Skip to main content
Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2007

Nitrification controls N2O production rates in a frozen boreal forest soil

Oquist MG, Petrone K, Nilsson M, Klemedtsson L

Abstract

The winter season has been identified as a significant contributor to N2O emissions from boreal soils, but our understanding of the processes regulating these emissions is fragmentary. We investigated potential N-sources and pathways involved in N2O formation in a frozen boreal forest soil by labeling soil samples with N-15-containing substrates, and measured rates of (N2O)-N-15/N-15(2) formation under both oxic and anoxic conditions. Our results showed that all N2O produced in the frozen samples originate from denitrification, but the rate-limiting factor is NO3- availability, which is largely governed by nitrification. This suggests that N2O formation in frozen boreal soils may be sustained for a prolonged period of time, but is governed by a delicate balance of the O-2 regime. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Published in

Soil Biology and Biochemistry
2007, volume: 39, number: 7, pages: 1809-1811
Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Authors' information

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Ecology and Management
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Ecology and Management
Klemedtsson, Leif
Petrone, Kevin
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Ecology and Management

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

Publication Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.01.010

URI (permanent link to this page)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/15405