Mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions in the context of nitrogen loss reduction from agroecosystems: managing hot spots and hot moments

Abstract

Across landscape and field scales, nitrogen (N) transformation rates are enhanced in hot spots (HS) and transient hot moments (HM), leading to losses of environmentally reactive N. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission trends follow these spatial and temporal patterns. Consequently, landscape features can accelerate N 2 O emissions, and significant fractions of total annual emissions occur in these N 2 O emissions HS and HM. In agroecosystems, naturally occurring and management-induced HS and HM can be exacerbated or ameliorated through mitigation management practices. Although mitigation practices have been recommended for reduction of N 2 O emissions, these have not explicitly targeted HS and HM. Here we review, and synthesize, N 2 O mitigation practices with an emphasis on how they can be aligned to reduce the occurrence of HS and HM of N 2 O emission.