Methane Emission and Its Variability in Different Land-uses of Semi-arid Region, Rajasthan

Abstract

For the first time an attempt was made to quantify the methane fluxes in the different land-uses of the semi-arid region in India. Measurement of methane fluxes was carried out using static chamber in a highly saline wetland -Sambhar Lake, an urban lake -Mansagar Lake, a small reservoir -Kanota Dam and a landfill site in Jaipur district of Rajasthan, India. The results showed that semi-arid region has a significant impact on the methane budget. The parameters for water and soil were also studied and a positive correlation of soil organic matter and total organic carbon with methane fluxes were obtained. In the presence of high sulphate, methane production was observed at Kanota Dam which may be due to the symbiotic relationship between methanogens and sulphur reducing bacteria. The study revealed that the role of the semi-arid region is important for global methane budgeting and Sambhar Lake may play a significant role in methane budget with suitable conservation measures.