Measuring N2O emissions from organic soils by closed chamber or soil/snow N2O gradient methods

Drained organic soils contribute substantial amounts of nitrous oxide to the global atmosphere, and we should be able to estimate this contribution. We have investigated when the fluxes of N₂O from drained forested or cultivated organic soils could be determined by calculating the fluxes from the concentration gradients of the gas in soil or snow according to Fick's law of diffusion. A static chamber method was applied as a control technique for the gas gradient method. Concentrations of N₂O in soil varied from 296 nl l^?1 to 8534 nl l^?1 during the snow‐free periods and were greatest in the early summer. Our results suggest that the gas gradient method can be used to estimate N₂O emissions from drained organic soils. There was some systematic difference in the N₂O fluxes measured with these two methods, which we attributed to the differences in weather between years 1996 and 1997. In the wet summer of 1996 the chamber method gave greater flux rates than the gas gradient method, and the reverse was true in the dry summer of 1997. In the forest the N₂O fluxes measured with the two methods agreed well. The gas gradient is convenient and fast for measuring N₂O emissions from fairly dry organic unfrozen soil. In winter the diffusion calculation based on the N₂O gradients in snow and the chamber method gave fairly similar flux rates and provided adequate estimates of the fluxes of N₂O in winter.     

Nitrous oxide emission derived from soil organic matter decomposition from tropical agricultural peat soil in central Kalimantan,Indonesia

Our previous research showed large amounts of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission (>200?kg?N?ha^?1?year^?1) from agricultural peat soil. In this study, we investigated the factors influencing relatively large N₂O fluxes and the source of nitrogen (N) substrate for N₂O in a tropical peatland in central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Using a static chamber method, N₂O and carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes were measured in three conventionally cultivated croplands (conventional), an unplanted and unfertilized bare treatment (bare) in each cropland, and unfertilized grassland over a three-year period. Based on the difference in N₂O emission from two treatments, contribution of the N source for N₂O was calculated. Nitrous oxide concentrations at five depths (5–80?cm) were also measured for calculating net N₂O production in soil. Annual N fertilizer application rates in the croplands ranged from 472 to 1607?kg?N?ha^?1?year^?1. There were no significant differences in between N₂O fluxes in the two treatments at each site. Annual N₂O emission in conventional and bare treatments varied from 10.9 to 698 and 6.55 to 858?kg?N?ha^?1?year^?1, respectively. However, there was also no significant difference between annual N₂O emissions in the two treatments at each site. This suggests most of the emitted N₂O was derived from the decomposition of peat. There were significant positive correlations between N₂O and CO₂ fluxes in bare treatment in two croplands where N₂O flux was higher than at another cropland. Nitrous oxide concentration distribution in soil measured in the conventional treatment showed that N₂O was mainly produced in the surface soil down to 15?cm in the soil. The logarithmic value of the ratio of N₂O flux and nitrate concentration was positively correlated with water filled pore space (WEPS). These results suggest that large N₂O emission in agricultural tropical peatland was caused by denitrification with high decomposition of peat. In addition, N₂O was mainly produced by denitrification at high range of WFPS in surface soil.     

The effect of water table depth on emissions of N2O from a grassland soil

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions were measured by the closed chamber technique from five plots along a transect in a nitrogen‐fertilised grassland, together with soil water content, soil temperature and water table depth, to investigate the effect of water table depth on N₂O emissions. N₂O fluxes varied from <1 g N₂O‐N ha^?1 day^?1 to peaks of around 500–1200 g N₂O‐N ha^?1 day^?1 after N fertiliser applications. There was no significant difference in overall average water table depth between four of the five plots, but significant short‐term temporal variations in water table depth did occur. Rises in the water table were accompanied by exponential increases in N₂O emissions, through the associated increases in the water‐filled pore space of the topsoil. Modelling predicted that if the water table could be managed such that it was kept to no less than 35 cm below the ground surface, fluxes during the growing season would be reduced by 50%, while lowering to 45 cm would reduce them by over 80%. The strong implication of these results is that draining grasslands, so that the water tables are only rarely nearer to the surface than 35 cm when N is available for denitrification, would substantially reduce N₂O emissions.     

Optimizing chamber methods for measuring nitrous oxide emissions from plot‐based agricultural experiments

Nitrous oxide emissions (N₂O) from agricultural land are spatially and temporally variable. Most emission measurements are made with small (? 1 m² area) static chambers. We used N₂O chamber data collected from multiple field experiments across different geo‐climatic zones in the UK and from a range of nitrogen treatments to quantify uncertainties associated with flux measurements. Data were analysed to assess the spatial variability of fluxes, the degree of linearity of headspace N₂O accumulation and the robustness of using ambient air N₂O concentrations as a surrogate for sampling immediately after closure (T₀). Data showed differences of up to more than 50‐fold between the maximum and minimum N₂O flux from five chambers within one plot on a single sampling occasion, and that reliability of flux measurements increased with greater numbers of chambers. In more than 90% of the 1970 cases where linearity of headspace N₂O accumulation was measured (with four or more sampling points), linear accumulation was observed; however, where non‐linear accumulation was seen this could result in a 26% under‐estimate of the flux. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the use of ambient air as a surrogate for T₀ headspace samples did not result in any consistent bias in calculated fluxes. Spatial variability has the potential to result in erroneous flux estimates if not taken into account, and generally introduces a far larger uncertainty into the calculated flux (commonly orders of magnitude more) than any uncertainties introduced through reduced headspace sampling or assumption of linearity of headspace accumulation. Hence, when deploying finite resources, maximizing chamber numbers should be given priority over maximizing the number of headspace samplings per enclosure period.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from artificial urine patches applied to different N-fertilized swards and estimated annual N2O emissions for differently fertilized pastures in an upland location in Germany

Abstract. Artificial urine containing 20.2 g N per patch of 0.2 m² was applied in May and September to permanent grassland swards of a long‐term experiment in the western uplands of Germany (location Rengen/Eifel), which were fertilized with 0, 120, 240, 360 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1 given as calcium ammonium nitrate. The effect on N₂O fluxes measured regularly during a 357‐day period with the closed‐chamber technique were as follows. (1) N₂O emission varied widely among the fertilized control areas without urine, and when a threshold water‐filled pore space >60% was exceeded, the greater the topsoil nitrate content the greater the flux from the individual urine patches on the fertilized swards. (2) After urine application in May, 1.4–4.2% of the applied urine‐N was lost as N₂O from the fertilized swards; and after urine application in September, 0.3–0.9% of the applied urine‐N was lost. The primary influence on N₂O flux from urine patches was the date of simulated grazing, N‐fertilization rate being a secondary influence. (3) The large differences in N₂O emissions between unfertilized and fertilized swards after May‐applied urine contrasted with only small differences after urine applied in September, indicating an interaction between time of urine application and N‐fertilizer rate. (4) The estimated annual N₂O emissions were in the range 0.6–1.6 kg N₂O‐N per livestock unit, or 1.4, 3.6, 4.1 and 5.1 kg N₂O‐N ha^?1 from the 0–360 kg ha^?1 of fertilizer‐N. The study demonstrated that date of grazing and N‐fertilizer application could influence the N₂O emission from urine patches to such an extent that both factors should be considered in detailed large‐scale estimations of N₂O fluxes from grazed grassland.     

Effect of cattle slurry application techniques on N2O and NH3 emissions from a loamy soil

We determined N₂O fluxes from an unfertilized control (CON), from a treatment with mineral N‐fertilizer (MIN), from cattle slurry with banded surface application and subsequent incorporation (INC), and from slurry injection (INJ) to silage maize (Zea mays, L.) on a Haplic Luvisol in southwest Germany. In both years, amount of available N (total N fertilized + N_min content before N application) was 210 kg N ha^?1. In the slurry treatment of the 1^st year, 140 kg N ha^?1 were either injected or incorporated, whereas 30 kg N ha^?1 were surface applied to avoid destruction of the maize plants. In the 2^nd year, all fertilizers were applied with one single application. We calculated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) on field level including direct N₂O emissions (calculated from the measured flux rates), indirect N₂O emissions (NH₃ and ${\mathrm{NO}}_3^{-}$ induced N₂O emission), net CH₄ fluxes, fuel consumption and pre‐chain emissions from mineral fertilizer. NH₃ losses were measured in the 2^nd year using the Dräger‐Tube Method and estimated for both years. NH₃ emission was highest in the treatment without incorporation. It generally contributed less than 5% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from silage maize cultivation. The mean area‐related N₂O emission, determined with the closed chamber method was 2.8, 4.7, 4.4 and 13.8 kg N₂O‐N ha^?1 y^?1 for CON, MIN, INC, and INJ, respectively. Yield‐related N₂O emission showed the same trend. Across all treatments, direct N₂O emission was the major contributor to GHG with an average of 79%. Trail hose application with immediate incorporation was found to be the optimum management practice for livestock farmers in our study region.     

Landscape Scale Variation in Nitrous Oxide Flux Along a Typical Northeastern US Topographic Gradient in the Early Summer

Most previous studies investigating controls on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions have relied on plot-scale experiments and focused on relative homogeneous biotic and abiotic factors such as soil, vegetation, and moisture. We studied soil N₂O flux at 11 chamber sites along a 620 m topographic gradient in upstate New York, USA, aiming at identifying patterns of N₂O flux and correlating them to hydrological factors and soil substrate properties along the gradient. The topographic gradient is a complex slope with an overall gradient of 8%, covering plant communities of pasture, forest, alfalfa field, and riparian area from the top to the bottom. Mean fluxes of N₂O measured from late March to May ranged from 4.45 to 343 μg N m^?2 h^?1, and these fluxes were not significantly different among chamber sites located in different communities. With the descending of the slope, N₂O fluxes increased with the increase of soil water content, except for the riparian site. Statistically, N₂O fluxes were not strongly correlated with soil temperature, soil bulk density, and water filled pore space (p?>?0.05). Instead, strong correlations (p?2O fluxes and soil C and N content including NO ₃ ^? , NH ₄ ⁺ , total organic carbon, and C/N ratio. Multiple linear regression analyses including both soil physical and substrate properties highlighted the significance of soil NO ₃ ^? content and C/N ratio in regulating N₂O fluxes along the gradient.     

Nitrous oxide emissions after incorporation of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) residues under two different tillage treatments

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of crop residues from winter oilseed rape on N₂O emissions from a loamy soil and to determine the effect of different tillage practices on N₂O fluxes. We therefore conducted a field experiment in which crop residues of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L., OSR) were replaced with ¹⁵N labelled OSR residues. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and ¹⁵N abundance in the N₂O were determined for a period of 11 months after harvest of OSR and in the succeeding crop winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivated on a Haplic Luvisol in South Germany. Measurements were carried out with the closed chamber method in a treatment with conventional tillage (CT) and in a treatment with reduced soil tillage (RT). In both tillage treatments we also determined N₂O fluxes in control plots where we completely removed the crop residues. High N₂O fluxes occurred in a short period just after OSR residue replacement in fall and after N‐fertilization to winter wheat in the following spring. Although N₂O emissions differed for distinct treatments and sub‐periods, cumulative N₂O emissions over the whole investigation period (299 days) ranged between 1.7 kg and 2.4 kg N₂O‐N ha^?1 with no significant treatment effects. More than half of the cumulative emissions occurred during the first eight weeks after OSR replacement, highlighting the importance of this post‐harvest period for annual N₂O budgets of OSR. The contribution of residue N to the N₂O emission was low and explained by the high C/N‐ratio fostering immobilization of mineral N. In total only 0.03% of the N₂O‐N emitted in the conventional tillage treatment and 0.06% in the reduced tillage treatment stemmed directly from the crop residues. The ¹⁵N recovery in the treatments with crop residues was 62.8% (CT) and 75.1% (RT) with more than 97% of the recovered ¹⁵N in the top soil. Despite our measurements did not cover an entire year, the low contribution of the OSR residues to the direct N₂O emissions shows, that the current IPCC tier 1 approach, which assumes an EF of 1%, strongly overestimated direct emissions from OSR crop residues. Furthermore, we could not observe any relationship between tillage and crop residues on N₂O emission, only during the winter period were N₂O emissions from reduced tillage significantly higher compared to conventional tillage. Annual N₂O emission from RT and CT did not differ.     

Nitrous oxide and nitric oxide fluxes from cornfield,grassland, pasture and forest in a watershed in Southern Hokkaido,Japan

Abstract

To develop an advanced method for estimating nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission from an agricultural watershed, we used a closed-chamber technique to measure seasonal N₂O and nitric oxide (NO) fluxes in cornfields, grassland, pastures and forests at the Shizunai Experimental Livestock Farm (467 ha) in southern Hokkaido, Japan. From 2000 to 2004, N₂O and NO fluxes ranged from –137 to 8,920 µg N m^?2 h^?1 and from –12.1 to 185 µg N m^?2 h^?1, respectively. Most N₂O/NO ratios calculated on the basis of these N₂O and NO fluxes ranged between 1 and 100, and the log-normal N₂O/NO ratio was positively correlated with the log-normal N₂O fluxes (r ² = 0.346, P < 0.01). These high N₂O fluxes, therefore, resulted from increased denitrification activity. Annual N₂O emission rates ranged from –1.0 to 81 kg N ha^?1 year^?1 (average = 6.6 kg N ha^?1). As these emission values varied greatly and included extremely high values, we divided them into two groups: normal values (i.e. values lower than the overall average) and high values (i.e. values higher than average). The normal data were significantly positively correlated with N input (r ² = 0.61, P < 0.01) and the “higher” data from ungrazed fields were significantly positively correlated with N surplus (r ² = 0.96, P < 0.05). The calculated probability that a high N₂O flux would occur was weakly and positively correlated with precipitation from May to August. This probability can be used to represent annual variation in N₂O emission rates and to reduce the uncertainty in N₂O estimation.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from wetland soil amended with inorganic and organic fertilizers

Agricultural soils are a primary source of anthropogenic trace gas emissions, and the subtropics contribute greatly, particularly since 51% of world soils are in these climate zones. A field experiment was carried out in an ephemeral wetland in central Zimbabwe in order to determine the effect of cattle manure (1.36% N) and mineral N fertilizer (ammonium nitrate, 34.5% N) application on N₂O fluxes from soil. Combined applications of 0 kg N fertilizer + 0 Mg cattle manure ha^?1 (control), 100 kg N fertilizer + 15 Mg manure ha^?1 and 200 kg N fertilizer + 30 Mg manure ha^?1 constituted the three treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Tomato and rape crops were grown in rotation over a period of two seasons. Emissions of N₂O were sampled using the static chamber technique. Increasing N fertilizer and manure application rates from low to high rates increased the N₂O fluxes by 37–106%. When low and high rates were applied to the tomato and rape crops, 0.51%, 0.40%, and 0.93%, 0.64% of applied N was lost as N₂O, respectively. This implies that rape production has a greater N₂O emitting potential than the production of tomatoes in wetlands.     

Nutrient balance in Scots pine (Plnus sylvestris L.) forest. 3. Fluxes of N2O from lysimeter as influenced by nitrogen input

Forest soils may become an increasingly important source of N₂O, due to disturbances to the forest ecosystem (e.g. fertilization to increase growth, or atmospheric deposition of air-borre nitrogen compounds such as NH₃, NO₃ and NO_x). A lysimeter experiment was used to study the effects of different amounts of N input [0 (control), 30 kg (Medium) and 90 kg (High) N ha^?1 y^?1 as NH₄NO₃] on fluxes of N₂O, measured by the close chamber method. The estimated annual N₂O flux were about 0.4 kg N₂O-N ha^?1 for control, 0.9 kg N₂O-N ha^?1 for medium N and 1.8 kg N₂O-N ha^?1 for high N treatments. The relation between the estimated annual N₂O flux and fertilizer dose showed an almost perfect proportionality between fertilizer dose and the increase in N₂O flux. This is important, since one crucial question is wether we can extrapolate results from high N-doses to situations with low amounts of N inputs prevailing in forests exposed to moderate input of N. The increase in N₂O fluxes from the control to the fertilised treatments corresponds to 1.7% of the annual N input in the medium N treatments and 1.6% of the annual input in the high N treatment.     

Grassland renovation increases N2O emission from a volcanic grassland soil in Nasu,Japan

Abstract

To investigate the effects of renovation (ploughing and resowing) on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from grassland soil, we measured N₂O fluxes from renovated and unrenovated (control) grassland plots. On 22 August in both 2005 and 2006 we harvested the sward, ploughed the surface soil and then mixed roots and stubble into the surface soil with a rotovator. Next, we compacted the soil surface with a land roller, spread fertilizer at 40 kg N ha^?1 on the soil surface and sowed orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L., Natsumidori). In the control plot, we just harvested the sward and spread fertilizer. We determined N₂O fluxes for 2 months after the renovation using a vented closed chamber. During the first 2 weeks, the renovated plot produced much more N₂O than the control plot, suggesting that N was quickly mineralized from the incorporated roots and stubble. Even after 2 weeks, however, large N₂O emissions from the renovated plot were recorded after rainfall, when the soil surface was warmed by sunshine and the soil temperature rose 2.7–3.0°C more than that of the control plot. In 2005, during the 67-day period from 19 August to 26 October, the renovated and control plots emitted 5.3 ± 1.4 and 2.8 ± 0.7 kg N₂O-N ha^?1, with maximum fluxes of 3,659 and 1,322 µg N₂O-N m^?2 h^?1, respectively. In 2006, during the 65-day period from 21 August to 26 October, the renovated and control plots emitted 2.1 ± 0.6 and 0.96 ± 0.42 kg N₂O-N ha^?1, with maximum fluxes of 706 and 175 µg N₂O-N m^?2 h^?1, respectively. The cumulative N₂O emissions from plots in 2005 were greater than those in 2006, presumably because rainfall just after renovation was greater in 2005 than in 2006. These results suggest that incorporated roots and stubble may enlarge the anaerobic microsites in the soil in its decomposing process and increase the N₂O production derived from the residues and the fertilizer. In addition, rainfall and soil moisture and temperature conditions during and after renovation may control the cumulative N₂O emission.     

Gaseous emissions and soil fertility of homegardens in the Nuba Mountains,Sudan

Intensification of homegardens in the Nuba Mountains may lead to increases in C and nutrient losses from these small‐scale land‐use systems and potentially threaten their sustainability. This study, therefore, aimed at determining gaseous C and N fluxes from homegarden soils of different soil moisture, temperature, and C and N status. Emissions of CO₂, NH₃, and N₂O from soils of two traditional and two intensified homegardens and an uncultivated control were recorded bi‐weekly during the rainy season in 2010. Flux rates were determined with a portable dynamic closed chamber system consisting of a photo‐acoustic multi‐gas field monitor connected to a PTFE coated chamber. Topsoil moisture and temperature were recorded simultaneously to the gas measurements. Across all homegardens emissions averaged 4,527 kg CO₂‐C ha^?1, 22 kg NH₃‐N ha^?1, and 11 kg N₂O‐N ha^?1 for the observation period from June to December. Flux rates were largely positively correlated with soil moisture and predominantly negatively with soil temperature. Significant positive, but weak (r_s < 0.34) correlations between increasing management intensity and emissions were noted for CO₂‐C. Similarly, morning emissions of NH₃ and increasing management intensity were weakly correlated (r_s = 0.17). The relatively high gaseous C and N losses in the studied homegardens call for effective management practices to secure the soil organic C status of these traditional land‐use systems.     

Drivers of nitrous oxide fluxes from the semi-arid Leymus chinensis grassland in Inner Mongolia,China

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) flux in the semi-arid Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. grassland in Inner Mongolia, China was measured for two years (from January 2005 to December 2006) with the enclosed chamber technique. The measurements were made twice per month in the growing season and once per month in the non-growing season. To evaluate the effect of aboveground vegetation on N₂O emission, the ecosystem N₂O flux over the grassland was measured, and concurrently soil N₂O flux was measured after the removal of all the aboveground biomass. The possible effect of water-heat factors on N₂O fluxes was statistically examined. The ecosystem N₂O flux ranged from 0.21 to 0.26?kg nitrous oxide-nitrogen (N₂O–N) ha^{? 1} year^{? 1}, indicating that the Leymus chinensis grassland of Inner Mongolia was a source for the atmospheric N₂O. There was no significant difference between the ecosystem N₂O flux and the soil N₂O flux. The ecosystem N₂O flux was under similar environmental control as the soil N₂O flux. Soil moisture was the primary driving factor of the N₂O fluxes in the growing season of both years; the changes in water–filled pore space (WFPS) of soil surface layers could explain 45–67% of the variations in N₂O fluxes. The high seasonal variation of the N₂O fluxes in the growing seasons was regulated by the distribution of effective rainfall, rather than the precipitation intensity. While in the non-growing season, the N₂O fluxes were restricted much more by air temperature or soil temperature, and 83–85% of the variations of the N₂O fluxes were induced by changes in temperature conditions.     

Evaluating the effect of liming on N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O fluxes from denitrification in an Andosol using the acetylene inhibition and <Superscript>15</Superscript>N isotope tracer methods

We assessed the effect of liming on (1) N₂O production by denitrification under aerobic conditions using the ¹⁵N tracer method (experiment 1); and (2) the reduction of N₂O to N₂ under anaerobic conditions using the acetylene inhibition method (experiment 2). A Mollic Andosol with three lime treatments (unlimed soil, 4 and 20 mg CaCO₃ kg^?1) was incubated at 15 and 25 °C for 22 days at 50% and then 80% WFPS with or without 200 mg N kg^?1 added as ¹⁵N enriched KNO₃ in experiment 1. In experiment 2, the limed and unlimed soils were incubated under completely anaerobic conditions for 44 h (with or without 100 mg N kg^?1 as KNO₃). In experiment 1, limed treatments increased N₂O fluxes at 50% WFPS but decreased these fluxes at 80% WFPS. At 25 °C, cumulative N₂O and ¹⁵N₂O emissions in the high lime treatment were the lowest (with at least 30% less ¹⁵N₂O and total N₂O than the unlimed soil). Under anaerobic conditions, the high lime treatment showed at least 50% less N₂O than the unlimed treatment at both temperatures with or without KNO₃ addition but showed enhanced N₂ production. Our results suggest that the positive effect of liming on the mitigation of N₂O evolution from soil was influenced by soil temperature and moisture conditions.     

硅胶管气样原位采集技术研究土壤N2O浓度及通量变化

箱法被广泛用于监测土壤N2O排放通量,但在原位采集高浓度土壤N2O、全天候监测N2O通量变化、动态研究土壤剖面N2O的行为等方面存在弊端。本研究通过室内模拟硅胶管对N2O的通透性,探索硅胶管用于原位采集土壤气样的理论可行性。田间试验设施用铵态氮肥（NH+4）、施用硝态氮肥（NO-3）及施用硝态氮肥加葡萄糖（NO-3+C）等3个处理,同时安置硅胶管和采样箱,验证硅胶管法在原位采集高浓度土壤N2O气样、监测土壤N2O浓度以及排放通量的实际效果,并与箱法进行比较。结果表明,硅胶管内外的N2O气体经2.9 h达到95%的平衡,完全能满足大田采样要求; 用硅胶管法原位采集高浓度土壤N2O气样的效果显著优于箱法采样。其浓度变化表现出明显的时间规律,浓度梯度法计算的N2O排放通量与箱法测定结果呈显著正相关,但数值偏低; 偏低的程度取决于采样位置和土壤中N2O产生位置的匹配程度。建议采用埋于土壤表层的硅胶管计算地面N2O排放通量,或在不同土层埋入硅胶管研究土壤剖面N2O行为的时空变异。     

Nitrous oxide and methane fluxes during the growing season from cultivated peat soils,peaty marl and gyttja clay under different cropping systems

Drainage of peatlands affects the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Organic soils used for agriculture contribute a large proportion of anthropogenic GHG emissions, and on-farm mitigation options are important. This field study investigated whether choice of a cropping system can be used to mitigate emissions of N₂O and influence CH₄ fluxes from cultivated organic and carbon-rich soils during the growing season. Ten different sites in southern Sweden representing peat soils, peaty marl and gyttja clay, with a range of different soil properties, were used for on-site measurements of N₂O and CH₄ fluxes. The fluxes during the growing season from soils under two different crops grown in the same field and same environmental conditions were monitored. Crop intensities varied from grasslands to intensive potato cultivation. The results showed no difference in median seasonal N₂O emissions between the two crops compared. Median seasonal emissions ranged from 0 to 919?µg?N₂O?m^?2?h^?1, with peaks on individual sampling occasions of up to 3317?µg?N₂O?m^?2?h^?1. Nitrous oxide emissions differed widely between sites, indicating that soil properties are a regulating factor. However, pH was the only soil factor that correlated with N₂O emissions (negative exponential correlation). The type of crop grown on the soil did not influence CH₄ fluxes. Median seasonal CH₄ flux from the different sites ranged from uptake of 36?µg CH₄?m^?2?h^?1 to release of 4.5?µg?CH₄?m^?2?h^?1. From our results, it was concluded that farmers cannot mitigate N₂O emissions during the growing season or influence CH₄ fluxes by changing the cropping system in the field.     

Nitrous oxide emission from a grassland soil fertilized with slurry and calcium nitrate

Concentrations of nitrous oxide (N₂O) and oxygen were monitored over a 2-yr period in an imperfectly drained grassland soil receiving applications of N as cattle slurry or Ca(NO₃)₂. In both years N₂O concentrations in the different treatments were in the order nitrate > slurry > control. Gaseous diffusion coefficients were determined in soil cores by a krypton-85 tracer method and used to calculate approximate N₂O fluxes from the soil. Only 1–5 kg N ha^?1 was lost as N₂O after a single application of > 1200 kg N ha ^?1 as slurry compared with 3–11 kg N ha ^?1 lost after 100 kg was added as NO₃^?. Total gaseous losses (N₂O+N₂) could be expected to be higher in both cases.     

Fluxes and production pathways of nitrous oxide in different types of tropical forest soils in Thailand

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from the soil surface of five different forest types in Thailand were measured using the closed chamber method. Soil samples were also taken to study the N₂O production pathways. The monthly average emissions (±SD, n?=?12) of N₂O from dry evergreen forest (DEF), hill evergreen forest (HEF), moist evergreen forest (MEF), mixed deciduous forest (MDF) and acacia reforestation (ARF) were 13.0?±?8.2, 5.7?±?7.1, 1.2?±?12.1, 7.3?±?8.5 and 16.7?±?9.2?µg N m^?2 h^?1, respectively. Large seasonal variations in fluxes were observed. Emission was relatively higher during the wet season than during the dry season, indicating that soil moisture and denitrification were probably the main controlling factors. Net N₂O uptake was also observed occasionally. Laboratory studies were conducted to further investigate the influence of moisture and the N₂O production pathways. Production rates at 30% water holding capacity (WHC) were 3.9?±?0.2, 0.5?±?0.06 and 0.87?±?0.01?ng N₂O-nitrogen (N) g-dw^?1day^?1 in DEF, HEF and MEF respectively. At 60% WHC, N₂O production rates in DEF, HEF and MEF soils increased by factors of 68, 9 and 502, respectively. Denitrification was found to be the main N₂O production pathway in these soils except in MEF.     

Dual isotope and isotopomer measurements for the understanding of N2O production and consumption during denitrification in an arable soil

The aim of our research was to obtain information on the isotopic fingerprint of nitrous oxide (N₂O) associated with its production and consumption during denitrification. An arable soil was preincubated at high moisture content and subsequently amended with glucose (400 kg C ha^?1) and KNO₃ (80 kg N ha^?1) and kept at 85% water‐filled pore space. Twelve replicate samples of the soil were incubated for 13 days under a helium‐oxygen atmosphere, simultaneously measuring gas fluxes (N₂O, N₂ and CO₂) and isotope signatures (δ¹⁸O‐N₂O, δ¹⁵N^bulk‐N₂O, δ¹⁵N^α, δ¹⁵N^β and ¹⁵N site preference) of emitted N₂O. The maximum N₂O flux (6.9 ± 1.8 kg N ha^?1 day^?1) occurred 3 days after amendment application, followed by the maximum N₂ flux on day 4 (6.6 ± 3.0 kg N ha^?1 day^?1). The δ¹⁵N^bulk was initially ?34.4‰ and increased to +4.5‰ during the periods of maximum N₂ flux, demonstrating fractionation during N₂O reduction, and then decreased. The δ¹⁸O‐N₂O also increased, peaking with the maximum N₂ flux and remaining stable afterwards. The site preference (SP) decreased from the initial +7.5 to ?2.1‰ when the N₂O flux peaked, and then simultaneously increased with the appearance of the N₂ peak to +8.6‰ and remained stable thereafter, even when the O₂ supply was removed. We suggest that this results from a non‐homogenous distribution of NO in the soil, possibly linked to the KNO₃ amendments to the soil, causing the creation of several NO pools, which affected differently the isotopic signature of N₂O and the N₂O and N₂ fluxes during the various stages of the process. The N₂O isotopologue values reflected the temporal patterns observed in N₂O and N₂ fluxes. A concurrent increase in ¹⁵N site preference and δ¹⁸O of N₂O was found to be indicative of N₂O reduction to N₂.