Plant and Soil

, Volume 398, Issue 1–2, pp 35–45 | Cite as

Nitrous oxide emissions from stems of ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

  • Eugenio Díaz-Pinés
  • Paloma Heras
  • Rainer Gasche
  • Agustín Rubio
  • Heinz Rennenberg
  • Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
  • Ralf Kiese
Regular Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Aims

We investigated N2O emissions from stems of Fraxinus angustifolia and Fagus sylvatica, hypothesizing that trees emit N2O through the stem via diffusion out of the transpiration stream.

Methods

We used static chambers fixed at different heights of the stem to estimate N2O stem effluxes. Chambers were also used for monitoring soil N2O emissions. To stimulate soil N2O production and stem N2O emissions we fertilized the soil.

Results

Before soil fertilization, stem N2O emissions were at most 2 μg N2O-N m−2 bark h−1. After fertilization, stem and soil emissions were linearly correlated; stem emissions decreased linearly with increasing height. Stems of Fagus sylvatica emitted up to 80 μg N2O-N m−2 bark h−1 at 20 cm above soil level; at 200 cm, stem N2O emissions were below detection limit. Fraxinus angustifolia stem N2O emissions reached 35 μg N2O-N m−2 bark h−1 after soil fertilization.

Conclusions

Stem N2O emissions in upland trees occur even without aerenchyma, associated with xylem water transport. However, stem N2O emissions represented only 1–3 % of total (soil + stem) N2O emissions at the forest level. If this holds for other forest ecosystems, stem N2O emissions would be a minor pathway of N2O loss from terrestrial ecosystems into the atmosphere.

Keywords

Tree stem N2O emissions Soil N2O emissions Fagus sylvatica L Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgments

This work has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Program, under project number 262060 (ExpeER) within its framework of Transnational Access Activity (subproject FLUSTTREE).

References

  1. Butterbach-Bahl K, Papen H (2002) Four years continuous record of CH4-exchange between the atmosphere and untreated and limed soil of a N-saturated spruce and beech forest ecosystem in Germany. Plant Soil 240:77–90CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Butterbach-Bahl K, Gasche R, Breuer L, Papen H (1997) Fluxes of NO and N2O from temperate forest soils: impact of forest type, N deposition and of liming on the NO and N2O emissions. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 48:79–90CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Butterbach-Bahl K, Gasche R, Willibald G, Papen H (2002a) Exchange of N-gases at the Höglwald forest: a summary. Plant Soil 240:117–123CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Butterbach-Bahl K, Rothe A, Papen H (2002b) Effect of tree distance on N2O and CH4-fluxes from soils in temperate forest ecosystems. Plant Soil 240:91–103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Butterbach-Bahl K, Baggs EM, Dannenmann M, Kiese R, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S (2013) Nitrous oxide emissions from soils: how well do we understand the processes and their controls? Philos T Roy Soc B 368Google Scholar
  6. Chang C, Janzen HH, Cho CM, Nakonechny EM (1998) Nitrous oxide emission through plants. Soil Sci Soc Am J 62:35–38CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Chen X, Boeckx P, Shen S, Van Cleemput O (1999) Emission of N2O from rye grass (Lolium perenne L.). Biol Fertil Soils 28:393–396CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Eugster W, Zeyer K, Zeeman M, Michna P, Zingg A, Buchmann N, Emmenegger L (2007) Methodical study of nitrous oxide eddy covariance measurements using quantum cascade laser spectrometery over a Swiss forest. Biogeosciences 4:927–939CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Evans DE (2003) Aerenchyma formation. New Phytol 161:35–49CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. FAO (2006) World reference base for soil resourcces 2006, first update 2007. World Soil Resources Reports, n° 103. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, RomeGoogle Scholar
  11. Haas E, Klatt S, Fröhlich A, Kraft P, Werner C, Kiese R, Grote R, Breuer L, Butterbach-Bahl K (2013) LandscapeDNDC: a process model for simulation of biosphere-atmosphere-hydrosphere exchange processes at site and regional scale. Landsc Ecol 28:615–636CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Heincke M, Kaupenjohann M (1999) Effects of soil solution on the dynamics of N2O emissions: a review. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 55:133–157CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Hoffman G (1991) Methodenbuch Band I. Die Untersuchung von Böden. Verband Deutscher Landwirtschaftlicher Untersuchungs- und Forschungsanstalten e.V., SpeyerGoogle Scholar
  14. Jaeger C, Gessler A, Biller S, Rennenberg H, Kreuzwieser J (2009) Differences in C metabolism of ash species and provenances as a consequence of root oxygen deprivation by waterlogging. J Exp Bot 60:4335–4345CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  15. Jørgensen CJ, Struwe S, Elberling B (2012) Temporal trends in N2O flux dynamics in a Danish wetland: effects of plant-mediated gas transport of N2O and O2 following changes in water level and soil mineral-N availability. Glob Chang Biol 18:210–222CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Kirchner M, Fegg W, Römmelt H, Leuchner M, Ries L, Zimmermann R, Michalke B, Wallasch M, Maguhn J, Faus-Kessler T, Jakobi G (2014) Nitrogen deposition along differently exposed slopes in the Bavarian Alps. Sci Total Environ 470–471:895–906CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  17. Kreutzer K (1995) Effects of forest liming on soil processes. Plant Soil 168–169:447–470CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Kreutzer K, Weiss T (1998) The Höglwald field experiments—aims, concept and basic data. Plant Soil 199:1–10CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Luo GJ, Brüggemann N, Wolf B, Gasche R, Grote R, Butterbach-Bahl K (2012) Decadal variability of soil CO2, NO, N2O, and CH4 fluxes at the Höglwald Forest, Germany. Biogeosciences 9:1741–1763CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Machacova K, Papen H, Kreuzwieser J, Rennenberg H (2013) Inundation strongly stimulates nitrous oxide emissions from stems of the upland tree Fagus sylvatica and the riparian tree Alnus glutinosa. Plant Soil 364:287–301CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Matejek B, Huber C, Dannenmann M, Kohlpaintner M, Gasche R, Papen H (2010) Microbial N turnover processes in three forest soil layers following clear cutting of an N saturated mature spruce stand. 337:93–110Google Scholar
  22. Parkin T, Venterea R, Hargreaves S (2012) Calculating the detection limits of chamber-based soil greenhouse gas flux measurements. J Environ Qual 41:705–715CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  23. Perämäki M, Nikinmaa E, Sevanto S, Ilvesniemi H, Siivola E, Hari P, Vesala T (2001) Tree stem diameter variations and transpiration in Scots pine: an analysis using a dynamic sap flow model. Tree Physiol 21:889–897CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  24. Pihlatie M, Rinne J, Ambus P, Pilegaard K, Dorsey JR, Rannik Ü, Markkanen T, Launiainen S, Vesala T (2005a) Nitrous oxide emissions from a beech forest floor measured by eddy covariance and soil enclosure techniques. Biogeosciences 2:377–387CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Pihlatie M, Ambus P, Rinne J, Pilegaard K, Vesala T (2005b) Plant-mediated nitrous oxide emissions from beech (Fagus sylvatica) leaves. New Phytol 168:93–98CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  26. Pilegaard K, Skiba U, Ambus P, Beier C, Brüggemann N, Butterbach-Bahl K, Dick J, Dos Santos J, Eash NS, Gallardo A, Gasche R, Horvath L, Kitzler B, Leip A, Pihlatie M, Rosenkranz P, Seufert G, Vesala T, Westrate H, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S (2006) Factors controlling regional differences in forest soil emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO and N2O). Biogeosciences 3:651–661CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Rusch H, Rennenberg H (1998) Black alder (Alnus Glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) trees mediate methane and nitrous oxide emission from the soil to the atmosphere. Plant Soil 201:1–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Shcherbak I, Robertson GP (2014) Determining the diffusivity of nitrous oxide in soil using in situ tracers. Soil Sci Soc Am J 78:79–88CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Vieten B, Conen F, Neftel A, Alewell C (2009) Respiration of nitrous oxide in suboxic soil. Eur J Soil Sci 60:332–337CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. von Oheimb G, Westphal C, Tempel H, Härdtle W (2005) Structural pattern of a near-natural beech forest (Fagus sylvatica) (Serrahn, North-east Germany). For Ecol Manag 212:253–263CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Weiss R, Price B (1980) Nitrous oxide solubility in water and seawater. Mar Chem 8:347–358CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Eugenio Díaz-Pinés
    • 1
  • Paloma Heras
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
  • Rainer Gasche
    • 1
  • Agustín Rubio
    • 2
  • Heinz Rennenberg
    • 4
    • 5
  • Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
    • 1
    • 6
  • Ralf Kiese
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute of Meteorology and Climate ResearchKarlsruhe Institute of TechnologyGarmisch-PartenkirchenGermany
  2. 2.Department of Natural Systems and ResourcesTechnical University of Madrid, School of Forestry Engineering and Natural ResourcesMadridSpain
  3. 3.Crop & Soils SystemsSRUC Edinburgh CampusEdinburghUK
  4. 4.Institute of Forest SciencesUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
  5. 5.College of ScienceKing Saud UniversityRiyadhSaudi Arabia
  6. 6.International Livestock Research InstituteNairobiKenya

Personalised recommendations