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Nitrous oxide emissions from stems of alder, beech and spruce in a temperate forest

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Abstract

Background and aims

Although plants are recognized as conduits for soil-produced N2O, little is known about N2O fluxes from mature trees under field conditions as well as their contribution to total (soil + stem) N2O fluxes. Exclusion of tree-mediated N2O may thus underestimate total forest N2O fluxes. In the present study, our aims were to quantify tree-mediated N2O emissions and their seasonal patterns.

Methods

We investigated in situ stem and soil N2O fluxes from mature alder trees on poorly-drained soil and mature beech and spruce trees on well-drained soils during March–October 2015.

Results

Alder, beech and spruce consistently emitted N2O via stems and all displayed clear seasonal patterns. Soil and air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and soil N2O concentration influenced the temporal variability of stem N2O fluxes. Stem and soil N2O fluxes from the alder stand were higher than beech and spruce stands. Stem N2O fluxes accounted 8.8–9.8% of the total N2O fluxes in the beech and spruce stands but only 1.1% in the alder stand.

Conclusions

Our study reveals the importance of field-based measurements across seasons in order to come up with reliable estimates of stem N2O fluxes. N2O estimates from temperate forests that are solely based on soil N2O flux measurements are probably conservative.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, Co 749/1-1, SFB 990/2 (project A05), DFG VE 219/14-1) and the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF SIGNAL project 031A562A). Yuan Wen was supported by China Scholarship Council. We thank Dirk Böttger, Andriana Maslicov, Andrea Bauer, Kerstin Langs and Martina Knaust for all the field and laboratory assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Buesgenweg 2, 37077, Goettingen, Germany

    Yuan Wen, Marife D. Corre, Lin Chen & Edzo Veldkamp

  2. Forest Zoology and Forest Conservation, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Buesgenweg 3, 37077, Goettingen, Germany

    Christine Rachow

  3. Experimental Center of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Pingxiang, 532600, China

    Lin Chen

Authors
  1. Yuan Wen
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  2. Marife D. Corre
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  3. Christine Rachow
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  4. Lin Chen
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  5. Edzo Veldkamp
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Contributions

M.D.C., E.V. and Y.W. designed the experiment. Y.W. and L.C. carried out the field measurements. Y.W. analysed the data and all authors interpreted the results. C.R. and E.V. developed and tested the stem chamber method. Y.W., M.D.C. and E.V. wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuan Wen.

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Responsible Editor: Paul Bodelier.

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Wen, Y., Corre, M.D., Rachow, C. et al. Nitrous oxide emissions from stems of alder, beech and spruce in a temperate forest. Plant Soil 420, 423–434 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3416-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3416-5

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