Spatial variability of CH₄ uptake in aerated soils of Yellow River Delta

The widespread occurrence of aerated plain soils underscores their significant role in the global soil methane (CH₄) sink budget. However, plain soils are poorly characterized in terms of spatial variability of CH₄ uptake and the relevant control. We investigated the intra- and inter-site spatial variability of CH₄ uptake through flux measurements in intact soil cores from five non-wetland sites within the Yellow River Delta, each representing a distinct land use/cover type. Methane uptake rates were highest in undisturbed forest cores. The rates were very low, often falling below the detection limit, in cores from the other four sites. The significant correlation between CH₄ uptake and bulk density across sites suggests the integrative role of bulk density for the effects of different disturbances (including salt stress and succession) on CH₄ uptake. Methane uptake was heterogeneous at the within-site scale as indicated by large coefficients of variations (CVs). Soil texture variation manipulated the within-site pattern of CH₄ uptake in the low-salinity sites. Salt affected the spatial variation of CH₄ uptake only at high level of salinity. Neither Potter's nor Ridgwell's models effectively captured the within-site variation of CH₄ uptake due to a texture-associated bias in the models. Establishing a quantitative relationship between CH₄ uptake and clay content at the field scale in alluvial plain soils will facilitate the refinement of model parameters linked to texture and rectify biases in CH₄ estimation. These results provide an insight for the biogeochemical control of CH₄ uptake in alluvial plain soils and have important application for improving CH₄ models.