Articles by Marife D. Corre
Global Change …, Jan 1, 2009
Tropical nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase substantially within the coming decades... more Tropical nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase substantially within the coming decades. Increases in soil emissions of the climate-relevant trace gases NO and N2O are expected, but few studies address this possibility. We used N addition experiments to achieve N-enriched conditions in contrasting montane and lowland forests and assessed changes in the timing and magnitude of soil N-oxide emissions. We evaluated transitory effects, which occurred immediately after N addition, and long-term effects measured at least 6 weeks after N addition. In the montane forest where stem growth was N limited, the first-time N additions caused rapid increases in soil N-oxide emissions. During the first 2 years of N addition, annual N-oxide emissions were five times (transitory effect) and two times (long-term effect) larger than controls. This contradicts the current assumption that N-limited tropical montane forests will respond to N additions with only small and delayed increases in soil N-oxide emissions. We attribute this fast and large response of soil N-oxide emissions to the presence of an organic layer (a character- istic feature of this forest type) in which nitrification increased substantially following N addition. In the lowland forest where stem growth was neither N nor phosphorus (P) limited, the first-time N additions caused only gradual and minimal increases in soil N-oxide emissions. These first N additions were completed at the beginning of the wet season, and low soil water content may have limited nitrification. In contrast, the 9- and 10-year N-addition plots displayed instantaneous and large soil N-oxide emissions. Annual N-oxide emissions under chronic N addition were seven times (transitory effect) and four times (long-term effect) larger than controls. Seasonal changes in soil water content also caused seasonal changes in soil N-oxide emissions from the 9- and 10-year N-addition plots. This suggests that climate change scenarios, where rainfall quantity and seasonality change, will alter the relative importance of soil NO and N2O emissions from tropical forests exposed to elevated N deposition.
It is estimated that tropical forest soils contribute 6.2 Tg yr−1 (28%) to global methane (CH4) u... more It is estimated that tropical forest soils contribute 6.2 Tg yr−1 (28%) to global methane (CH4) uptake, which is large enough to alter CH4 accumulation in the atmosphere if significant changes would occur to this sink. Elevated deposition of inorganic nitrogen (N) to temperate forest ecosystems has been shown to reduce CH4 uptake in forest soils, but almost no information exists from tropical forest soils even though projections show that N deposition will increase substantially in tropical regions. Here we report the results from two long-term, ecosystem-scale experiments in which we assessed the impact of chronic N addition on soil CH4 fluxes from two old-growth forests in Panama: (1) a lowland, moist (2.7 m yr−1 rainfall) forest on clayey Cambisol and Nitisol soils with controls and N-addition plots for 9–12 yr, and (2) a montane, wet (5.5 m yr−1 rainfall) forest on a sandy loam Andosol soil with controls and N-addition plots for 1–4 yr. We measured soil CH4 fluxes for 4 yr (2006–2009) in four replicate plots (40 m × 40 m each) per treatment using vented static chambers (four chambers per plot). CH4 fluxes from the lowland control plots and the montane control plots did not differ from their respective N-addition plots. In the lowland forest, chronic N addition did not lead to inhibition of CH4 uptake; instead, a negative correlation of CH4 fluxes with nitrate (NO3–) concentrations in the mineral soil suggests that increased NO3– levels in N-addition plots had stimulated CH4 consumption and/or reduced CH4 production. In the montane forest, chronic N addition also showed negative correlation of CH4 fluxes with ammonium concentrations in the organic layer, which suggests that CH4 consumption was N limited. We propose the following reasons why such N-stimulated CH4 consumption did not lead to statistically significant CH4 uptake: (1) for the lowland forest, this was caused by limitation of CH4 diffusion from the atmosphere into the clayey soils, particularly during the wet season, as indicated by the strong positive correlations between CH4 fluxes and water-filled pore space (WFPS); (2) for the montane forest, this was caused by the high WFPS in the mineral soil throughout the year, which may not only limit CH4 diffusion from the atmosphere into the soil but also favour CH4 production; and (3) both forest soils showed large spatial and temporal variations of CH4 fluxes. We conclude that in these extremely different tropical forest ecosystems there were indications of N limitation on CH4 uptake. Based on these findings, it is unlikely that elevated N deposition on tropical forest soils will lead to a rapid reduction of CH4 uptake.
Biogeochemistry
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is rapidly increasing in tropical regions. We investigated ho... more Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is rapidly increasing in tropical regions. We investigated how a decade of experimental N addition (125 kg N ha-1 yr-1) to a seasonal lowland forest affected depth distribution and contents of soil nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), as well as natural abundance isotopic signatures of N2O, nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+). In the control plots during dry season, we deduced limited N2O production by denitrification in the topsoil (0.05-0.40 m) as indicated by: ambient N2O concentrations and ambient 15N-N2O signatures, low water-filled pore space (35–60%), and similar 15N signatures of N2O and NO3-. In the subsoil (0.40-2.00 m), we detected evidence of N2O reduction to N2 during upward diffusion, indicating denitrification activity. During wet season, we deduced that N2O at 0.05-2.00 m was mainly produced by denitrification with substantial further reduction to N2, as indicated by: lighter 15N-N2O than 15N-NO3- throughout the profile, and increasing N2O concentrations with simultaneously decreasing 15N-N2O enrichment with depth. These interpretations were supported by an isotopomer map and by a positive correlation between 18O-N2O and 15N-N2O site preferences. Long-term N addition did not affect dry-season soil N2O-N contents, doubled wet-season soil N2O-N contents, did not affect 15N signatures of NO3-, and reduced wet-season 15N signatures of N2O compared to the control plots. These suggest that the increased NO3- concentrations have stimulated N2O production and decreased N2O-to-N2 reduction. Soil CO2-C contents did not differ between treatments, implying that N addition essentially did not influence soil C cycling. The pronounced seasonality in soil respiration was largely attributable to enhanced topsoil respiration as indicated by a wet-season increase in the topsoil CO2-C contents. The N-addition plots showed reduced dry-season soil CH4-C contents and threshold CH4 concentrations were reached at a shallower depth compared to the control plots, revealing an N-induced stimulation of methanotrophic activity. However, the overall soil CH4 uptake rates remained similar between treatments possibly because diffusive CH4 supply from the atmosphere largely limited CH4 oxidation.
Papers by Marife D. Corre
Communications earth & environment, Jan 24, 2023
Intensively managed open croplands are highly productive but often have deleterious environmental... more Intensively managed open croplands are highly productive but often have deleterious environmental impacts. Temperate agroforestry potentially improves ecosystem functions, although comprehensive analysis is lacking. Here, we measured primary data on 47 indicators of seven ecosystem functions in croplands and 16 indicators of four ecosystem functions in grasslands to assess how alley-cropping agroforestry performs compared to open cropland and grassland. Carbon sequestration, habitat for soil biological activity, and wind erosion resistance improved for cropland agroforestry (P ≤ 0.03) whereas only carbon sequestration improved for grassland agroforestry (P < 0.01). In cropland agroforestry, soil nutrient cycling, soil greenhouse gas abatement, and water regulation did not improve, due to customary high fertilization rates. Alley-cropping agroforestry increased multifunctionality, compared to open croplands. To ameliorate the environmental benefits of agroforestry, more efficient use of nutrients is required. Financial incentives should focus on conversion of open croplands to alley-cropping agroforestry and incorporate fertilizer management.
Global Change Biology, 2009
Tropical nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase substantially within the coming decades... more Tropical nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase substantially within the coming decades. Increases in soil emissions of the climate-relevant trace gases NO and N 2 O are expected, but few studies address this possibility. We used N addition experiments to achieve N-enriched conditions in contrasting montane and lowland forests and assessed changes in the timing and magnitude of soil N-oxide emissions. We evaluated transitory effects, which occurred immediately after N addition, and long-term effects measured at least 6 weeks after N addition. In the montane forest where stem growth was N limited, the first-time N additions caused rapid increases in soil N-oxide emissions. During the first 2 years of N addition, annual N-oxide emissions were five times (transitory effect) and two times (long-term effect) larger than controls. This contradicts the current assumption that N-limited tropical montane forests will respond to N additions with only small and delayed increases in soil N-oxide emissions. We attribute this fast and large response of soil N-oxide emissions to the presence of an organic layer (a characteristic feature of this forest type) in which nitrification increased substantially following N addition. In the lowland forest where stem growth was neither N nor phosphorus (P) limited, the first-time N additions caused only gradual and minimal increases in soil N-oxide emissions. These first N additions were completed at the beginning of the wet season, and low soil water content may have limited nitrification. In contrast, the 9-and 10-year N-addition plots displayed instantaneous and large soil N-oxide emissions. Annual N-oxide emissions under chronic N addition were seven times (transitory effect) and four times (long-term effect) larger than controls. Seasonal changes in soil water content also caused seasonal changes in soil N-oxide emissions from the 9-and 10-year N-addition plots. This suggests that climate change scenarios, where rainfall quantity and seasonality change, will alter the relative importance of soil NO and N 2 O emissions from tropical forests exposed to elevated N deposition.
Ecology, 2004
... Marife D. Corre 1 and Norbert P. Lamersdorf ... The T 1 cores were then extracted with 0.5 mo... more ... Marife D. Corre 1 and Norbert P. Lamersdorf ... The T 1 cores were then extracted with 0.5 mol/LK 2 SO 4 . Extraction was done by shaking the samples for one hour and filtering the extracts through K 2 SO 4 -rinsed filter papers. ...
Biogeochemistry
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is rapidly increasing in tropical regions. We investigated ho... more Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is rapidly increasing in tropical regions. We investigated how a decade of experimental N addition (125 kg N ha− 1 year− 1) to a seasonal lowland forest affected depth distribution and contents of soil nitrous oxide (N 2 O), carbon dioxide (CO 2) and methane (CH 4), as well as natural abundance isotopic signatures of N 2 O, nitrate (NO 3−) and ammonium (NH 4+). In the control plots during dry season, we deduced limited N 2 O production by denitrification in the topsoil (0.05–0.40 m ...
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
. Nutrient leaching in intensively managed oil palm plantations can diminish soil fertility and w... more . Nutrient leaching in intensively managed oil palm plantations can diminish soil fertility and water quality. There is a need to reduce this environmental footprint without sacrificing yield. We quantified nutrient leaching in a large-scale oil palm plantation on Acrisol soil with factorial treatment combinations of two fertilization rates (260 N, 50 P, 220 K kg ha−1 yr−1 as conventional practice, and 136 N, 17 P, 187 K kg ha−1 yr−1, equal to harvest export, as reduced management) and two weeding methods (conventional herbicide, and mechanical weeding as reduced management). Each of the four treatment combinations was represented by a 2500 m2 plot, replicated in four blocks. In each plot, soil-pore water was collected monthly at 1.5 m depth for one year in three management zones: palm circle, inter-row, and frond-stacked area. In the palm circle, nutrient leaching was low due to low solute concentrations and small drainage fluxes, resulting from large plant uptake. Conversely, in the inter-row, nitrate and aluminum leaching losses were high due to their high concentrations, large drainage fluxes, low plant uptake, and acidic pH. In the frond-stacked area, base cation leaching was high, presumably from frond litter decomposition, but N leaching was low. Mechanical weeding, even with conventional high fertilization rates, reduced leaching losses of all nutrients. Mechanical weeding with reduced fertilization had the lowest N and base cation leaching whereas its yield and economic gross margin remain comparable with the conventional management practices. Herbicide weed control decreased ground vegetation, and thereby reduced efficiency of soil nutrient retention. Our findings signified that mechanical weeding and reduced fertilization should be included in the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture program for precision farming (e.g. variable rates with plantation age), particularly for large-scale plantations, and in the science-based policy recommendations, such as those endorsed by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil association.
Nature Communications
The potential of palm-oil biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with fossil ... more The potential of palm-oil biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with fossil fuels is increasingly questioned. So far, no measurement-based GHG budgets were available, and plantation age was ignored in Life Cycle Analyses (LCA). Here, we conduct LCA based on measured CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes in young and mature Indonesian oil palm plantations. CO2 dominates the on-site GHG budgets. The young plantation is a carbon source (1012 ± 51 gC m−2 yr−1), the mature plantation a sink (−754 ± 38 gC m−2 yr−1). LCA considering the measured fluxes shows higher GHG emissions for palm-oil biodiesel than traditional LCA assuming carbon neutrality. Plantation rotation-cycle extension and earlier-yielding varieties potentially decrease GHG emissions. Due to the high emissions associated with forest conversion to oil palm, our results indicate that only biodiesel from second rotation-cycle plantations or plantations established on degraded land has the potential for pronounced GHG em...
Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Forest Ecology and Management
Biogeosciences
Conversion of forest to rubber and oil palm plantations is widespread in Sumatra, Indonesia, and ... more Conversion of forest to rubber and oil palm plantations is widespread in Sumatra, Indonesia, and it is largely unknown how such land-use conversion affects nutrient leaching losses. Our study aimed to quantify nutrient leaching and nutrient retention efficiency in the soil after land-use conversion to smallholder rubber and oil palm plantations. In Jambi province, Indonesia, we selected two landscapes on highly weathered Acrisol soils that mainly differed in texture: loam and clay. Within each soil type, we compared two reference land uses, lowland forest and jungle rubber (defined as rubber trees interspersed in secondary forest), with two converted land uses: smallholder rubber and oil palm plantations. Within each soil type, the first three land uses were represented by 4 replicate sites and the oil palm by three sites, totaling 30 sites. We measured leaching losses using suction cup lysimeters sampled biweekly to monthly from February to December 2013. Forests and jungle rubber had low solute concentrations in drainage water, suggesting low internal inputs of rock-derived nutrients and efficient internal cycling of nutrients. These reference land uses on the clay Acrisol soils had lower leaching of dissolved N and base cations (P = 0.01-0.06) and higher N and base cation retention efficiency (P < 0.01-0.07) than those on the loam Acrisols. In the converted land uses, particularly on the loam Acrisol, the fertilized area of oil palm plantations showed higher leaching of dissolved N, organic C, and base cations (P < 0.01-0.08) and lower N and base cation retention efficiency compared to all the other land uses (P < 0.01-0.06). The unfertilized rubber plantations, particularly on the loam Acrisol, showed lower leaching of dissolved P (P = 0.08) and organic C (P < 0.01) compared to forest or jungle rubber, reflecting decreases in soil P stocks and C inputs to the soil. Our results suggest that land-use conversion to rubber and oil palm causes disruption of initially efficient nutrient cycling, which decreases nutrient availability. Over time, smallholders will likely be increasingly reliant on fertilization, with the risk of diminishing water quality due to increased nutrient leaching. Thus, there is a need to develop management practices to minimize leaching while sustaining productivity.
Biogeosciences Discussions, 2016
Tropical lowland forest soils are significant sources and sinks of trace gases. In order to model... more Tropical lowland forest soils are significant sources and sinks of trace gases. In order to model soil trace gas flux for future climate scenarios, it is necessary to be able to predict changes in soil trace gas fluxes along natural gradients of soil fertility and climatic characteristics. We quantified trace gas fluxes in lowland forest soils at five locations in Panama, which encompassed orthogonal precipitation and soil fertility gradients. Soil trace gas fluxes were measured monthly for one (NO) or two (CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>O) years (2010–2012), using vented dynamic (for NO only) or static chambers with permanent bases. Across the five sites, annual fluxes ranged from: 8.0 to 10.2 Mg CO<sub>2</sub>-C ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>, −2.0 to −0.3 kg CH<sub>4</sub>-C ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup&...
Scientific Reports, 2016
The difficulty of measuring gross N 2 O production and consumption in soil impedes our ability to... more The difficulty of measuring gross N 2 O production and consumption in soil impedes our ability to predict N 2 O dynamics across the soil-atmosphere interface. Our study aimed to disentangle these processes by comparing measurements from gas-flow soil core (GFSC) and 15 N 2 O pool dilution (15 N 2 OPD) methods. GFSC directly measures soil N 2 O and N 2 fluxes, with their sum as the gross N 2 O production, whereas 15 N 2 OPD involves addition of 15 N 2 O into a chamber headspace and measuring its isotopic dilution over time. Measurements were conducted on intact soil cores from grassland, cropland, beech and pine forests. Across sites, gross N 2 O production and consumption measured by 15 N 2 OPD were only 10% and 6%, respectively, of those measured by GFSC. However, 15 N 2 OPD remains the only method that can be used under field conditions to measure atmospheric N 2 O uptake in soil. We propose to use different terminologies for the gross N 2 O fluxes that these two methods quantified. For 15 N 2 OPD, we suggest using 'gross N 2 O emission and uptake', which encompass gas exchange within the 15 N 2 O-labelled, soil air-filled pores. For GFSC, 'gross N 2 O production and consumption' can be used, which includes both N 2 O emitted into the soil air-filled pores and N 2 O directly consumed, forming N 2 , in soil anaerobic microsites.
Nature Communications, 2016
Smallholder-dominated agricultural mosaic landscapes are highlighted as model production systems ... more Smallholder-dominated agricultural mosaic landscapes are highlighted as model production systems that deliver both economic and ecological goods in tropical agricultural landscapes, but trade-offs underlying current land-use dynamics are poorly known. Here, using the most comprehensive quantification of land-use change and associated bundles of ecosystem functions, services and economic benefits to date, we show that Indonesian smallholders predominantly choose farm portfolios with high economic productivity but low ecological value. The more profitable oil palm and rubber monocultures replace forests and agroforests critical for maintaining above-and below-ground ecological functions and the diversity of most taxa. Between the monocultures, the higher economic performance of oil palm over rubber comes with the reliance on fertilizer inputs and with increased nutrient leaching losses. Strategies to achieve an ecological-economic balance and a sustainable management of tropical smallholder landscapes must be prioritized to avoid further environmental degradation.
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Articles by Marife D. Corre
Papers by Marife D. Corre