location. This study was intended to monitor the environmental impact, in terms of C budget and heat exchange, of shifting from lowland rice production to aerobic rice cultivation as an alternative to maintain crop productivity under water scarcity. The aerobic rice fields had higher sensible heat flux (H) and lower latent heat flux (LE) compared to flooded fields. On seasonal average, aerobic rice fields had 48% more sensible heat flux while flooded rice fields had 20% more latent heat flux. Consequently, the aerobic rice fields had significantly higher Bowen ratio (0.25) than flooded fields (0.14), indicating that a larger proportion of the available net radiation was used for sensible heat transfer or for warming the surrounding air. The total C budget integrated over the cropping period showed that the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in flooded rice fields was about three times higher than in aerobic fields while gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R e) were 1.5 and 1.2 times higher, respectively. The high GPP of flooded rice ecosystem was evident because the photosynthetic capacity of lowland rice is naturally large. The R e of flooded rice fields was also relatively high because it was enhanced by the high photosynthetic activities of lowland rice as manifested by larger above-ground plant biomass. The NEE, GPP, and R e values for flooded rice fields were -258, 778, and 521gCm⁻², respectively. For aerobic rice fields, values were -85, 515, and 430gCm⁻² for NEE, GPP, and R e, respectively. The ratio of R e/GPP in flooded fields was 0.67 while it was 0.83 for aerobic rice fields. This short-term data showed significant differences in C budget and heat exchange between flooded and aerobic rice ecosystems. Further investigation is needed to clarify seasonal and inter-annual variations in microclimate, carbon and water budget of different rice production systems.