US-Belgium Cooperative Research: Formation of Gaseous Hydrocarbons as Influenced by Soil and Sediment Redox Chemistry Conditions

该奖项将支持路易斯安那州立大学湿地资源中心的Ronald D.DeLaune博士和William H.Patrick博士与比利时根特大学农业科学系的O.Van Cleemput博士在生理生态学方面的合作研究。该项目涉及土壤中生物成因气体的形成和消耗，并试图确定特定气体形成的条件，以及导致其消耗的速率和条件。在淹水和排水良好的土壤条件下，都会出现完全或部分缺氧的情况。由于大量易得碳的存在而导致的高耗氧量和高含水率引起的有限的氧气供应是厌氧条件开始的主要原因。这些条件不仅对植物造成胁迫，而且有利于甲烷、乙烯、乙烷、丙烷和丁烷等气态碳氢化合物的形成。这些气体可能会对植物产生不利影响，并可能对气态环境产生负面影响。该项目的目的是调查土壤或沉积物在多大程度上可以成为气态碳氢化合物的来源。气态烃的生成和演化将与沉积物Eh、pH和改性剂有关，包括不同类型的有机质。调查将在实验室和现场进行。预计这项研究的结果将更好地了解碳循环，并提供关于土壤和沉积物中气体环境组成的补充信息，包括可能的源-汇与大气的关系。这项研究将受益于美国研究人员在营养相互作用方面的综合专业知识，以及比利时研究人员在气态碳氢化合物和厌氧土壤方面的专业知识。

This award will support collaborative research in physiological ecology between Drs. Ronald D. DeLaune and William H. Patrick, Center for Wetland Resources, Louisiana State University and Dr. O. Van Cleemput, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Ghent, Belgium. The project addresses the formation and consumption of biogenic gases in soils and seeks to define the conditions under which specific gases are formed, and the rates and conditions leading to their consumption. The development of fully or partly anoxic conditions occurs in both waterlogged and in well drained soil conditions. A combination of high oxygen consumption through the presence of abundant, readily available carbon and limited oxygen supply induced by a high water content is the main reason for the onset of anaerobic conditions. These conditions are responsible not only for stress to plants, but are also favorable for the formation of gaseous hydrocarbons, such as methane, ethylene, ethane, propane and butane. These gases can have adverse effects on plants and can negatively influence the gaseous environment. The aim of this project is to investigate to what extent soils or sediments can be a source for gaseous hydrocarbons. Gaseous hydrocarbon production and evolution will be related to sediment Eh, pH and amendments, including different types of organic material. The investigations will be carried out in the laboratory, as well as in the field. The results of this study are expected to provide a better understanding of the carbon cycle and to lead to added information on the composition of the gaseous environment in soils and sediment, including possible source- sink relationships with the atmosphere. The research will benefit from the combined expertise of the US investigators in nutrient interactions and of the Belgian investigators in gaseous hydrocarbons and anaerobic soils.