Spatial variability and hotspots of soil N₂O fluxes from intensively grazed grassland

Abstract. One hundred N₂O flux measurements were made from an area of intensively managed grazed grassland in central Scotland using a high-resolution dynamic chamber method. The field contained a variety of features from which N₂O fluxes were measured including a manure heap, patches of decaying grass silage, and areas of increased sheep activity. Individual fluxes varied significantly across the field varying from 2 to 79 000 μg N₂O-N m⁻² h⁻¹. Soil samples were collected at 55 locations to investigate relationships between soil properties and N₂O flux. Fluxes of N₂O correlated strongly with soil NO₃^- concentrations. Distribution of NO₃⁻ and the high spatial variability of N₂O flux across the field are shown to be linked to the distribution of waste from grazing animals and the resultant reactive nitrogen compounds in the soil which are made available for microbiological processes. Features within the field such as shaded areas and manure heaps contained significantly higher available nitrogen than the rest of the field. Although these features only represented 1.1% of the area of the field, they contributed to over 55% of the total estimated daily N₂O flux.