Articles | Volume 12, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1585-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1585-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Mar 2015
Research article |
| 12 Mar 2015
Spatial variability and hotspots of soil N2O fluxes from intensively grazed grassland
N. J. Cowan
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, UK
P. Norman
School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
D. Famulari
Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, UK
P. E. Levy
Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, UK
D. S. Reay
School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
U. M. Skiba
Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, UK
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Ammonia (NH3) gas in the atmosphere impacts the environment, human health, and, indirectly, climate. Historic NH3 monitoring was labour intensive, and the instruments were complicated. Over the last decade, there has been a rapid technology development, including “plug-and-play” instruments. This study is an extensive field comparison of the currently available technologies and provides evidence that for routine monitoring, standard operating protocols are required for datasets to be comparable.
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In Southeast Asia, oil palm plantations have largely replaced tropical forests. The impact of this shift in land use on greenhouse gas fluxes and soil microbial communities remains uncertain. We have found emission rates of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide on mineral soil to be higher from oil palm plantations than logged forest over a 2-year study and concluded that emissions have increased over the last 42 years in Sabah, with the proportion of emissions from plantations increasing.
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Experimental evidence from a network of 40 monitoring sites in Europe suggests that atmospheric nitrogen deposition to forests and other semi-natural vegetation impacts the carbon sequestration rates in ecosystems, as well as the net greenhouse gas balance including other greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide and methane. Excess nitrogen deposition in polluted areas also leads to other environmental impacts such as nitrogen leaching to groundwater and other pollutant gaseous emissions.
Chris R. Flechard, Marcel van Oijen, David R. Cameron, Wim de Vries, Andreas Ibrom, Nina Buchmann, Nancy B. Dise, Ivan A. Janssens, Johan Neirynck, Leonardo Montagnani, Andrej Varlagin, Denis Loustau, Arnaud Legout, Klaudia Ziemblińska, Marc Aubinet, Mika Aurela, Bogdan H. Chojnicki, Julia Drewer, Werner Eugster, André-Jean Francez, Radosław Juszczak, Barbara Kitzler, Werner L. Kutsch, Annalea Lohila, Bernard Longdoz, Giorgio Matteucci, Virginie Moreaux, Albrecht Neftel, Janusz Olejnik, Maria J. Sanz, Jan Siemens, Timo Vesala, Caroline Vincke, Eiko Nemitz, Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Ute M. Skiba, and Mark A. Sutton
Biogeosciences, 17, 1621–1654, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1621-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1621-2020, 2020
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Nitrogen deposition from the atmosphere to unfertilized terrestrial vegetation such as forests can increase carbon dioxide uptake and favour carbon sequestration by ecosystems. However the data from observational networks are difficult to interpret in terms of a carbon-to-nitrogen response, because there are a number of other confounding factors, such as climate, soil physical properties and fertility, and forest age. We propose a model-based method to untangle the different influences.
Nicholas Cowan, Peter Levy, Andrea Moring, Ivan Simmons, Colin Bache, Amy Stephens, Joana Marinheiro, Jocelyn Brichet, Ling Song, Amy Pickard, Connie McNeill, Roseanne McDonald, Juliette Maire, Benjamin Loubet, Polina Voylokov, Mark Sutton, and Ute Skiba
Biogeosciences, 16, 4731–4745, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4731-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4731-2019, 2019
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Emily D. White, Matthew Rigby, Mark F. Lunt, T. Luke Smallman, Edward Comyn-Platt, Alistair J. Manning, Anita L. Ganesan, Simon O'Doherty, Ann R. Stavert, Kieran Stanley, Mathew Williams, Peter Levy, Michel Ramonet, Grant L. Forster, Andrew C. Manning, and Paul I. Palmer
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Understanding carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes from the terrestrial biosphere on a national scale is important for evaluating land use strategies to mitigate climate change. We estimate emissions of CO2 from the UK biosphere using atmospheric data in a top-down approach. Our findings show that bottom-up estimates from models of biospheric fluxes overestimate the amount of CO2 uptake in summer. This suggests these models wrongly estimate or omit key processes, e.g. land disturbance due to harvest.
Rongting Xu, Hanqin Tian, Shufen Pan, Shree R. S. Dangal, Jian Chen, Jinfeng Chang, Yonglong Lu, Ute Maria Skiba, Francesco N. Tubiello, and Bowen Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 11, 175–187, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-175-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-175-2019, 2019
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We provide three gridded datasets of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer and manure N inputs in global pastures and rangelands at a resolution of 0.5° × 0.5° for the period 1860–2016 (i.e., annual manure N deposition (by grazing animals) rate, synthetic N fertilizer use rate and manure N application rate). These three datasets could fill data gaps of N inputs in global and regional grasslands and serve as input drivers for earth system models.
Robbie Ramsay, Chiara F. Di Marco, Mathew R. Heal, Marsailidh M. Twigg, Nicholas Cowan, Matthew R. Jones, Sarah R. Leeson, William J. Bloss, Louisa J. Kramer, Leigh Crilley, Matthias Sörgel, Meinrat Andreae, and Eiko Nemitz
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Understanding the impact of agricultural activities on the atmosphere requires more measurements of inorganic trace gases and associated aerosol counterparts. This research presents 1 month of measurements above agricultural grassland during a period of fertiliser application. It was found that emissions of the important trace gases ammonia and nitrous acid peaked after fertiliser use and that the velocity at which the measured aerosols were deposited was dependent upon their size.
Peter Levy, Marcel van Oijen, Gwen Buys, and Sam Tomlinson
Biogeosciences, 15, 1497–1513, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1497-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1497-2018, 2018
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Sarah R. Leeson, Peter E. Levy, Netty van Dijk, Julia Drewer, Sophie Robinson, Matthew R. Jones, John Kentisbeer, Ian Washbourne, Mark A. Sutton, and Lucy J. Sheppard
Biogeosciences, 14, 5753–5764, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5753-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5753-2017, 2017
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Nitrogen deposition was experimentally increased on a Scottish peat bog over a period of 13 years (2002–2015), simulating pollution from agricultural and fossil-fuel sources. We measured emissions of the greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O), in response to the increased nitrogen input. In the plots treated with ammonium and nitrate solution, no response was seen. Areas subjected to high ammonia emitted more N2O than expected. Differences were related to impacts on the vegetation.
Stephanie K. Jones, Carole Helfter, Margaret Anderson, Mhairi Coyle, Claire Campbell, Daniela Famulari, Chiara Di Marco, Netty van Dijk, Y. Sim Tang, Cairistiona F. E. Topp, Ralf Kiese, Reimo Kindler, Jan Siemens, Marion Schrumpf, Klaus Kaiser, Eiko Nemitz, Peter E. Levy, Robert M. Rees, Mark A. Sutton, and Ute M. Skiba
Biogeosciences, 14, 2069–2088, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2069-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2069-2017, 2017
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We assessed the nitrogen (N), carbon (C) and greenhouse gas (GHG) budget from an intensively managed grassland in southern Scotland using flux budget calculations as well as changes in soil N and C pools over time. Estimates from flux budget calculations indicated that N and C were sequestered, whereas soil stock measurements indicated a smaller N storage and a loss of C from the ecosystem. The GHG sink strength of the net CO2 ecosystem exchange was strongly affected by CH4 and N2O emissions.
Kerry J. Dinsmore, Julia Drewer, Peter E. Levy, Charles George, Annalea Lohila, Mika Aurela, and Ute M. Skiba
Biogeosciences, 14, 799–815, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-799-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-799-2017, 2017
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Release of greenhouse gases from northern soils contributes significantly to the global atmosphere and plays an important role in regulating climate. This study, based in N. Finland, aimed to measure and understand release of CH4 and N2O, and using satellite imagery, upscale our results to a 2 × 2 km area. Wetlands released large amounts of CH4, with emissions linked to temperature and the presence of Sphagnum; landscape emissions were 2.05 mg C m−2 hr−1. N2O fluxes were consistently near-zero.
Nicholas J. Cowan, Peter E. Levy, Daniela Famulari, Margaret Anderson, Julia Drewer, Marco Carozzi, David S. Reay, and Ute M. Skiba
Biogeosciences, 13, 4811–4821, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4811-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4811-2016, 2016
Short summary
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Using a quantum cascade laser we measured N2O fluxes before and after a tillage event on a long-term grazed grassland field using the flux chamber and eddy covariance methods. The measurements were gap-filled using a generalised additive model which used meteorological data at the site. Results suggest that tillage of soils containing plant material (crop residues) releases a relatively large amount of N2O-N, similar in magnitude to approximately 0.9 % of the nitrogen in the plant materials.
Rebecca M. McKenzie, Mustafa Z. Özel, J. Neil Cape, Julia Drewer, Kerry J. Dinsmore, Eiko Nemitz, Y. Sim Tang, Netty van Dijk, Margaret Anderson, Jacqueline F. Hamilton, Mark A. Sutton, Martin W. Gallagher, and Ute Skiba
Biogeosciences, 13, 2353–2365, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2353-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2353-2016, 2016
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Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) contributes significantly to the overall nitrogen budget and can potentially be biologically available as a source of N. Despite this it is not routinely measured. This study found that DON contributed up to 10 % of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) found in precipitation and was the most dominant fraction in soil water (99 %) and stream water (75 %).
D. Fowler, C. E. Steadman, D. Stevenson, M. Coyle, R. M. Rees, U. M. Skiba, M. A. Sutton, J. N. Cape, A. J. Dore, M. Vieno, D. Simpson, S. Zaehle, B. D. Stocker, M. Rinaldi, M. C. Facchini, C. R. Flechard, E. Nemitz, M. Twigg, J. W. Erisman, K. Butterbach-Bahl, and J. N. Galloway
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 13849–13893, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13849-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13849-2015, 2015
C. Helfter, C. Campbell, K. J. Dinsmore, J. Drewer, M. Coyle, M. Anderson, U. Skiba, E. Nemitz, M. F. Billett, and M. A. Sutton
Biogeosciences, 12, 1799–1811, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1799-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1799-2015, 2015
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The CO2 sink strength of a temperate peatland in SE Scotland exhibited large inter-annual variability which was well-correlated to the length of the growing season. Mean winter air temperature explained 87% of the inter-annual variability in the sink strength of the following summer, indicating a phenological memory effect. Autotrophic respiration is thought to be dominant, but heterotrophic processes might have been enhanced during dry spells increasing the loss of CO2 to the atmosphere.
S. Sitch, P. Friedlingstein, N. Gruber, S. D. Jones, G. Murray-Tortarolo, A. Ahlström, S. C. Doney, H. Graven, C. Heinze, C. Huntingford, S. Levis, P. E. Levy, M. Lomas, B. Poulter, N. Viovy, S. Zaehle, N. Zeng, A. Arneth, G. Bonan, L. Bopp, J. G. Canadell, F. Chevallier, P. Ciais, R. Ellis, M. Gloor, P. Peylin, S. L. Piao, C. Le Quéré, B. Smith, Z. Zhu, and R. Myneni
Biogeosciences, 12, 653–679, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-653-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-653-2015, 2015
N. J. Cowan, D. Famulari, P. E. Levy, M. Anderson, D. S. Reay, and U. M. Skiba
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 4455–4462, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4455-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4455-2014, 2014
S. J. O'Shea, G. Allen, M. W. Gallagher, K. Bower, S. M. Illingworth, J. B. A. Muller, B. T. Jones, C. J. Percival, S. J-B. Bauguitte, M. Cain, N. Warwick, A. Quiquet, U. Skiba, J. Drewer, K. Dinsmore, E. G. Nisbet, D. Lowry, R. E. Fisher, J. L. France, M. Aurela, A. Lohila, G. Hayman, C. George, D. B. Clark, A. J. Manning, A. D. Friend, and J. Pyle
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 13159–13174, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13159-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13159-2014, 2014
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This paper presents airborne measurements of greenhouse gases collected in the European Arctic. Regional scale flux estimates for the northern Scandinavian wetlands are derived. These fluxes are found to be in excellent agreement with coincident surface measurements within the aircraft's sampling domain. This has allowed a significant low bias to be identified in two commonly used process-based land surface models.
J. B. Fisher, M. Sikka, W. C. Oechel, D. N. Huntzinger, J. R. Melton, C. D. Koven, A. Ahlström, M. A. Arain, I. Baker, J. M. Chen, P. Ciais, C. Davidson, M. Dietze, B. El-Masri, D. Hayes, C. Huntingford, A. K. Jain, P. E. Levy, M. R. Lomas, B. Poulter, D. Price, A. K. Sahoo, K. Schaefer, H. Tian, E. Tomelleri, H. Verbeeck, N. Viovy, R. Wania, N. Zeng, and C. E. Miller
Biogeosciences, 11, 4271–4288, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4271-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4271-2014, 2014
C. Le Quéré, R. J. Andres, T. Boden, T. Conway, R. A. Houghton, J. I. House, G. Marland, G. P. Peters, G. R. van der Werf, A. Ahlström, R. M. Andrew, L. Bopp, J. G. Canadell, P. Ciais, S. C. Doney, C. Enright, P. Friedlingstein, C. Huntingford, A. K. Jain, C. Jourdain, E. Kato, R. F. Keeling, K. Klein Goldewijk, S. Levis, P. Levy, M. Lomas, B. Poulter, M. R. Raupach, J. Schwinger, S. Sitch, B. D. Stocker, N. Viovy, S. Zaehle, and N. Zeng
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 5, 165–185, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-5-165-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-5-165-2013, 2013
U. Skiba, S. K. Jones, J. Drewer, C. Helfter, M. Anderson, K. Dinsmore, R. McKenzie, E. Nemitz, and M. A. Sutton
Biogeosciences, 10, 1231–1241, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-1231-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-1231-2013, 2013
L. J. Sheppard, I. D. Leith, S. R. Leeson, N. van Dijk, C. Field, and P. Levy
Biogeosciences, 10, 149–160, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-149-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-149-2013, 2013
E. Vogt, C. F. Braban, U. Dragosits, M. R. Theobald, M. F. Billett, A. J. Dore, Y. S. Tang, N. van Dijk, R. M. Rees, C. McDonald, S. Murray, U. M. Skiba, and M. A. Sutton
Biogeosciences, 10, 119–133, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-119-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-119-2013, 2013
O. Hertel, C. A. Skjøth, S. Reis, A. Bleeker, R. M. Harrison, J. N. Cape, D. Fowler, U. Skiba, D. Simpson, T. Jickells, M. Kulmala, S. Gyldenkærne, L. L. Sørensen, J. W. Erisman, and M. A. Sutton
Biogeosciences, 9, 4921–4954, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-4921-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-4921-2012, 2012
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Air - Land Exchange
Quantifying the soil sink of atmospheric hydrogen: a full year of field measurements from grassland and forest soils in the UK
Potential of carbon uptake and local aerosol production in boreal and hemi-boreal ecosystems across Finland and in Estonia
Altered seasonal sensitivity of net ecosystem exchange to controls driven by nutrient balances in a semi-arid savanna
Peltigera lichen thalli produce highly potent ice-nucleating agents
Mercury contamination in staple crops impacted by Artisanal Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM): Stable Hg isotopes demonstrate dominance of atmospheric uptake pathway for Hg in crops
Constraining 2010–2020 Amazonian carbon flux estimates with satellite solar-induced fluorescence (SIF)
Does increased spatial replication above heterogeneous agroforestry improve the representativeness of eddy covariance measurements?
An elucidatory model of oxygen's partial pressure inside substomatal cavities
Aggregation of ice-nucleating macromolecules from Betula pendula pollen determines ice nucleation efficiency
Evaluating adsorption isotherm models for determining the partitioning of ammonium between soil and soil pore water in environmental soil samples
Similar freezing spectra of particles in plant canopies and in the air at a high-altitude site
Anticorrelation of net uptake of atmospheric CO2 by the world ocean and terrestrial biosphere in current carbon cycle models
Impact of meteorological conditions on the biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emission rate from eastern Mediterranean vegetation under drought
Monitoring cropland daily carbon dioxide exchange at field scales with Sentinel-2 satellite imagery
Compound soil and atmospheric drought (CSAD) events and CO2 fluxes of a mixed deciduous forest: the occurrence, impact, and temporal contribution of main drivers
The influence of plant water stress on vegetation–atmosphere exchanges: implications for ozone modelling
High interspecific variability in ice nucleation activity suggests pollen ice nucleators are incidental
Using automated machine learning for the upscaling of gross primary productivity
Interpretability of negative latent heat fluxes from eddy covariance measurements in dry conditions
Forest-floor respiration, N2O fluxes, and CH4 fluxes in a subalpine spruce forest: drivers and annual budgets
Enhanced net CO2 exchange of a semideciduous forest in the southern Amazon due to diffuse radiation from biomass burning
Observational relationships between ammonia, carbon dioxide and water vapor under a wide range of meteorological and turbulent conditions: RITA-2021 campaign
Environmental controls of winter soil carbon dioxide fluxes in boreal and tundra environments
Origin of secondary fatty alcohols in atmospheric aerosols in a cool–temperate forest based on their mass size distributions
Sap flow and leaf gas exchange response to a drought and heatwave in urban green spaces in a Nordic city
Changes in biogenic volatile organic compound emissions in response to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation
Rethinking the deployment of static chambers for CO2 flux measurement in dry desert soils
Lichen species across Alaska produce highly active and stable ice nucleators
A differentiable, physics-informed ecosystem modeling and learning framework for large-scale inverse problems: demonstration with photosynthesis simulations
Snow–vegetation–atmosphere interactions in alpine tundra
Synergy between TROPOMI sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and MODIS spectral reflectance for understanding the dynamics of gross primary productivity at Integrated Carbon Observatory System (ICOS) ecosystem flux sites
Atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen to a deciduous forest in the southern Appalachian Mountains
Tropical cyclones facilitate recovery of forest leaf area from dry spells in East Asia
Minor contributions of daytime monoterpenes are major contributors to atmospheric reactivity
Using atmospheric observations to quantify annual biogenic carbon dioxide fluxes on the Alaska North Slope
Forest–atmosphere exchange of reactive nitrogen in a remote region – Part II: Modeling annual budgets
Growth and actual leaf temperature modulate CO2 responsiveness of monoterpene emissions from holm oak in opposite ways
Multi-year observations reveal a larger than expected autumn respiration signal across northeast Eurasia
Reviews and syntheses: VOC emissions from soil cover in boreal and temperate natural ecosystems of the Northern Hemisphere
Internal tree cycling and atmospheric archiving of mercury: examination with concentration and stable isotope analyses
Contrasting drought legacy effects on gross primary productivity in a mixed versus pure beech forest
CO2 and CH4 exchanges between moist moss tundra and atmosphere on Kapp Linné, Svalbard
Recent extreme drought events in the Amazon rainforest: assessment of different precipitation and evapotranspiration datasets and drought indicators
Variability and uncertainty in flux-site-scale net ecosystem exchange simulations based on machine learning and remote sensing: a systematic evaluation
Update of a biogeochemical model with process-based algorithms to predict ammonia volatilization from fertilized cultivated uplands and rice paddy fields
Massive warming-induced carbon loss from subalpine grassland soils in an altitudinal transplantation experiment
Climatic variation drives loss and restructuring of carbon and nitrogen in boreal forest wildfire
Gaps in network infrastructure limit our understanding of biogenic methane emissions for the United States
Changes of the aerodynamic characteristics of a flux site after an extensive windthrow
Carbon sequestration potential of street tree plantings in Helsinki
Nicholas Cowan, Toby Roberts, Mark Hanlon, Aurelia Bezanger, Galina Toteva, Alex Tweedie, Karen Yeung, Ajinkya Deshpande, Peter Levy, Ute Skiba, Eiko Nemitz, and Julia Drewer
Biogeosciences, 22, 3449–3461, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3449-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3449-2025, 2025
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We measured soil hydrogen (H2) fluxes from two field sites, a managed grassland and a planted deciduous woodland, with flux measurements of H2 covering full seasonal cycles. We estimate annual H2 uptake of −3.1 ± 0.1 and −12.0 ± 0.4 kg H2 ha−1 yr−1 for the grassland and woodland sites, respectively. Soil moisture was found to be the primary driver of H2 uptake, with the silt/clay content of the soils providing a physical barrier which limited H2 uptake.
Piaopiao Ke, Anna Lintunen, Pasi Kolari, Annalea Lohila, Santeri Tuovinen, Janne Lampilahti, Roseline Thakur, Maija Peltola, Otso Peräkylä, Tuomo Nieminen, Ekaterina Ezhova, Mari Pihlatie, Asta Laasonen, Markku Koskinen, Helena Rautakoski, Laura Heimsch, Tom Kokkonen, Aki Vähä, Ivan Mammarella, Steffen Noe, Jaana Bäck, Veli-Matti Kerminen, and Markku Kulmala
Biogeosciences, 22, 3235–3251, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3235-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3235-2025, 2025
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Our research explores diverse ecosystems’ roles in climate cooling via the concept of CarbonSink+ potential. We measured CO2 uptake and local aerosol production in forests, farms, peatlands, urban gardens, and coastal areas across Finland and Estonia. The long-term data reveal that, while forests are vital with regard to CarbonSink+ potential, farms and urban gardens also play significant roles. These insights can help optimize management policy of natural resources to mitigate global warming.
Laura Nadolski, Tarek S. El-Madany, Jacob Nelson, Arnaud Carrara, Gerardo Moreno, Richard Nair, Yunpeng Luo, Anke Hildebrandt, Victor Rolo, Markus Reichstein, and Sung-Ching Lee
Biogeosciences, 22, 2935–2958, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2935-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2935-2025, 2025
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Semi-arid ecosystems are crucial for Earth's carbon balance and are sensitive to changes in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels. Their carbon dynamics are complex and not fully understood. We studied how long-term nutrient changes affect carbon exchange. In summer, the addition of N+P changed plant composition and productivity. In transitional seasons, carbon exchange was less weather-dependent with N. The addition of N and N+P increases carbon-exchange variability, driven by grass greenness.
Rosemary J. Eufemio, Galit Renzer, Mariah Rojas, Jolanta Miadlikowska, Todd L. Sformo, François Lutzoni, Boris A. Vinatzer, and Konrad Meister
Biogeosciences, 22, 2087–2096, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2087-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2087-2025, 2025
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Biological ice nucleation plays key roles in organism survival and in shaping Earth’s atmospheric patterns. Our pan-American screening of Peltigera lichens reveals that the lichen thalli produce highly active ice nucleators (INs) resistant to freeze–thaw cycles. Notably, a pure fungal culture from Peltigera britannica released the most potent INs reported to date. Given the global abundance of these lichens, the INs may be important contributors to atmospheric processes.
Excellent O. Eboigbe, Nimelan Veerasamy, Abiodun M. Odukoya, Nnamdi C. Anene, Jeroen E. Sonke, Sayuri Sakisaka Méndez, and David S. McLagan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1402, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1402, 2025
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Air, soil, and three common staple crops were assess at an ASGM processing site and Hg contamination observed at a farm ≈500 m from the processing site. Of the crop tissues examined, foliage had the highest concentrations. Mercury stable isotopes indicate uptake of mercury from the air to the foliage as is the dominant uptake pathway. Using typical dietary data for Nigerians, Hg intake from these crops were below reference dose levels and generally safe for consumption.
Archana Dayalu, Marikate Mountain, Bharat Rastogi, John B. Miller, and Luciana Gatti
Biogeosciences, 22, 1509–1528, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1509-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1509-2025, 2025
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The Amazon is facing unprecedented disturbance. Determining trends in Amazonia's carbon balance and its sensitivity to disturbance requires reliable vegetation models that adequately capture how its ecosystems exchange carbon with the atmosphere. Using ground- and satellite-based ecosystem products, we present an improved model of land–atmosphere vegetation carbon exchange across the Amazon. Our model agrees with independent aircraft observations from different locations.
José Ángel Callejas-Rodelas, Alexander Knohl, Ivan Mammarella, Timo Vesala, Olli Peltola, and Christian Markwitz
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-810, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-810, 2025
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The spatial variability of CO2 and water vapour exchanges with the atmosphere was quantified above an agroforestry system, and further compared to a monocropping system, using a total of four eddy covariance stations. The variability of fluxes within the agroforestry was found to be as large as the variability between agroforestry and monocropping, induced by the heterogeneity of the site, which highlights the need for replicated measurements above such ecosystems.
Andrew S. Kowalski
Biogeosciences, 22, 785–789, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-785-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-785-2025, 2025
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The laws of physics show that leaf oxygen is not photosynthetically enriched but extremely dilute due to the overwhelming effects of humidification. This challenges the prevailing diffusion-only paradigm regarding leaf gas exchanges because non-diffusive transport is required. Such transport also explains why fluxes of carbon dioxide and water vapour become decoupled at very high temperatures, as has been observed but not explained by plant physiologists.
Florian Wieland, Nadine Bothen, Ralph Schwidetzky, Teresa M. Seifried, Paul Bieber, Ulrich Pöschl, Konrad Meister, Mischa Bonn, Janine Fröhlich-Nowoisky, and Hinrich Grothe
Biogeosciences, 22, 103–115, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-103-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-103-2025, 2025
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Betula pendula is a widespread birch tree species containing ice nucleation agents that can trigger the freezing of cloud droplets and thereby alter the evolution of clouds. Our study identifies three distinct ice-nucleating macromolecule (INM) aggregates of varying size that can nucleate ice at temperatures up to –5.4°C. Our findings suggest that these vegetation-derived particles may influence atmospheric processes, weather, and climate more strongly than previously thought.
Matthew G. Davis, Kevin Yan, and Jennifer G. Murphy
Biogeosciences, 21, 5381–5392, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5381-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5381-2024, 2024
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Ammonia applied as fertilizer can volatilize into the atmosphere. This can threaten vulnerable ecosystems and human health. We investigated the partitioning of ammonia between an immobile adsorbed phase and mobile aqueous phase using several adsorption models. Using the Temkin model we determined that previous approaches to this issue may overestimate the quantity available for exchange by a factor of 5–20, suggesting that ammonia emissions from soil may be overestimated.
Annika Einbock and Franz Conen
Biogeosciences, 21, 5219–5231, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5219-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5219-2024, 2024
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A small fraction of particles found at great heights in the atmosphere can freeze cloud droplets at temperatures of ≥ −10 °C and thus influence cloud properties. We provide a novel type of evidence that plant canopies are a major source of such biological ice-nucleating particles in the air above the Alps, potentially affecting mixed-phase cloud development.
Stephen E. Schwartz
Biogeosciences, 21, 5045–5057, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5045-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5045-2024, 2024
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Anticorrelation in uptake of atmospheric CO2 following pulse emission or abrupt cessation of emissions is examined in two key model intercomparison studies. In both studies net transfer coefficients from the atmosphere to the world ocean and the terrestrial biosphere are anticorrelated across models, reducing inter-model diversity in decrease of atmospheric CO2 following the perturbation, increasing uncertainties of global warming potentials and consequences of prospective emission reductions.
Qian Li, Gil Lerner, Einat Bar, Efraim Lewinsohn, and Eran Tas
Biogeosciences, 21, 4133–4147, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4133-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4133-2024, 2024
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Our research indicates that instantaneous changes in meteorological parameters better reflect drought-induced changes in the emission rates of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) from natural vegetation than their absolute values. However, following a small amount of irrigation, this trend became more moderate or reversed, accompanied by a dramatic increase in BVOC emission rates. These findings advance our understanding of BVOC emissions under climate change.
Pia Gottschalk, Aram Kalhori, Zhan Li, Christian Wille, and Torsten Sachs
Biogeosciences, 21, 3593–3616, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3593-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3593-2024, 2024
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To improve the accuracy of spatial carbon exchange estimates, we evaluated simple linear models for net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and gross primary productivity (GPP) and how they can be used to upscale the CO2 exchange of agricultural fields. The models are solely driven by Sentinel-2-derived vegetation indices (VIs). Evaluations show that different VIs have variable power to estimate NEE and GPP of crops in different years. The overall performance is as good as results from complex crop models.
Liliana Scapucci, Ankit Shekhar, Sergio Aranda-Barranco, Anastasiia Bolshakova, Lukas Hörtnagl, Mana Gharun, and Nina Buchmann
Biogeosciences, 21, 3571–3592, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3571-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3571-2024, 2024
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Forests face increased exposure to “compound soil and atmospheric drought” (CSAD) events due to global warming. We examined the impacts and drivers of CO2 fluxes during CSAD events at multiple layers of a deciduous forest over 18 years. Results showed reduced net ecosystem productivity and forest-floor respiration during CSAD events, mainly driven by soil and atmospheric drought. This unpredictability in forest CO2 fluxes jeopardises reforestation projects aimed at mitigating CO2 emissions.
Tamara Emmerichs, Yen-Sen Lu, and Domenico Taraborrelli
Biogeosciences, 21, 3251–3269, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3251-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3251-2024, 2024
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We assess the representation of the plant response to surface water in a global atmospheric chemistry model. This sensitivity is crucial for the return of precipitation back into the atmosphere and thus significantly impacts the representation of weather as well as air quality. The newly implemented response function reduces this process and has a better comparison with satellite observations. This yields a higher intensity of unusual warm periods and higher production of air pollutants.
Nina L. H. Kinney, Charles A. Hepburn, Matthew I. Gibson, Daniel Ballesteros, and Thomas F. Whale
Biogeosciences, 21, 3201–3214, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3201-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3201-2024, 2024
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Molecules released from plant pollen induce the formation of ice from supercooled water at temperatures warm enough to suggest an underlying function for this activity. In this study we show that ice nucleators are ubiquitous in pollen. We suggest the molecules responsible fulfil some unrelated biological function and nucleate ice incidentally. The ubiquity of ice-nucleating molecules in pollen and particularly active examples reveal a greater potential for pollen to impact weather and climate.
Max Gaber, Yanghui Kang, Guy Schurgers, and Trevor Keenan
Biogeosciences, 21, 2447–2472, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2447-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2447-2024, 2024
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Gross primary productivity (GPP) describes the photosynthetic carbon assimilation, which plays a vital role in the carbon cycle. We can measure GPP locally, but producing larger and continuous estimates is challenging. Here, we present an approach to extrapolate GPP to a global scale using satellite imagery and automated machine learning. We benchmark different models and predictor variables and achieve an estimate that can capture 75 % of the variation in GPP.
Sinikka J. Paulus, Rene Orth, Sung-Ching Lee, Anke Hildebrandt, Martin Jung, Jacob A. Nelson, Tarek Sebastian El-Madany, Arnaud Carrara, Gerardo Moreno, Matthias Mauder, Jannis Groh, Alexander Graf, Markus Reichstein, and Mirco Migliavacca
Biogeosciences, 21, 2051–2085, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2051-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2051-2024, 2024
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Porous materials are known to reversibly trap water from the air, even at low humidity. However, this behavior is poorly understood for soils. In this analysis, we test whether eddy covariance is able to measure the so-called adsorption of atmospheric water vapor by soils. We find that this flux occurs frequently during dry nights in a Mediterranean ecosystem, while EC detects downwardly directed vapor fluxes. These results can help to map moisture uptake globally.
Luana Krebs, Susanne Burri, Iris Feigenwinter, Mana Gharun, Philip Meier, and Nina Buchmann
Biogeosciences, 21, 2005–2028, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2005-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2005-2024, 2024
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This study explores year-round forest-floor greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in a Swiss spruce forest. Soil temperature and snow depth affected forest-floor respiration, while CH4 uptake was linked to snow cover. Negligible N2O fluxes were observed. In 2022, a warm year, CO2 emissions notably increased. The study suggests rising forest-floor GHG emissions due to climate change, impacting carbon sink behavior. Thus, for future forest management, continuous year-round GHG flux measurements are crucial.
Simone Rodrigues, Glauber Cirino, Demerval Moreira, Andrea Pozzer, Rafael Palácios, Sung-Ching Lee, Breno Imbiriba, José Nogueira, Maria Isabel Vitorino, and George Vourlitis
Biogeosciences, 21, 843–868, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-843-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-843-2024, 2024
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The radiative effects of atmospheric particles are still unknown for a wide variety of species and types of vegetation present in Amazonian biomes. We examined the effects of aerosols on solar radiation and their impacts on photosynthesis in an area of semideciduous forest in the southern Amazon Basin. Under highly smoky-sky conditions, our results show substantial photosynthetic interruption (20–70 %), attributed specifically to the decrease in solar radiation and leaf canopy temperature.
Ruben B. Schulte, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Susanna Rutledge-Jonker, Shelley van der Graaf, Jun Zhang, and Margreet C. van Zanten
Biogeosciences, 21, 557–574, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-557-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-557-2024, 2024
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We analyzed measurements with the aim of finding relations between the surface atmosphere exchange of NH3 and the CO2 uptake and transpiration by vegetation. We found a high correlation of daytime NH3 emissions with both latent heat flux and photosynthetically active radiation. Very few simultaneous measurements of NH3, CO2 fluxes and meteorological variables exist at sub-diurnal timescales. This study paves the way to finding more robust relations between the NH3 exchange flux and CO2 uptake.
Alex Mavrovic, Oliver Sonnentag, Juha Lemmetyinen, Carolina Voigt, Nick Rutter, Paul Mann, Jean-Daniel Sylvain, and Alexandre Roy
Biogeosciences, 20, 5087–5108, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5087-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5087-2023, 2023
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We present an analysis of soil CO2 emissions in boreal and tundra regions during the non-growing season. We show that when the soil is completely frozen, soil temperature is the main control on CO2 emissions. When the soil is around the freezing point, with a mix of liquid water and ice, the liquid water content is the main control on CO2 emissions. This study highlights that the vegetation–snow–soil interactions must be considered to understand soil CO2 emissions during the non-growing season.
Yuhao Cui, Eri Tachibana, Kimitaka Kawamura, and Yuzo Miyazaki
Biogeosciences, 20, 4969–4980, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4969-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4969-2023, 2023
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Fatty alcohols (FAs) are major components of surface lipids in plant leaves and serve as surface-active aerosols. Our study on the aerosol size distributions in a forest suggests that secondary FAs (SFAs) originated from plant waxes and that leaf senescence status is likely an important factor controlling the size distribution of SFAs. This study provides new insights into the sources of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) and their effects on the aerosol ice nucleation activity.
Joyson Ahongshangbam, Liisa Kulmala, Jesse Soininen, Yasmin Frühauf, Esko Karvinen, Yann Salmon, Anna Lintunen, Anni Karvonen, and Leena Järvi
Biogeosciences, 20, 4455–4475, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4455-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4455-2023, 2023
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Urban vegetation is important for removing urban CO2 emissions and cooling. We studied the response of urban trees' functions (photosynthesis and transpiration) to a heatwave and drought at four urban green areas in the city of Helsinki. We found that tree water use was increased during heatwave and drought periods, but there was no change in the photosynthesis rates. The heat and drought conditions were severe at the local scale but were not excessive enough to restrict urban trees' functions.
Ryan Vella, Andrea Pozzer, Matthew Forrest, Jos Lelieveld, Thomas Hickler, and Holger Tost
Biogeosciences, 20, 4391–4412, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4391-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4391-2023, 2023
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We investigated the effect of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from plants. ENSO events can cause a significant increase in these emissions, which have a long-term impact on the Earth's atmosphere. Persistent ENSO conditions can cause long-term changes in vegetation, resulting in even higher BVOC emissions. We link ENSO-induced emission anomalies with driving atmospheric and vegetational variables.
Nadav Bekin and Nurit Agam
Biogeosciences, 20, 3791–3802, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3791-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3791-2023, 2023
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The mechanisms of soil CO2 flux in dry desert soils are not fully understood. Yet studies conducted in desert ecosystems rarely discuss potential errors related to using the commonly used flux chambers in dry and bare soils. In our study, the conventional deployment practice of the chambers underestimated the instantaneous CO2 flux by up to 50 % and the total daily CO2 uptake by 35 %. This suggests that desert soils are a larger carbon sink than previously reported.
Rosemary J. Eufemio, Ingrid de Almeida Ribeiro, Todd L. Sformo, Gary A. Laursen, Valeria Molinero, Janine Fröhlich-Nowoisky, Mischa Bonn, and Konrad Meister
Biogeosciences, 20, 2805–2812, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2805-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2805-2023, 2023
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Lichens, the dominant vegetation in the Arctic, contain ice nucleators (INs) that enable freezing close to 0°C. Yet the abundance, diversity, and function of lichen INs is unknown. Our screening of lichens across Alaska reveal that most species have potent INs. We find that lichens contain two IN populations which retain activity under environmentally relevant conditions. The ubiquity and stability of lichen INs suggest that they may have considerable impacts on local atmospheric patterns.
Doaa Aboelyazeed, Chonggang Xu, Forrest M. Hoffman, Jiangtao Liu, Alex W. Jones, Chris Rackauckas, Kathryn Lawson, and Chaopeng Shen
Biogeosciences, 20, 2671–2692, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2671-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2671-2023, 2023
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Photosynthesis is critical for life and has been affected by the changing climate. Many parameters come into play while modeling, but traditional calibration approaches face many issues. Our framework trains coupled neural networks to provide parameters to a photosynthesis model. Using big data, we independently found parameter values that were correlated with those in the literature while giving higher correlation and reduced biases in photosynthesis rates.
Norbert Pirk, Kristoffer Aalstad, Yeliz A. Yilmaz, Astrid Vatne, Andrea L. Popp, Peter Horvath, Anders Bryn, Ane Victoria Vollsnes, Sebastian Westermann, Terje Koren Berntsen, Frode Stordal, and Lena Merete Tallaksen
Biogeosciences, 20, 2031–2047, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2031-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2031-2023, 2023
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We measured the land–atmosphere exchange of CO2 and water vapor in alpine Norway over 3 years. The extremely snow-rich conditions in 2020 reduced the total annual evapotranspiration to 50 % and reduced the growing-season carbon assimilation to turn the ecosystem from a moderate annual carbon sink to an even stronger source. Our analysis suggests that snow cover anomalies are driving the most consequential short-term responses in this ecosystem’s functioning.
Hamadou Balde, Gabriel Hmimina, Yves Goulas, Gwendal Latouche, and Kamel Soudani
Biogeosciences, 20, 1473–1490, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1473-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1473-2023, 2023
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This study focuses on the relationship between sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP) across the ICOS European flux tower network. It shows that SIF, coupled with reflectance observations, explains over 80 % of the GPP variability across diverse ecosystems but fails to bring new information compared to reflectance alone at coarse spatial scales (~5 km). These findings have applications in agriculture and ecophysiological studies.
John T. Walker, Xi Chen, Zhiyong Wu, Donna Schwede, Ryan Daly, Aleksandra Djurkovic, A. Christopher Oishi, Eric Edgerton, Jesse Bash, Jennifer Knoepp, Melissa Puchalski, John Iiames, and Chelcy F. Miniat
Biogeosciences, 20, 971–995, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-971-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-971-2023, 2023
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Better estimates of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition are needed to accurately assess ecosystem risk and impacts from deposition of nutrients and acidity. Using measurements and modeling, we estimate total N deposition of 6.7 kg N ha−1 yr−1 at a forest site in the southern Appalachian Mountains, a region sensitive to atmospheric deposition. Reductions in deposition of reduced forms of N (ammonia and ammonium) will be needed to meet the lowest estimates of N critical loads for the region.
Yi-Ying Chen and Sebastiaan Luyssaert
Biogeosciences, 20, 349–363, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-349-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-349-2023, 2023
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Tropical cyclones are typically assumed to be associated with ecosystem damage. This study challenges this assumption and suggests that instead of reducing leaf area, cyclones in East Asia may increase leaf area by alleviating water stress.
Deborah F. McGlynn, Graham Frazier, Laura E. R. Barry, Manuel T. Lerdau, Sally E. Pusede, and Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz
Biogeosciences, 20, 45–55, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-45-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-45-2023, 2023
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Using a custom-made gas chromatography flame ionization detector, 2 years of speciated hourly biogenic volatile organic compound data were collected in a forest in central Virginia. We identify diurnal and seasonal variability in the data, which is shown to impact atmospheric oxidant budgets. A comparison with emission models identified discrepancies with implications for model outcomes. We suggest increased monitoring of speciated biogenic volatile organic compounds to improve modeled results.
Luke D. Schiferl, Jennifer D. Watts, Erik J. L. Larson, Kyle A. Arndt, Sébastien C. Biraud, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Jordan P. Goodrich, John M. Henderson, Aram Kalhori, Kathryn McKain, Marikate E. Mountain, J. William Munger, Walter C. Oechel, Colm Sweeney, Yonghong Yi, Donatella Zona, and Róisín Commane
Biogeosciences, 19, 5953–5972, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5953-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5953-2022, 2022
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As the Arctic rapidly warms, vast stores of thawing permafrost could release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. We combined observations of atmospheric CO2 concentrations from aircraft and a tower with observed CO2 fluxes from tundra ecosystems and found that the Alaskan North Slope in not a consistent source nor sink of CO2. Our study shows the importance of using both site-level and atmospheric measurements to constrain regional net CO2 fluxes and improve biogenic processes in models.
Pascal Wintjen, Frederik Schrader, Martijn Schaap, Burkhard Beudert, Richard Kranenburg, and Christian Brümmer
Biogeosciences, 19, 5287–5311, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5287-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5287-2022, 2022
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For the first time, we compared four methods for estimating the annual dry deposition of total reactive nitrogen into a low-polluted forest ecosystem. In our analysis, we used 2.5 years of flux measurements, an in situ modeling approach, a large-scale chemical transport model (CTM), and canopy budget models. Annual nitrogen dry deposition budgets ranged between 4.3 and 6.7 kg N ha−1 a−1, depending on the applied method.
Michael Staudt, Juliane Daussy, Joseph Ingabire, and Nafissa Dehimeche
Biogeosciences, 19, 4945–4963, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4945-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4945-2022, 2022
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We studied the short- and long-term effects of CO2 as a function of temperature on monoterpene emissions from holm oak. Similarly to isoprene, emissions decreased non-linearly with increasing CO2, with no differences among compounds and chemotypes. The CO2 response was modulated by actual leaf and growth temperature but not by growth CO2. Estimates of annual monoterpene release under double CO2 suggest that CO2 inhibition does not offset the increase in emissions due to expected warming.
Brendan Byrne, Junjie Liu, Yonghong Yi, Abhishek Chatterjee, Sourish Basu, Rui Cheng, Russell Doughty, Frédéric Chevallier, Kevin W. Bowman, Nicholas C. Parazoo, David Crisp, Xing Li, Jingfeng Xiao, Stephen Sitch, Bertrand Guenet, Feng Deng, Matthew S. Johnson, Sajeev Philip, Patrick C. McGuire, and Charles E. Miller
Biogeosciences, 19, 4779–4799, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4779-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4779-2022, 2022
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Plants draw CO2 from the atmosphere during the growing season, while respiration releases CO2 to the atmosphere throughout the year, driving seasonal variations in atmospheric CO2 that can be observed by satellites, such as the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2). Using OCO-2 XCO2 data and space-based constraints on plant growth, we show that permafrost-rich northeast Eurasia has a strong seasonal release of CO2 during the autumn, hinting at an unexpectedly large respiration signal from soils.
Valery A. Isidorov and Andrej A. Zaitsev
Biogeosciences, 19, 4715–4746, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4715-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4715-2022, 2022
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Biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a critical role in earth-system processes: they are
main playersin the formation of tropospheric O3 and secondary aerosols, which have a significant impact on climate, human health and crops. A complex mixture of VOCs, formed as a result of physicochemical and biological processes, is released into the atmosphere from the forest floor. This review presents data on the composition of VOCs and contribution of various processes to their emissions.
David S. McLagan, Harald Biester, Tomas Navrátil, Stephan M. Kraemer, and Lorenz Schwab
Biogeosciences, 19, 4415–4429, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4415-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4415-2022, 2022
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Spruce and larch trees are effective archiving species for historical atmospheric mercury using growth rings of bole wood. Mercury stable isotope analysis proved an effective tool to characterise industrial mercury signals and assess mercury uptake pathways (leaf uptake for both wood and bark) and mercury cycling within the trees. These data detail important information for understanding the mercury biogeochemical cycle particularly in forest systems.
Xin Yu, René Orth, Markus Reichstein, Michael Bahn, Anne Klosterhalfen, Alexander Knohl, Franziska Koebsch, Mirco Migliavacca, Martina Mund, Jacob A. Nelson, Benjamin D. Stocker, Sophia Walther, and Ana Bastos
Biogeosciences, 19, 4315–4329, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4315-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4315-2022, 2022
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Identifying drought legacy effects is challenging because they are superimposed on variability driven by climate conditions in the recovery period. We develop a residual-based approach to quantify legacies on gross primary productivity (GPP) from eddy covariance data. The GPP reduction due to legacy effects is comparable to the concurrent effects at two sites in Germany, which reveals the importance of legacy effects. Our novel methodology can be used to quantify drought legacies elsewhere.
Anders Lindroth, Norbert Pirk, Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir, Christian Stiegler, Leif Klemedtsson, and Mats B. Nilsson
Biogeosciences, 19, 3921–3934, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3921-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3921-2022, 2022
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We measured the fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane between a moist moss tundra and the atmosphere on Svalbard in order to better understand how such ecosystems are affecting the climate and vice versa. We found that the system was a small sink of carbon dioxide and a small source of methane. These fluxes are small in comparison with other tundra ecosystems in the high Arctic. Analysis of temperature sensitivity showed that respiration was more sensitive than photosynthesis above about 6 ℃.
Phillip Papastefanou, Christian S. Zang, Zlatan Angelov, Aline Anderson de Castro, Juan Carlos Jimenez, Luiz Felipe Campos De Rezende, Romina C. Ruscica, Boris Sakschewski, Anna A. Sörensson, Kirsten Thonicke, Carolina Vera, Nicolas Viovy, Celso Von Randow, and Anja Rammig
Biogeosciences, 19, 3843–3861, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3843-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3843-2022, 2022
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The Amazon rainforest has been hit by multiple severe drought events. In this study, we assess the severity and spatial extent of the extreme drought years 2005, 2010 and 2015/16 in the Amazon. Using nine different precipitation datasets and three drought indicators we find large differences in drought stress across the Amazon region. We conclude that future studies should use multiple rainfall datasets and drought indicators when estimating the impact of drought stress in the Amazon region.
Haiyang Shi, Geping Luo, Olaf Hellwich, Mingjuan Xie, Chen Zhang, Yu Zhang, Yuangang Wang, Xiuliang Yuan, Xiaofei Ma, Wenqiang Zhang, Alishir Kurban, Philippe De Maeyer, and Tim Van de Voorde
Biogeosciences, 19, 3739–3756, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3739-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3739-2022, 2022
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A number of studies have been conducted by using machine learning approaches to simulate carbon fluxes. We performed a meta-analysis of these net ecosystem exchange (NEE) simulations. Random forests and support vector machines performed better than other algorithms. Models with larger timescales had a lower accuracy. For different plant functional types (PFTs), there were significant differences in the predictors used and their effects on model accuracy.
Siqi Li, Wei Zhang, Xunhua Zheng, Yong Li, Shenghui Han, Rui Wang, Kai Wang, Zhisheng Yao, Chunyan Liu, and Chong Zhang
Biogeosciences, 19, 3001–3019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3001-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3001-2022, 2022
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The CNMM–DNDC model was modified to simulate ammonia volatilization (AV) from croplands. AV from cultivated uplands followed the first-order kinetics, which was jointly regulated by the factors of soil properties and meteorological conditions. AV simulation from rice paddy fields was improved by incorporating Jayaweera–Mikkelsen mechanisms. The modified model performed well in simulating the observed cumulative AV measured from 63 fertilization events in China.
Matthias Volk, Matthias Suter, Anne-Lena Wahl, and Seraina Bassin
Biogeosciences, 19, 2921–2937, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2921-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2921-2022, 2022
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Because soils are an important sink for greenhouse gasses, we subjected sub-alpine grassland to a six-level climate change treatment.
Two independent methods showed that at warming > 1.5 °C the grassland ecosystem lost ca. 14 % or ca. 1 kg C m−2 in 5 years.
This shrinking of the terrestrial C sink implies a substantial positive feedback to the atmospheric greenhouse effect.
It is likely that this dramatic C loss is a transient effect before a new, climate-adjusted steady state is reached.
Johan A. Eckdahl, Jeppe A. Kristensen, and Daniel B. Metcalfe
Biogeosciences, 19, 2487–2506, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2487-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2487-2022, 2022
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This study found climate to be a driving force for increasing per area emissions of greenhouse gases and removal of important nutrients from high-latitude forests due to wildfire. It used detailed direct measurements over a large area to uncover patterns and mechanisms of restructuring of forest carbon and nitrogen pools that are extrapolatable to larger regions. It also takes a step forward in filling gaps in global knowledge of northern forest response to climate-change-strengthened wildfires.
Sparkle L. Malone, Youmi Oh, Kyle A. Arndt, George Burba, Roisin Commane, Alexandra R. Contosta, Jordan P. Goodrich, Henry W. Loescher, Gregory Starr, and Ruth K. Varner
Biogeosciences, 19, 2507–2522, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2507-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2507-2022, 2022
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To understand the CH4 flux potential of natural ecosystems and agricultural lands in the United States of America, a multi-scale CH4 observation network focused on CH4 flux rates, processes, and scaling methods is required. This can be achieved with a network of ground-based observations that are distributed based on climatic regions and land cover.
Bruna R. F. Oliveira, Jan J. Keizer, and Thomas Foken
Biogeosciences, 19, 2235–2243, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2235-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2235-2022, 2022
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This study analyzes the impacts of this windthrow on the aerodynamic characteristics of zero-plane displacement and roughness length and, ultimately, their implications for the turbulent fluxes. The turbulent fluxes were only affected to a minor degree by the windthrow, but the footprint area of the flux tower changed markedly so that the target area of the measurements had to be redetermined.
Minttu Havu, Liisa Kulmala, Pasi Kolari, Timo Vesala, Anu Riikonen, and Leena Järvi
Biogeosciences, 19, 2121–2143, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2121-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2121-2022, 2022
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The carbon sequestration potential of two street tree species and the soil beneath them was quantified with the urban land surface model SUEWS and the soil carbon model Yasso. The street tree plantings turned into a modest sink of carbon from the atmosphere after 14 years. Overall, the results indicate the importance of soil in urban carbon sequestration estimations, as soil respiration exceeded the carbon uptake in the early phase, due to the high initial carbon loss from the soil.
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Short summary
The spatial variability of N2O fluxes measured at the field scale were investigated using a high-precision closed loop dynamic chamber. The results highlight the large and often unpredictable variation in N2O flux magnitude measured from agricultural soils at a relatively small scale. Available nitrogen content of the soils accounts for some of the variability in N2O emissions. The study suggests animal waste is an important source of N2O emissions released from livestock farms.
The spatial variability of N2O fluxes measured at the field scale were investigated using a...
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