Estimating N2 O processes during grassland renewal and grassland conversion to maize cropping using N2 O isotopocules.

Abstract

Enhanced nitrous oxide (N2 O) emissions can occur following grassland break-up for renewal or conversion to maize cropping, but knowledge about N2 O production pathways and N2 O reduction to N2 is very limited. A promising tool to address this is the combination of mass spectrometric analysis of N2 O isotopocules and an enhanced approach for data interpretation. The isotopocule mapping approach was applied to field data using a δ15 NspN2O and δ18 ON2O map to simultaneously determine N2 O production pathways contribution and N2 O reduction for the first time. Based on the isotopic composition of N2 O produced and literature values for specific N2 O pathways, it was possible to distinguish: (i) heterotrophic bacterial denitrification and/or nitrifier denitrification and (ii) nitrification and/or fungal denitrification and the contribution of N2 O reduction. The isotopic composition of soil-emitted N2 O largely resembled the known end-member values for bacterial denitrification. The isotopocule mapping approach indicated different effects of N2 O reduction on the isotopic composition of soil-emitted N2 O for the two soils under study. Differing N2 O production pathways in different seasons were not observed, but management events and soil conditions had a significant impact on pathway contribution and N2 O reduction. N2 O reduction data were compared with a parallel 15 N-labelling experiment. The field application of the isotopocule mapping approach opens up new prospects for studying N2 O production and consumption of N2 O in soil simultaneously based on mass spectrometric analysis of natural abundance N2 O. However, further studies are needed in order to properly validate the isotopocule mapping approach.