ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Economic Value of Gas Exchange in a Paddy
Field Ecosystem Using Water-Saving Irrigation
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1
State Key Laboratory of Hydrology – Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University,
Nanjing, P.R. China
2
College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, P.R. China
Submission date: 2017-08-03
Final revision date: 2017-10-23
Acceptance date: 2017-10-26
Online publication date: 2018-04-15
Publication date: 2018-05-30
Corresponding author
Yang Shihong
Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, 210098, China., 210098 Nangjing, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2018;27(5):2267-2275
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ABSTRACT
The ecosystem services value of paddy fields has received increasing attention in agricultural policy
decisions. This paper presents the first study to investigate the effects of rice water-saving irrigation on
the economic value of gas exchange in a paddy field ecosystem based on a field experiment. The results
showed that, compared to traditional flooding irrigation (FI), controlled irrigation (CI) decreased irrigation
water input while maintaining high rice yield. Irrigation methods showed no significant influence on O2
production and its value in paddy fields. CI significantly reduced CH4 emissions and its negative economic
value by 81.80%, but increased N2O by 136.86%. The economic value of CO2 uptake far outweighed the
absolute value of negative economic values caused by CH4 and N2O emissions. Therefore, the irrigation
methods showed no significant difference in economic value caused by greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)
from rice paddies. CI management significantly decreased ammonia volatilization (AV) and its economic
value by 19.56%. Overall, CI increased economic value of gas exchange (O2 production, GHGs emission,
and AV) by 8.96% compared to FI paddies. Our results suggest that CI significantly increased the economic
value of gas exchange in a paddy field ecosystem while drastically reducing irrigation water input and
ensuring rice yields.