Soil carbon dioxide flux dynamics in the Puno Inland Bay wetland

Abstract

Wetland ecosystems play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle due to their high organic matter (OM) content, which makes them important emitters or sinks of soil carbon dioxide (CO2). However, in Peru, studies focused on soil CO2 dynamics are limited. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate soil carbon dioxide fluxes in the Inner Bay wetland of Puno. Three sampling zones were selected: S1 (in front of Salcedo), S2 (near Espinar Island) and S3 (in front of UNA–Puno). CO2 flux monitoring was carried out during the dry (October 2022) and rainy (January 2023) seasons, using a portable infrared CO2 analyzer (EGM-4–PP Systems), connected to a breathing chamber (SRC-1–PP Systems), the experimental design applied was completely randomized with factorial analysis. The results indicated that soil CO2 emission varied significantly between seasons (p<0.05) and between sampling zones. The highest flux was recorded in S3 during the rainy season, with a value of 0.99 g CO2 m-2 h-1, while the lowest was observed in the same zone during the dry season, with 0.67 g CO2 m-2 h-1. Likewise, it was determined that soil CO2 emission is influenced by environmental factors that vary with the season of the year.