Environmental factors affecting methane production from the littoral sediments in a reservoir

초록

Methane emission from wetland sediments makes an important contribution to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Methane production rate from sediment slurries incubated at thirty degrees centigrade showed a considerable range from 0 to 0.19 nmol g-1hr-1 at sampling sites in the littoral zone of the Reservoir Paltangho. Vegetation tyoes dominated with Pharagmites australis, Typha angustifoliam and Zizania latifolia had no significant effect on methane production rate in the littoral zone. Cation exchange capacity, particle size, organic matter, Fe2+, and total nitrogen in sediments were significantly correlated with each other. Methane production rates were positively correlated with organic matter, Fe2+, acetate, total nitrogen, and cation exchange capacity of sediments and negatively correlated redox potential and pH. Acetate, an important source of organic substrate for methanogenesis, was interrelated with particle size, cation exchange capacity, and total nitrogen in sediments. As a result of stepwise multiple regression, organic matter clay, and redox potential of sediment could explain the spatial variation of methane production in the littoral zone of a reservoir.