101812 Organic Carbon, a Key Criterion in Nitrous Oxide Dynamics in Soils.

Poster Number 177-504

See more from this Division: SSSA Division: Soil Biology and Biochemistry
See more from this Session: Soil Biology and Biochemistry Poster I (includes student competition)

Monday, November 7, 2016
Phoenix Convention Center North, Exhibit Hall CDE

Nazanin Akrami, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, William R. Horwath, One Shields Avenue, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA and Rongzhong Ye, Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA
Abstract:
Fertilized agriculture is a significant source of the most potent green house gas (GHG), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), emissions. N2O’s contribution to climate change through radioactive forcing is 265 times higher than that of Carbon dioxide (CO2). While literature has been mainly focused on N2O production, it is critical to point out that N2O emissions are the result of both production and consumption processes. There is not sufficient research in the literature focusing on the N2O consumption pathways and mechanisms as well as quantification of the rate of N2O consumption in soils.
In this study we introduce soil organic carbon (SOC) as a key criterion controlling N2O consumption processes. We quantify N2O consumption rates in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions under different carbon content scenarios. A batch incubation study is conducted on soils collected from rice agricultural lands in Sacramento-San Joaquin delta consisting of 1%, 5%, 11% and 23% carbon. N2O consumption and production rates for all incubations (including 4 replicates) are measured under different treatments and impact of Oxygen, Water and Carbon content on N2O fluxes is evaluated.
Results predict higher N2O production and consumption rates in the soils with higher SOC content and lower Oxygen content. This study supports the idea that peat lands with high organic carbon content could possibly be managed to be hotspots for Nitrous Oxide (N2O) consumption and might have the capacity to act as N2O sinks.

See more from this Division: SSSA Division: Soil Biology and Biochemistry
See more from this Session: Soil Biology and Biochemistry Poster I (includes student competition)