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

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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.

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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).

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Author notes

  1. Paloma Heras

    Present address: Crop & Soils Systems, SRUC Edinburgh Campus, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstrasse 19, 82467, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

    Eugenio Díaz-Pinés, Paloma Heras, Rainer Gasche, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl & Ralf Kiese

  2. Department of Natural Systems and Resources, Technical University of Madrid, School of Forestry Engineering and Natural Resources, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Paloma Heras & Agustín Rubio

  3. Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, D-79110, Freiburg, Germany

    Heinz Rennenberg

  4. College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Heinz Rennenberg

  5. International Livestock Research Institute, Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya

    Klaus Butterbach-Bahl

Authors
  1. Eugenio Díaz-Pinés
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  2. Paloma Heras
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  6. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
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Correspondence to Eugenio Díaz-Pinés.

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Responsible Editor: Ute Skiba.

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Díaz-Pinés, E., Heras, P., Gasche, R. et al. Nitrous oxide emissions from stems of ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Plant Soil 398, 35–45 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2629-8

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