10.5061/DRYAD.83150
Kravchenko, Alexandra N.
Michigan State University
Toosi, Ehsan R.
Michigan State University
Guber, Andrey K.
Michigan State University
Ostrom, Nathaniel E.
Michigan State University
Yu, J.
Hubei University
Azeem, K.
University of Agriculture
Rivers, Mark L.
University of Chicago
Robertson, G. Philip
Michigan State University
Data from: Hotspots of soil N2O emission enhanced through water absorption
by plant residue
Dryad
dataset
2019
15N site preference
2D oxygen mapping
pore size distribution
arable soil
computed micro-tomography
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
NSF 1027253
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
NSF 1630399
United States Department of Energy
https://ror.org/01bj3aw27
DE‐FC02‐07ER64494
2018-05-17T00:00:00Z
2018-05-17T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2963
77168 bytes
2
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
N2O is a highly potent greenhouse gas and arable soils represent its major
anthropogenic source. Field-scale assessments and predictions of soil N2O
emission remain uncertain and imprecise due to the episodic and microscale
nature of microbial N2O production, most of which occurs within very small
discrete soil volumes. Such hotspots of N2O production are often
associated with decomposing plant residue. Here we quantify physical and
hydrological soil characteristics that lead to strikingly accelerated N2O
emissions in plant residue-induced hotspots. Results reveal a mechanism
for microscale N2O emissions: water absorption by plant residue that
creates unique micro-environmental conditions, markedly different from
those of the bulk soil. Moisture levels within plant residue exceeded
those of bulk soil by 4–10-fold and led to accelerated N2O production via
microbial denitrification. The presence of large (∅ >35 μm) pores
was a prerequisite for maximized hotspot N2O production and for subsequent
diffusion to the atmosphere. Understanding and modelling hotspot
microscale physical and hydrologic characteristics is a promising route to
predict N2O emissions and thus to develop effective mitigation strategies
and estimate global fluxes in a changing environment.
dataset_kravchenko_naturegeoContains data on the influence of soil
moisture (30 versus 45% water filled pore space), soil pore size
distribution (<10 versus >35 micrometers), and plant residue
quality (corn versus soybean leaf) on micro-scale nitrous oxide production
and emissions in laboratory incubations of constructed microcosms.