Assessment of the Effects of Temperature, Precipitation and Altitude on Greenhouse Gas Emission from Soils in Lagos Metropolis

Abstract

Significant pool of carbon is present in the biosphere as soil organic carbon (SOC). More carbon is stored in the soils which include peatlands, wetlands and permafrost than is present in the atmosphere. There are still controversies regarding the effects of climate change on global soil carbon stocks. This study seeks to: assess the effect of altitude, temperature and precipitation on the greenhouse gas emission from soil; and to examine the correlation between soil organic carbon and soil texture. With a total of 81 samples collected at 3 different depths (0 - 10 cm, 10 - 20 cm, 20 - 30 cm) from 27 locations in different regions of Lagos, the relation of soil organic carbon concentration to climate was investigated. Samples taken were analyzed for soil organic matter, soil organic carbon (SOC), and percentage of silt/clay/sand. The amount of carbon dioxide released was calculated. Temperature, precipitation and altitude were also taken into consideration. From the 27 locations topsoil had 8 locations of highest SOC contents; middle soil had 2 locations of highest SOC contents while bottom soil had 17 locations of highest SOC contents. SOC contents of top soil were linked with soil texture, vegetation type, temperature, precipitation, and altitude. The study showed that SOC increased with decrease in temperature, decrease in precipitation, and increase in altitude. Forest, shrubs and grassland types of vegetation, as well as soil depths also favour SOC contents. The study also showed that increase in temperature and altitude favour s greenhouse gas emission from the soil. From our findings, SOC and climate change are greatly linked.