5th Annual WSU Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship
 
Online Book of Abtracts

Poster #98 - Flux Rates of Greenhouse Gases from soils in the Backwaters of the Mississippi

Scott Porcher

Faculty Co-author: Dr. Mark Engen

The overall purpose of this research is to determine the flux rates of greenhouse gases for different biomes.  Greenhouse gases were taken with certain sampling instruments such as syringes.  Even though, preliminary samples were taken from the backwaters of the Mississippi in Winona, a standard curve and control samples were produced following the preliminary results to compare the results of the samples from the backwaters.  A canister containing soil samples was hydrated and observed over a period of time.  The soil samples were kept consistent at 46.3 g.  The hydration of soil is relatively the same, so the amount of water added to the soil was also kept the same at 12.8 g.  Initial sample was taken from the canister to determine the initial concentrations of the greenhouse gases.  Then four samples would be taken ten minutes apart from each other for everyday following the start of the experiment.  The experiment would extend for five days to get a rate inside of a rate.  To get a rate, samples were collected with a 50 mL syringe and injected into the Gas Chromatography (GC).  Each rate for each day fluctuated and a trend could not be found.  But for the overall rate, there was a more visible trend.  The flux rate of CO₂  for the controlled soil experiment came out to be 5.35 ppm/hr and the flux rate of methane was inconclusive.  The flux rate of the soil from the backwaters for CO₂ was 758 ppm/hr and the methane flux rate was also inconclusive.