Author ORCID Identifier:
Date of Graduation
7-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences (MS)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences
Advisor/Mentor
Brye, Kristofor
Committee Member
Lunga, Diego Della
Second Committee Member
Ogle, Jennifer
Third Committee Member
Wood, Lisa
Keywords
carbon dioxide; greenhouse gases; methane; nitrous oxide; Ozark Highlands; tallgrass prairie
Abstract
The Ozark Highlands is an ecoregion in the mid-southern portion of the United States that is characterized by a mosaic of tallgrass prairies, oak (Quercus spp.) savannas, and oak-hickory (Carya spp.) forests, which represents a unique biophysical transition zone between the relatively dry grasslands of the west and the humid forests of the southeast. Quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, namely carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), from natural, undisturbed ecosystems is critical to understanding atmospheric warming and climate-change implications. The objective of this study was to simultaneously evaluate CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions in an aquic and udic soil moisture regime (SMR) from inter-mound positions in a native tallgrass prairie remnant in the Ozark Highlands region of northwest Arkansas. Gas fluxes were measured weekly throughout the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons (i.e., mid-May to September) using a field-portable, GHG analyzer system. Season-long CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions did not differ (p > 0.05) between SMRs during the 2024 growing season. Similar to the 2024 growing season, season-long CO2 and N2O emissions did not differ (p > 0.05) between SMRs during the 2025 growing season. However, in contrast to 2024, season-long CH4 emissions were greater (p < 0.05) from the aquic (158.5 g ha-1 season-1) than the udic SMR (0.001 g ha-1 season-1). Season-long CO2 emissions in both SMRs and season-long CH4 emissions in the aquic SMR were all at least 2.5 times greater (p < 0.05) in 2025 than in 2024. Greenhouse gas emissions from remnant prairies can provide insight into the heterogeneity and dynamics of native soil systems and provide a baseline for prairie restoration activities or as a target for agricultural production systems.
Citation
Dockery, T. W. (2026). Soil Moisture Regime Effects on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in a Native Tallgrass Prairie in the Ozark Highlands. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6313
