Surface-Atmosphere CO2 Effluxes from urban Turfgrass Areas, Singapore

Abstract

Turfgrass makes up significant green cover in Singapore. It has been proposed by many as a means for carbon mitigation. However CO2 efflux over such areas remain poorly understood. This study employed modified closed dynamic chambers in a manipulative field experiment to quantify the different components of the surface-atmosphere efflux over tropical urban grass. It also assessed how management choices and variations in environmental factors influenced the rates of CO2 efflux. Soil surface CO2 fluxes observed during daylight hours ranged from 2.09 + 0.95 ?mol m-2 s-1 for the bare plot compared to 8.54 + 1.80 ?mol m-2 s-1 for the turfed plot, attributed to both autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration. While no significant relationships between efflux rates and soil temperature or moisture were observed, the distinct clustering of efflux according to plot treatments indicates the role management strategies have in the modification of effluxes.