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The effects of fire on biogenic soil emissions of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide
Author(s) -
Levine Joel S.,
Cofer Wesley R.,
Sebacher Daniel I.,
Winstead Edward L.,
Sebacher Shirley,
Boston Penelope J.
Publication year - 1988
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/gb002i004p00445
Subject(s) - nitrous oxide , chaparral , environmental chemistry , environmental science , nitrate , flux (metallurgy) , ecosystem , ammonium , chemistry , ecology , biology , organic chemistry
Measurements of biogenic soil emissions of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) before and after a controlled burn conducted in a chaparral ecosystem on June 22, 1987, showed significantly enhanced emissions of both gases after the burn. Mean NO emissions from heavily burned and wetted (to simulate rainfall) sites exceeded 40 ng N m −2 s −1 , an increase of 2 to 3 compared to preburn wetted site measurements. N 2 O emissions from burned and wetted sites ranged from 9 to 22 ng N m −2 s −1 . Preburn N 2 O emissions from these wetted sites were all below the detection level of the instrumentation, indicating a flux below 2 ng N m −2 s −1 . The flux of NO exceeded the N 2 O flux from burned wetted sites by factors ranging from 2.7 to 3.4. These measurements coupled with preburn and postburn measurements of ammonium and nitrate in the soil of this chaparral ecosystem and measurements of NO and N 2 O emissions obtained under controlled laboratory conditions suggest that the postfire enhancement of NO and N 2 O emissions is due to production of these gases by nitrifying bacteria.