Articles | Volume 22, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-7829-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-7829-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
09 Dec 2025
Research article |
| 09 Dec 2025
| 09 Dec 2025
Environmental conditions rather than nitrogen availability limit nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from a temperate birch forest
School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FE, United Kingdom
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
David Reay
School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FE, United Kingdom
Matthew Jones
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
Ajinkya Deshpande
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
Nicholas Cowan
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
Peter Levy
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
Duncan Harvey
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
Agata Iwanicka
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom
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Short summary
The impacts of increasing nitrogen deposition on the fluxes of nitrous oxide from a temperate birch forest were investigated in-situ and ex-situ. Nitrogen levels had a limited effect on emissions. Instead, emissions of nitrous oxide were modulated by soil carbon availability and meeting a dual temperature-moisture threshold. An implication of these findings is that forests could be used for mitigating nitrogen pollution without incurring a greenhouse gas penalty, at least in the short term.
The impacts of increasing nitrogen deposition on the fluxes of nitrous oxide from a temperate...
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