Spatial structures of N2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes from Acacia mangium plantation soils during a relatively dry season in Indonesia

We investigated spatial structures of N2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes during a relatively dry season in an Acacia mangium plantation stand in Sumatra, Indonesia. The fluxes and soil properties were measured at 1-m intervals in a 1 × 30-m plot (62 grid points) and at 10-m intervals in a 40 × 100-m plot (55 grid points) at different topographical positions of the upper plateau, slope, and valley bottom in the plantation. Spatial structures of each gas flux and soil property were identified using geostatistical analysis. The means (±SD) of N2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes in the 10-m grids were 0.54 (±0.33) mg N m−2 d−1, 2.81 (±0.71) g C m−2 d−1, and −0.84 (±0.33) mg C m−2 d−1, respectively. This suggests that A. mangium soils function as a larger source of N2O than natural forest soils in the adjacent province on Sumatra during the relatively dry season, while CO2 and CH4 emissions from the A. mangium soils were less than or consistent with those in the natural forest soils. Multiple spatial dependence of N2O fluxes within 3.2 m (1-m grids) and 35.0 m (10-m grids), and CO2 fluxes within 1.8 m (1-m grids) and over 65 m (10-m grids) was detected. From the relationship among N2O and CO2 gas fluxes, soil properties, and topographic elements, we suggest that the multiple spatial structures of N2O and CO2 fluxes are mainly associated with soil resources such as readily mineralizable carbon and nitrogen in a relatively dry season. The soil resource distributions were probably controlled by the meso- and microtopography. Meanwhile, CH4 fluxes were spatially independent in the A. mangium soils, and the water-filled pore space appeared to mainly control the spatial distribution of these fluxes.