Differentiation of nitrous oxide emission factors for agricultural soils

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) direct soil emissions from agriculture are often estimated using the default IPCC emission factor (EF) of 1%. However, a large variation in EFs exists due to differences in environment, crops and management. We developed an approach to determine N₂O EFs that depend on N-input sources and environmental factors. The starting point of the method was a monitoring study in which an EF of 1% was found. The conditions of this experiment were set as the reference from which the effects of 16 sources of N input, three soil types, two land-use types and annual precipitation on the N₂O EF were estimated. The derived EF inference scheme performed on average better than the default IPCC EF. The use of differentiated EFs, including different regional conditions, allows accounting for the effects of more mitigation measures and offers European countries a possibility to use a Tier 2 approach.     

Mitigation of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from drained irrigated rice fields

One of the important cultural practices that affect methane and nitrous oxide emissions from tropical rice plantations is the water drainage system. While drainage can reduce methane emissions, it can also increase nitrous oxide emissions, as well as reduce yields. In this experiment, four different water drainage systems were compared in a rice field in central Thailand including: (1) continuous flooding, (2) mid-season drainage, (3) multiple drainage and (4) a local method (drainage was done according to local cultural practice) in order to find a system of drainage that would optimize yields while simultaneously limiting methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Methane and nitrous oxide emission were observed and compared with rice yield and physical changes of rice plants. It was found that drainage during the flowering period could reduce methane emission. Interestingly, nitrous oxide emission was related to number of drain days rather than the frequency of draining. Fewer drain days can help reduce nitrous oxide emission. The mid-season drainage and the multiple drainage, with 6.9% and 11.4% reduction in rice yield, respectively, had an average methane emission per crop 27% and 35% lower when compared to the local method. Draining with fewer drain days during the flowering period was recommended as a compromise between emissions and yield. The field drainage can be used as an option to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice fields with acceptable yield reduction. Mid-season drainage during the rice flowering period, with a shortened drainage period (3 days), is suggested as a compromise between the need to reduce global warming and current socio-economic realities.     

Nitric oxide emission from a typical vegetable field in the Pearl River Delta, China

Croplands contribute to atmospheric nitric oxide (NO), but very limited data are available about NO fluxes from intensively managed croplands in China. In this study, NO fluxes were measured in a typical vegetable field planted with flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. Chinensis var. utilis Tsen et Lee), which is the most widely cultivated vegetable in Guangdong province, south China. NO emission drastically increased after nitrogen fertilizer application, and other practices involving loosening the soil also enhanced NO emission. Mean NO emission flux was 47.5 ng N m⁻² s^–1 over a complete growth cycle. Annual NO emission from the vegetable field was about 10.1 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Fertilizer-induced NO emission factor was estimated to be 2.4%. Total NO emission from vegetable fields in Guangdong province was roughly estimated to be 11.7 Gg N yr⁻¹ based on the vegetable field area and annual NO emission rate, and to be 13.3 Gg N yr⁻¹ based on fertilizer-induced NO emission factor and background NO emission. This means that NO emission from vegetable fields was approximately 6% of NO_x from commercial energy consumption in Guangdong province.     

曝气强度对同时硝化反硝化（SND）脱氮过程中N2O排放的影响

为了控制污水脱氮中N2O排放,在不同曝气强度下研究了好氧硝化段同时硝化反硝化（SND）系统的N2O排放特性,并采用PCR—DGGE技术分析微生物群落特征。结果发现,随着曝气强度的增强,系统总氮去除率下降,但脱氮中N2O—N所占比例则上升,实验中从低到高3个曝气强度下,总氮去除率分别为80．01％、65．28％和58．62％,脱氮中N2O—N所占的比例为1．89％、7．84％和9．20％。PCR—DGGE分析显示,和低曝气强度下相比中、高曝气强度下系统微生物群落发生明显变化,但中曝气强度和高曝气强度下系统微生物群落表现出较高相似性。这表明,不同曝气强度下系统N2O排放受到氮素转化和微生物群落变化的影响。适宜曝气强度不仅提高总氮去除率,还可有效控制N2O排放。     

Soil type affects migration pattern of airborne Pb and Cd under a spruce-beech forest of the UN-ECE integrated monitoring site Zöbelboden, Austria

Anthropogenic trace element emissions have declined. However, top soils all over the world remain enriched in trace elements. We investigated Pb and Cd migration in forest soils of a remote monitoring site in the Austrian limestone Alps between 1992 and 2004. Large spatial variability masked temporal changes in the mineral soil of Lithic Leptosols (Skeltic), whereas a significant reduction of Pb concentrations in their forest floors occurred. Reductions of concentrations in the less heterogeneous Cambisols (Chromic) were significant. In contrast, virtually no migration of Pb and Cd were found in Stagnosols due to their impeded drainage. Very low element concentrations (<1 μg l⁻¹) in field-collected soil solutions using tension lysimeters (0.2 μm nylon filters) imply that migration largely occurred by preferential flow as particulate-bound species during intensive rainfall events. Our results indicate that the extent of Pb and Cd migration in soils is largely influenced by soil type.     

An inventory of N(2)O emissions from agriculture in China using precipitation-rectified emission factor and background emission

Fertilized agricultural soils are a major anthropogenic source of atmospheric N₂O. A credible national inventory of agricultural N₂O emission would benefit its global strength estimate. We compiled a worldwide database of N₂O emissions from fertilized fields that were consecutively measured for more than or close to one year. Both nitrogen input (N) and precipitation (P) were found to be largely responsible for temporal and spatial variabilities in annual N₂O fluxes (N₂O–N). Thus, we established an empirical model (N₂O–N = 1.49 P + 0.0186 P · N), in which both emission factor and background emission for N₂O were rectified by precipitation. In this model, annual N₂O emission consists of a background emission of 1.49 P and a fertilizer-induced emission of 0.0186 P · N. We used this model to develop a spatial inventory at the 10 × 10 km scale of direct N₂O emissions from agriculture in China. N₂O emissions from rice paddies were separately quantified using a cropping-specific emission factor. Annual fertilizer-induced N₂O emissions amounted to 198.89 Gg N₂O–N in 1997, consisting of 18.50 Gg N₂O–N from rice paddies and 180.39 Gg N₂O–N from fertilized uplands. Annual background emissions and total emissions of N₂O from agriculture were estimated to be 92.78 Gg N₂O–N and 291.67 Gg N₂O–N, respectively. The annual direct N₂O emission accounted for 0.92% of the applied N with an uncertainty of 29%. The highest N₂O fluxes occurred in East China as compared with the least fluxes in West China.