Characterization of atmospheric nitrous oxide emissions from global agricultural soils

Abstract

Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is a potent greenhouse gas with an atmospheric lifetime of ~ 114 years. Agriculture activities are the main sources for N 2 O emission into the atmosphere by human activities. Global N 2 O emissions into the atmosphere are projected to increase in the coming years as demand for food, fibre and energy increases owing to increasing global population. Here, a statistical model (N 2 O_STAT) is developed for characterizing atmospheric N 2 O emissions from agricultural sources. We obtained N 2 O emissions and physicochemical variables (i.e. air temperature, soil temperature, soil moisture, soil pH, and N input to the soil) from published journal articles since 2000. A statistical model was developed by expressing a multiple linear regression equation between N 2 O emission and the physicochemical variables. The model was evaluated for 2012 N 2 O emissions. Results of the model are compared with other global and regional N 2 O models (e.g. EDGAR, EPA/USGS, and FAOSTAT). In comparison with other data sets, the model generates a lower global N 2 O estimate by 9-20% (N 2 O_STAT: 3.75 Tg N yr −1 ; EDGAR: 4.49 Tg N yr −1 ; FAO: 4.07 Tg N yr −1), but is ~ 25% higher when compared to Bouwman et al. (Glob Biogeochem Cycles 16:1-9.

The influence of tillage and fertilizer on the flux and source of nitrous oxide with reference to atmospheric variation using laser spectroscopy

“…This observation contributes to growing awareness that flux is influenced by factors on scales much smaller than the ecosystem scale considered by most studies (Kravchenko and Robertson 2015;Kravchenko et al 2017). Such factors include water filled pore space, oxygen content, temperature, organic carbon content, inorganic nitrogen supply, and numerous physical soil properties such as connectivity and tortuosity (Aneja et al 2019;Grandy and Robertson 2006a, b;Kravchenko et al 2018;Neftel et al 2007).…”

“…The two remaining samples from January 11, 2018 included one with a flux of 1.0 g N 2 O-N ha -1 d -1 and a high S P that could not be determined because it was far outside the range of our standards and another sample had a high flux of 4.0 g N 2 O-N ha -1 d -1 and S P of 0.6 %. High temporal as well as spatial variation in N 2 O flux is well recognized and contributes to uncertainty in N 2 O emission rates, particularly in agricultural systems (Aneja et al 2019;Hénault et al 2012;Wang et al 2020). Many factors have been attributed to variation in N 2 O flux including temperature associated changes in gas solubility and diffusivity, soil moisture, microbial activity, availability of carbon and inorganic nitrogen substrates, disruption of microaggregates, and release of N 2 O trapped below ice (Congreves et al 2019;Kim et al 2012;Ruan and Robertson 2017).…”

Revisiting Natural Resources—Globalization-Environmental Quality Nexus: Fresh Insights from South Asian Countries

“…CO 2 emissions are the most significant contributors to GHG emissions, followed by CH 4 and N 2 O. CO 2 emissions are primarily produced from the consumption of energy, transportation, and industrial output [52]. CH 4 is generated during the consumption of natural gas, oil and coal [53], while N 2 O emissions are emitted from agricultural activities [54]. The ecological footprint, on the other hand, is a modern instrument to measure the environmental quality, which reflects the ecological and biological aspects of the earth.…”

“…The possible reason for this long-run relationship between institutional performance and N 2 O emissions is that N 2 O emissions are primarily produced from agricultural activities (use of nitrogen-fertilizers, waterlogging and croptillage, etc.) [54] and South Asian countries are under-developed, having a large share of the agriculture sector that makes a significant contribution in economic activities of these countries [88]. In the development process, an increase in institutional performance (stability of government, control on corruption, a better situation of law and order, and improved socioeconomic conditions) leads to enhance agricultural activities, which causes an increase in N 2 O emissions.…”

Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sink potential in Eastern Africa rangeland ecosystems: A review

“…An increase in the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) methane (CH 4 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) has led to widespread concern about human activities that contribute heavily to global environmental change (IPCC 2013;Aneja et al 2019). Between 1959 and 2018, the global mean annual concentration of CO 2 rose from 315.97 parts per million (ppm) to 408.52 ppm (NOAA/ESRL 2018), while CH 4 rose from 719.01 parts per billion (ppb) in 1750 to improve sinks and intensify their sequestration from the atmosphere are necessary in order to mitigate climate change.…”