Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

N2O and CH4 fluxes in undisturbed and burned holm oak, scots pine and pyrenean oak forests in central Spain

  • Published:
Biogeochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 28 May 2013

Abstract

We investigated N2O and CH4 fluxes from soils of Quercus ilex, Quercus pyrenaica and Pinus sylvestris stands located in the surrounding area of Madrid (Spain). The fluxes were measured for 18 months from both mature stands and post fire stands using the static chamber technique. Simultaneously with gas fluxes, soil temperature, soil water content, soil C and soil N were measured in the stands. Nitrous oxide fluxes ranged from −11.43 to 8.34 μg N2O–N m−2 h−1 in Q.ilex, −7.74 to 13.52 μg N2O–N m−2 h−1 in Q. pyrenaica and −28.17 to 21.89 μg N2O–N m−2 h−1 in P. sylvestris. Fluxes of CH4 ranged from −8.12 to 4.11 μg CH4–C m−2 h−1 in Q.ilex, −7.74 to 3.0 μg CH4–C m−2 h−1 in Q. pyrenaica and −24.46 to 6.07 μg CH4–C m−2 h−1 in P. sylvestris. Seasonal differences were detected; N2O fluxes being higher in wet months whereas N2O fluxes declined in dry months. Net consumption of N2O was related to low N availability, high soil C contents, high soil temperatures and low moisture content. Fire decreased N2O fluxes in spring. N2O emissions were closely correlated with previous day’s rainfall and soil moisture. Our ecosystems generally were a sink for methane in the dry season and a source of CH4 during wet months. The available water in the soil influenced the observed seasonal trend. The burned sites showed higher CH4 oxidation rates in Q. ilex, and lower rates in P. sylvestris. Overall, the data suggest that fire alters both N2O and CH4 fluxes. However, the magnitude of such variation depends on the site, soil characteristics and seasonal climatic conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ambus P, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S, Butterbach-Bahl K (2006) Relationship between nitrous oxide production and nitrogen cycling in European forests. Biogeosciences 3:135–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angoa-Perez MV, Castaneda JG, Frias-Hernandez JT, Franco-Hernandez O, Van Cleemput O, Dendooven L, Olalde V (2004) Trace gas emissions from soil of the central highlands of Mexico as affected by natural vegetation: laboratory study. Biol Fertil Soils 40(4):252–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Bate GC (1981) Nitrogen cycling in savanna ecosystems. In: Clark FE, Rosswall T (eds) Terrestrial nitrogen cycles. Swedish National Science Research Council, Stockholm, Sweden, pp 463–475

    Google Scholar 

  • Bédard C, Knowles R (1989) Physiology, biochemistry, and specific inhibitors of CH4, NH4 +, and CO oxidation by methanotrophs and nitrifiers. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 53:68–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Benedikt JF, Livesley SJ, Drösler M, Van Gorsel E, Arndt SK (2009) Soil-atmosphere greenhouse gas exchange in a cool, temperate Eucalyptus delegatensis forest in south-eastern Australia. Agr Forest Meteorol 149:393–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boeckx P, Van Cleemput O (1996) Methane oxidation in neutral landfill cover soil: influence of moisture content, temperature and nitrogen-turnover. J Environ Qual 25:178–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borken W, Brumme R (1997) Liming practice in temperate forest ecosystems and the effects on CO2, N2O and CH4 fluxes. Soil Use Manage 13:251–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borken W, Brumme R, Xu YJ (2000) Effects of prolonged soil drought on CH4 oxidation in a temperate spruce forest. J Geophys Res 105:7079–7088

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Born M, Dörr H, Levin I (1990) Methane consumption in aerated soils of the temperate zone. Tellus 42B:2–8

    Google Scholar 

  • 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 240:77–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butterbach-Bahl K, Breuer L, Gasche R, Willibald G, Papen H (2002) Exchange of trace gases between soils and the atmosphere in Scots pine forest ecosystems of the northeastern German lowlands 1. Fluxes of N2O, NO/NO2 and CH4 at forest sites with different N-deposition. For Ecol Manage 167:123–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carrera AL, Bertiller MB, Sain CK, Mazzarino MJ (2003) Relationship between plant nitrogen conservation strategies and the dynamics of soil nitrogen in the arid Patagonian Monte, Argentina. Plant Soil 255:595–604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castaldi S (2000) Responses of nitrous oxide, dinitrogen and carbon dioxide production and oxygen consumption to temperature in forest and agricultural light-textured soils determined by model experiment. Biol Fert Soils 36:67–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castaldi S, Aragosa D (2002) Factors influencing nitrification and denitrification variability in a natural and fire-disturbed Mediterranean shrubland. Biol Fert Soils 36:418–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castaldi S, Fierro A (2005) Soil–atmosphere methane exchange in undisturbed and burned Mediterranean Shrubland of southern Italy. Ecosystems 8:182–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castaldi S, De Pascale RA, Grace J, Nokonova N, Montes R, San José J (2004) Nitrous oxide and methane fluxes from soils of the Orinoco savanna under different land uses. Glob Chang Biol 10:1947–1960

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castaldi S, Ermice A, Strumia S (2006) Fluxes of N2O and CH4 from soils of savannas and seasonally-dry ecosystems. J Biogeogr 33:401–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro MS, Steuler PA, Melillo JM (1995) Factors controlling atmospheric methane consumption by temperate forest soils. Global Biogeochem Cycles 9:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Certini G (2005) Effects of fire on properties of forest soils: a review. Oecologia 143:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapuis-Lardy L, Matay A, Chotte JL, Berboux (2007) Soils, a sink for N2O? A review. Glob Chang Biol 13:1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cicerone RJ (1979) Changes in stratospheric ozone. Science 21:35–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Conrad R, Andreae MO, Schimel DS (1989) Control of methane production in terrestrial ecosystems. In: Andreae MO, Schimel DS (eds) Exchange of trace gases between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Wiley, New York, pp 39–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson EA (1991) Fluxes of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide from terrestrial ecosystems. In: Rogers JE, Whitman WB (eds) Microbial production and consumption of greenhouse gases: methane, nitrogen oxides and halomethanes. American Society of Microbiology, Washington DC, pp 219–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson EA (1992) Pulses of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide flux following wetting and dry soil: an assessment of probable sources and importance relative to annual fluxes. Ecol Bull 42:149–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson EA (1993) Soil water content and the ratio of nitrous oxide to nitric oxide emitted from soil. In: Oremland RS (ed) Biogeochemistry of global change. Chapman and Hall, New York, pp 369–386

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson EA, Stark JM, Firestone MK (1990) Microbial production and consumption of nitrate in an annual grassland. Ecology 71:1968–1975

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson EA, Keller M, Erickson HE, Verchot LV, Veldkamp E (2000) Testing a conceptual model of soil emissions of nitrous and nitric oxides. Bioscience 50:667–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dedysh SN, Liesack W, Khmelenina VN, Suzina NE, Trotsenko YA, Semraum JD et al (2000) Methylocella palustris gen.nov.s sp nov., a new methane-oxidizing acidophilic bacterium from peat bogs; representing a novel subtype of serine-pathway methanotrophs. Int J Syst Evol Micr 50:955–969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durán J, Rodríguez A, Fernández-Palacios JM, Gallardo A (2009) Changes in net mineralization rates and soil N and P pools in pine forest wildfire chronosequence. Biol Fertil Soils 45:781–788

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1998) World reference base for soil resources, food and agriculture. Organization of the United Nations, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenn ME, Poth MA, Johnson DW (1996) Evidence for nitrogen saturation in the San Bernardino Mountains in southern California. Forest Ecol Manag 82:211–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finzi A, Van Breemen N, Canham CD (1998) Canopy tree-soil interactions within temperate forest: species effects on soil carbon and nitrogen. Ecol Appl 8:440–446

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestone MK, Davidson EA (1989) Microbiological basis of NO and N2O production and consumption in soil. In: Andreae MO, Schimel DS (eds) Exchange of trace gases between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Wiley, New York, pp 7–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallardo A, Merino J (1992) Nitrogen inmobilization in leaf litter at two Mediterranean ecosystems of SW Spain. Biogeochemistry 15:213–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallardo A, Schlesinger WH (1994) Factors limiting microbial biomass in the mineral soil and forest floor of a warm-temperate forest. Soil Biol Biochem 26:1409–1415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillon D, Gomendy V, Houssard C, Marechal J, Valette JC (1995) Combustion and nutrient losses during laboratory burns. Int J Wildland Fire 5:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giovannini G, Lucchesi S, Giachetti M (1988) Effect of heating on some physical and chemical parameters related to soil aggregation and erodibility. Soil Sci 146:255–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg SD, Gebauer G (2009) Drought turns a central European Norway spruce forest soil from an N2O source to a transient N2O sink. Glob Chang Biol 15:850–860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granli T, Bøckman OC (1994) Nitrous oxide from agriculture. Norw J Agr Sci 12(suppl):1–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Houghton JT, Meira F, Callander IG, Harris BA, Kattenberg N, Maskell K (1996) Climate change 1995: the science of climate change. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hütsch BW, Webster CP, Powlson DS (1994) Methane oxidation in soil as affected by land use, soil pH and N fertilization. Soil Biol Biochem 26:1613–1622

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inclán R, Uribe C, De la Torre D et al (2010) Carbon dioxide fluxes across the Sierra de Guadarrama, Spain. Eur J Forest Res 129:93–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (1992) Greenhose gases and aerosols. In: Houghton JT, Callander BA, Varney SK (eds) Climate change 1992. The supplementary report to the IPCC scientific assessment, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

  • IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

  • Johnson DM, Murphy JD, Susfalk RB, Caldwell TG, Miller WW, Walker RF (2005) The effects of wildfire, salvage logging, and post-fire N fixation on the nutrient budgets of a Sierran forest. For Ecol Manag 220:155–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson DW, Fenn ME, Watkins WM, Hunsaker CF (2009) Fire effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling in forests of the Sierra Nevada. In: Bytnerowicz A, Arbaugh A, Riebau A, Andersen C (eds) Developments in environmental science, vol 8. Elsevier BV, San Diego, pp 405–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones DL, Healey JR, Willett VB et al (2005) Dissolved organic nitrogen uptake by plants-an important N uptake pathway? Soil Biol Biochem 37:413–423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitzler B, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S, Holtermann CL et al (2006) Nitrogen oxides emission from two beech forests subjected to different nitrogen loads. Biogeosciences 3:293–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klemedtsson L, Von Arnold K, Weslien P, Gundersen P (2005) Soil CN ratio as a scalar parameter to predict nitrous oxide emissions. Glob Chang Biol 11:1142–1147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martikainen PJ, de Boer W (1993) Nitrous oxide production and nitrification in acidic soil from a Dutch coniferous forest. Soil Biol Biochem 25:343–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merino A, Pérez-Batallón P, Macías F (2004) Responses of soil organic matter and greenhouse gas fluxes to soil management and land use changes in a humid temperate region of southern Europe. Soil Biol Biochem 36:917–925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mosier AR, Schimel DS, Valentine D, Bronson K, Parton WJ (1991) Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in native, fertilized and cultivated grasslands. Nature 350:330–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neary DG, Klopatek CC, DeBano LF, Ffolliott PF (1999) Fire effects on belowground sustainability: a review and synthesis. Forest Ecol Manag 122:51–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papen H, Dunkin KA, Firestone MK (2001) N2O and CH4 flux soils of an N-limited and N-fertilized spruce forest ecosystem of temperate zone. J Appl Bot 75:159–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Parton WJ, Holland EA, Del Grosso SJ et al (2001) Generalized model for NOx and N2O emissions from soils. J Geophys Res 106:17403–17419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peoples MB, Craswell ET (1992) Biological nitrogen fixation: investments, expectations and actual contributions to agriculture. Plant Soil 141:13–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Persson T, Rudebeck A, Jussy JH, Colin-Belgrand M, Priemé A, Dambrine E, Karlsson PS, Sjöberg RM (2000) Soil nitrogen turnover: mineralisation, nitrification and denitrification in European forest soil. In: Schulze ED (ed) Carbon and nitrogen cycling in European forest ecosystems. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 297–340

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Philippot L, Hallin S, Börjesson G, Baggs EM (2009) Biochemical cycling in the rhizosphere having an impact on global change. Plant Soil (special) 321:61–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pilegaard K, Skiba U, Ambus P, Beier N et al (2006) Factor controlling regional differences in forest soil emission of nitrogen oxides (NO and N2O). Biogeosciences 3:651–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poth M, Anderson IC, Miranda HS, Miranda AC, Riggan PG (1995) The magnitude and persistence of soil NO, N2O, CH4 and CO2 fluxes from burned tropical savanna in Brazil. Global Biogeochem Cycles 9:503–513

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potter CS, Davidson EA, Verchot LV (1996a) Estimation of global biogeochemical controls and seasonality in soil methane consumption. Chemosphere 32:2219–2246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potter CS, Matson PA, Vitousek PM et al (1996b) Process modeling of controls on nitrogen gas emissions from soils worldwide. J Geophys Res 101:1361–1477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prieto-Fernández A, Acea MJ, Carballas T (1998) Soil microbial and extractable C and N after wildfire. Biol Fertil Soils 27:132–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Radajewski S, Webster G, Reay DS, Morris SA, Ineson P, Nedwell DB et al (2002) Identification of active methylotroph populations in an acidic forest soil by stable isotope probing. Microbiol-SGM 148:2331–2342

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez A, Durán J, Fernández-Palacios JM, Gallardo A (2009) Spatial pattern and scale of soil N and P fractions under the influence of a leguminous shrub in a Pinus canariensis forest. Geoderma 51:303–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenkranz P, Brüggemann N, Papen H, Xu Z, Seufert G, Butterbach-Bahl K (2006) N2O, NO and CH4 exchange, and microbial N turnover over a Mediterranean pine forest soil. Biogeosciences 3:121–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothe A, Cromack K Jr, Resch SC, Makineri E, Son Y (2002) Soil carbon and nitrogen changes under Douglas-fir with and without red alder. Soil Sci Soc Am J 66:1988–1995

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rovira P, Vallejo VR (1997) Organic carbon and nitrogen mineralization under Mediterranean climatic conditions: the effects of incubation depth. Soil Biol Biochem 29:1509–1520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutigliano FA, De Marco A, Dáscolo CS, Gentile A, Virzo De Santo A (2007) Impact of fire on fungal abundance and microbial efficiency in C assimilation and mineralization in a Mediterranean maquis soil. Biol Fertil Soils 44:377–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schindlbacher A, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S, Butterbach-Bahl K (2004) Effects of soil moisture and temperature on NO, NO2 and N2O emission from European forest soils. J Geophys Res 109, D17302:1–2

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt I, Van Spanning RJM, Jetten MSM (2004) Denitrification and ammonia oxidation by Nitrosomonas europaea wild-type, and NirK- and Nor-deficient mutants. Microbiology 150:4107–4114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skiba U, Smith KA, Fowler D (1993) Nitrification and denitrification as sources of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide in a sandy loam soil. Soil Biol Biochem 25:1527–1536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skiba U, Sheppard LJ, MacDonald J, Fowler D (1998) Some key environmental variables controlling nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural and semi-natural soils in Scotland. Atmos Environ 32:3311–3320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skiba U, Pitcain C, Sheppard L, Kennedy V, Fowler D (2004) The influence of atmospheric N deposition on nitrous oxide and nitric oxide fluxes and soil ammonium and nitrate concentrations. Water Air Soil Poll 4:37–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Skiba U, Drewer J, Tang YS et al (2009) Biosphere-atmosphere exchange of reactive nitrogen and greenhouse gases at the NitroEurope core flux measurement sites: measurement strategy and first data sets. Agr Ecosyst Environ 133:139–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith KA (1990) Anaerobic zones and denitrification in soil: modellling and measurements. In: Revsboech NP, Sørensen J (eds) Denitrification in soil and sediments. Plenum Press, New York, pp 228–240

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith KA, Thomson PE, Clayton PE, McTaggart IP, Conen F (1998) Effects of temperature, water content and nitrogen fertilization on emissions of nitrous oxide by soils. Atmos Environ 32:3301–3309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith KA, Dobbie KE, Ball BC, Bakken LR, Sitaula BK, Hansens S, Brumme R, Borken WB, Christensen S, Priemé A, Fowler D, MacDonald A, Skiba U, Klemedtsson L, Kasimir-Klemedtsson A, Derorska A, Orlanski P (2000) Oxidation of atmospheric methane in Northern European soils, comparison with other ecosystem, and uncertainties in the global terrestrial sink. Glob Chang Biol 6:791–803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan BW, Kolb TE, Hart SC, Kaye JP, Dore S, Montes-Helu M (2008) Thinning reduces soil carbon dioxide but not methane flux from southwestern USA ponderosa pine forest. Forest Ecol Manag 255:4047–4055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verchot LV, Davidson EA, Cattânio JH et al (2000) Land use change and biogeochemical controls of methane fluxes in soils of Eastern Amazonia. Ecosystems 3:41–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan S, Hui D, Luo Y (2001) Fire-effects on nitrogen pools and dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems: a meta-analysis. Ecol Appl 11:1349–1365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weslien P, Kasimir Klemedtsson A, Börjesson G, Klemedtsson L (2009) Strong pH influence on N2O and CH4 fluxes from forested organic soils. Eur J Soil Sci 60:311–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westerling AL, Hidalgo HG, Cayan DR, Swetnam TW (2006) Warming and earlier spring increase western U.S. forest wildfire activity. Science 313:940–943

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wienhold BJ, Klemmedson JO (1992) Effect of prescribed fire on nitrogen and phosphorus in Arizona chaparral soil-plant systems. Arid Soil Res Rehabil 6:285–296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf B, Zheng X, Brüggermann N, Chen W, Dannenmann M, Han X, Sutton MA, Wu H, Yao Z, Butterbach-Bahl K (2010) Grazing-induced reduction of natural nitrous oxide release from continental steppe. Nature 464:881–884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamulki S, Goulding KWT, Webster CP, Harrison RM (1995) Studies on NO and N2O fluxes from wheat field. Atmos Environ 14:1627–1635

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was conducted in the framework of the Spanish CGL2006-02922/CLI and CGL2009-07031 and the European COST 639 (BurnOut). The authors want to express their gratitude to Stoyan Holding LTD., Patrimonio Nacional and Community of Madrid for the employment of their forest sites.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rosa Inclán.

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10533-013-9866-9.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Inclán, R., Uribe, C., Sánchez, L. et al. N2O and CH4 fluxes in undisturbed and burned holm oak, scots pine and pyrenean oak forests in central Spain. Biogeochemistry 107, 19–41 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9520-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9520-8

Keywords

Navigation