Little is known about the stable carbon isotopes of methane(CH4) emitted(δ^(13)CH_(4emitted)) from permanently flooded rice fields and double rice-cropping fields.The CH4 emission and corresponding δ^(13)CH_(4emitted) under various field managements(mulching,water regime,tillage,and nitrogen(N) fertilization) were simultaneously measured in three typical Chinese rice fields,a permanently flooded rice field in Ziyang City,Sichuan Province,Southwest China,a double-rice cropping field in Yingtan City,Jiangxi Province,Southeast China,and a rice-wheat rotation field in Jurong City,Jiangsu Province,East China,from 2010 to 2012.Results showed different seasonal variations of δ^(13)CH_(4emitted) among the three fields during the rice-growing season.The values of δ^(13)CH_(4emitted) were negatively correlated with corresponding CH4 emissions in seasonal variation and mean,indicating the importance of CH_4 production,oxidation,and transport associated with isotopic fractionation effects to the δ^(13)CH_(4emitted).Seasonal variations of δ^(13)CH_(4emitted) were slightly impacted by mulching cultivation,tillage,and N application,but highly controlled by drainage.Meanwhile,tillage,N application,and especially mulching cultivation had important effects on seasonal mean CH4 emissions and corresponding δ^(13)CH_(4emitted) with low emissions accompanied by high values of δ^(13)CH_(4emitted).Seasonal mean values of δ^(13)CH_(4emitted) from the three fields were similar,mostly ranging from —60‰ to — 50‰,which are well in agreement with previously published data.These demonstrated that seasonal variations of δ^(13)CH_(4emitted) mainly depended on the changes in CH4 emission from rice fields and further indicated the important effects of methanogenic pathways,CH4 oxidation,and CH4 transport associated with isotope fractionation effects influenced by field managements on δ^(13)CH_(4emitted).
