Monthly and quarterly review of carbon emission at different intensities of water erosion (Case study: Ghara aghaj basin- Isfahan province)

This study evaluates monthly and seasonal changes in carbon dioxide emission in five classes of soil erosion in Ghara aghaj basin in Isfahan province. Amounts of water erosion were calculated in working units, using EPM model. Afterward, carbon emission were measured on a monthly basis, for a period of one year using alkali traps in five classes of soil erosion including very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Data on emission levels and erosion classes were analyzed as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with four replications. The highest rate of emission occurred in July (3.7 gC/m2/day) in very high eroded lands and the lowest in February (0.022 gC/m2/day) in very low erosion rate. Moreover, the greatest amount of carbon emission happened in summer and lowest in winter. Generally, CO2 emission increased by increasing erosion intensity, so controlling erosion is recommended to reduce Carbon losses via detachment or emission.