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Trace gas responses of tropical forest and pasture soils to N and P fertilization
Author(s) -
Steudler Paul A.,
GarciaMontiel Diana C.,
Piccolo Marisa C.,
Neill Christopher,
Melillo Jerry M.,
Feigl Brigitte J.,
Cerri Carlos C.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/2001gb001394
Subject(s) - pasture , nitrous oxide , context (archaeology) , nitrogen , human fertilization , environmental science , fertilizer , soil water , phosphorus , agronomy , ammonium , nitrate , chemistry , zoology , environmental chemistry , biology , soil science , paleontology , organic chemistry
We measured the responses of nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) fertilization in a mature moist tropical forest and an 11‐year‐old pasture in the Brazilian Amazon. Nitrogen was applied in two forms, ammonium (NH 4 + ) and nitrate (NO 3 − ). In the forest, NO emissions increased by 4 to 9 times the controls in the NH 4 + amended plots. Nitrous oxide emissions showed a small response only in the NH 4 + amended plots. In the pasture, NO emissions during the first 7 days after fertilization with either form of N were about twice those in the control plots. Nitrous oxide emissions increased more than 18 times the controls in the NO 3 − amended plots 1 day after fertilization. The estimated yields of total nitrogen oxide loss from the forest were between 0.2 and 1.6% of the applied nitrogen, predominately as NO. Pasture yields were greater, up to 2.8% of the applied nitrogen, predominately as N 2 O. In the context of Rondônia and other regions in the Amazon Basin, pasture management practices are changing to include increased use of fertilizer, particularly in older pastures that have lower NO and N 2 O emissions than the original intact forests. This may lead to large short‐term releases of N 2 O and alter the future N 2 O emissions from the Basin.