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Nitrous oxide effluxes from plants as a potentially important source to the atmosphere
Author(s) -
Lenhart Katharina,
Behrendt Thomas,
Greiner Steffen,
Steinkamp Jörg,
Well Reinhard,
Giesemann Anette,
Keppler Frank
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.15455
Subject(s) - nitrous oxide , atmosphere (unit) , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , astrobiology , environmental chemistry , chemistry , ecology , biology , meteorology , geology , geography
Summary The global budget for nitrous oxide (N 2 O), an important greenhouse gas and probably dominant ozone‐depleting substance emitted in the 21 st century, is far from being fully understood. Cycling of N 2 O in terrestrial ecosystems has traditionally exclusively focused on gas exchange between the soil surface (nitrification–denitrification processes) and the atmosphere. Terrestrial vegetation has not been considered in the global budget so far, even though plants are known to release N 2 O. Here, we report the N 2 O emission rates of 32 plant species from 22 different families measured under controlled laboratory conditions. Furthermore, the first isotopocule values (δ 15 N, δ 18 O and δ 15 N sp ) of N 2 O emitted from plants were determined. A robust relationship established between N 2 O emission and CO 2 respiration rates, which did not alter significantly over a broad range of changing environmental conditions, was used to quantify plant‐derived emissions on an ecosystem scale. Stable isotope measurements (δ 15 N, δ 18 O and δ 15 N sp ) of N 2 O emitted by plants clearly show that the dual isotopocule fingerprint of plant‐derived N 2 O differs from that of currently known microbial or chemical processes. Our work suggests that vegetation is a natural source of N 2 O in the environment with a large fraction released by a hitherto unrecognized process.