Low Nitrous Oxide Emissions in a Boreal Spruce Forest Soil, Despite Long-Term Fertilization
Nitrogen (N) fertilization can increase stem wood production by several hundred percent in boreal forests. At the same time, there are concerns about the environmental consequences of N fertilization, especially considering losses of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N 2 O) to the atmosphere. Soils...
Published in: | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
Frontiers Media SA
2021
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2021.710574 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2021.710574/full |
Summary: | Nitrogen (N) fertilization can increase stem wood production by several hundred percent in boreal forests. At the same time, there are concerns about the environmental consequences of N fertilization, especially considering losses of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N 2 O) to the atmosphere. Soils are a large contributor to N 2 O emissions on a global scale. The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of long-term nutrient optimization fertilization on N 2 O emissions in a boreal forest in Northern Sweden. Field N 2 O flux measurements were conducted during 2 years with manual and automatic chambers, as well as gas probes in the snow. The N 2 O emissions were generally low during the whole period of measurements, both from the control and fertilized plots. The emissions were generally highest during the winters, as well as the variability in the observed values. Overall, N 2 O emissions from fertilized plots were about twice the control, which could be explained by changes in the soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. |
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