We present N2O emission data from 11 sites in the Neuse River watershed. Emissions were measured using a static surface enclosure technique deployed on eight sites on the main river channel and three tributary sites. Ancillary data collected included dissolved oxygen, nitrate, total nitrogen, ammonium, dissolved organic carbon, total phosphorus, and temperature. Analysis using standard linear models, and classification and regression trees (CART), indicated nitrate to be the primary driving variable associated with N2O emission, although dissolved organic carbon concentration and water temperature were positively related with N2O emission as well. Relationships between nitrate concentration and N2O emission were consistent with those found in previous studies, although the data presented here represent the lower end of the range for both variables among published studies. Using our measured N2O emission rates along with literature values for the ratio of nitrogen gas to N2O produced during denitrification, we estimate N loss via denitrification in the Neuse River is approximately 17% of the annual N load delivered to the estuary.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.