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Exchange of N2O and CH4 between the atmosphere and soils in spruce-fir forests in the northeastern United States

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Abstract

We measured the exchange of N2O and CH4 between the atmosphere and soils in 5 spruce-fir stands located along a transect from New York to Maine. Nitrous oxide emissions averaged over the 1990 growing season (May–September) ranged from 2.1 ug N2O-N/m2-hr in New York to 0.4 ug N2O-N/m2-hr in Maine. The westernmost sites, Whiteface Mtn., New York and Mt. Mansfield, Vermont, had the highest nitrogen-deposition, net nitrification and N2O emissions. Soils at all sites were net sinks for atmospheric CH4 Methane uptake averaged over the 1990 growing season ranged from 0.02 mg CH4-C/M2-hr in Maine to 0.05 mg CH4-C/m2-hr in Vermont. Regional differences in CH4 uptake could not be explained by differences in nitrogen-deposition, soil nitrogen dynamics, soil moisture or soil temperature. We estimate that soils in spruce-fir forests at our study sites released ca. 0.02 to 0.08 kg N2O-N/ha and consumed ca. 0.74 to 1.85 kg CH4 C/ha in the 1990 growing season.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 02543, USA

    Mark S. Castro, Paul A. Steudler & Jerry M. Melillo

  2. Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA

    John D. Aber

  3. Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771, USA

    Sarah Millham

Authors
  1. Mark S. Castro
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  2. Paul A. Steudler
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  3. Jerry M. Melillo
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  4. John D. Aber
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  5. Sarah Millham
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Castro, M.S., Steudler, P.A., Melillo, J.M. et al. Exchange of N2O and CH4 between the atmosphere and soils in spruce-fir forests in the northeastern United States. Biogeochemistry 18, 119–135 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003273

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003273

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