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N2O and NO emission from the Nyungwe tropical highland rainforest in Rwanda

Gharahi Ghehi, N. ; Werner, C. ; Hufkens, K. ; Kiese, R. ; Van Ranst, E. ; Nsabimana, D. ; Wallin, Göran ; Klemedtsson, Leif ; Butterbach-Bahl, K. and Boeckx, P. (2014) In Geoderma Regional 03-feb. p.41-49
Abstract
Tropical forest soils are a significant source for N2O and NO. Current estimates of N2O and NO emissions areuncertain due to the limited number of fieldmeasurements and model input data. Furthermore, considerable spatialand temporal variability exists due to variation of soil properties, vegetation characteristics and meteorology.Weused a process-based model (ForestDNDC-tropica) to estimate N2O and NO emissions from the entire (970 km2)tropical highland forest (Nyungwe) in southwestern Rwanda. Scaling these results to that regional level using legacysoil, meteorological and simulated vegetation data we found in most cases agreement between N2O and NOmeasurements and model predictions. Limited agreement was found for acid soils with high... (More)
Tropical forest soils are a significant source for N2O and NO. Current estimates of N2O and NO emissions areuncertain due to the limited number of fieldmeasurements and model input data. Furthermore, considerable spatialand temporal variability exists due to variation of soil properties, vegetation characteristics and meteorology.Weused a process-based model (ForestDNDC-tropica) to estimate N2O and NO emissions from the entire (970 km2)tropical highland forest (Nyungwe) in southwestern Rwanda. Scaling these results to that regional level using legacysoil, meteorological and simulated vegetation data we found in most cases agreement between N2O and NOmeasurements and model predictions. Limited agreement was found for acid soils with high clay content and reducedmetals, indicating that abiotic N2O and NO forming processes in acidic soils might be under-represented inthe current ForestDNDC-tropica model. The Nyungwe forest was estimated to emit 439 t N2O-N year?1 (2.8–5.5 kg N2O-N ha?1 year?1) and 244 t NO-N year?1 (0.8–5.1 kg N ha?1 year?1), corroborating previous studies intropical forests and highlighting that also tropical highland rainforest soils are a major source of atmospheric N2Oand NO. The uncertainty for the N2O and NO emission estimates was 153 and 50 t N2O-N year?1 and 36 and 16 tNO-N year?1 considering uncertainty in model input data and annual variability, respectively. The results showedthat soil bulk density and pH were the most influential factors driving spatial variation and model uncertainty. Toimprove global model-based estimates of N2O and NO emission from tropical forest focus should therefore alsobe oriented in delivering more detailed soil and vegetation data. (Less)
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ForestDNDC-tropica Nitrous oxide Nitric oxide Sensitivity analysis Tropical forest Acrisols Alisols Cambisols Nyungwe Rwanda
in
Geoderma Regional
volume
03-feb
pages
41 - 49
external identifiers
  • scopus:84925875024
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
d0d162b8-8e56-4370-8076-fa6fbe7440b7 (old id 7515806)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 14:33:59
date last changed
2022-03-23 21:59:49
@article{d0d162b8-8e56-4370-8076-fa6fbe7440b7,
  abstract     = {{Tropical forest soils are a significant source for N2O and NO. Current estimates of N2O and NO emissions areuncertain due to the limited number of fieldmeasurements and model input data. Furthermore, considerable spatialand temporal variability exists due to variation of soil properties, vegetation characteristics and meteorology.Weused a process-based model (ForestDNDC-tropica) to estimate N2O and NO emissions from the entire (970 km2)tropical highland forest (Nyungwe) in southwestern Rwanda. Scaling these results to that regional level using legacysoil, meteorological and simulated vegetation data we found in most cases agreement between N2O and NOmeasurements and model predictions. Limited agreement was found for acid soils with high clay content and reducedmetals, indicating that abiotic N2O and NO forming processes in acidic soils might be under-represented inthe current ForestDNDC-tropica model. The Nyungwe forest was estimated to emit 439 t N2O-N year?1 (2.8–5.5 kg N2O-N ha?1 year?1) and 244 t NO-N year?1 (0.8–5.1 kg N ha?1 year?1), corroborating previous studies intropical forests and highlighting that also tropical highland rainforest soils are a major source of atmospheric N2Oand NO. The uncertainty for the N2O and NO emission estimates was 153 and 50 t N2O-N year?1 and 36 and 16 tNO-N year?1 considering uncertainty in model input data and annual variability, respectively. The results showedthat soil bulk density and pH were the most influential factors driving spatial variation and model uncertainty. Toimprove global model-based estimates of N2O and NO emission from tropical forest focus should therefore alsobe oriented in delivering more detailed soil and vegetation data.}},
  author       = {{Gharahi Ghehi, N. and Werner, C. and Hufkens, K. and Kiese, R. and Van Ranst, E. and Nsabimana, D. and Wallin, Göran and Klemedtsson, Leif and Butterbach-Bahl, K. and Boeckx, P.}},
  keywords     = {{ForestDNDC-tropica Nitrous oxide Nitric oxide Sensitivity analysis Tropical forest Acrisols Alisols Cambisols Nyungwe Rwanda}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{41--49}},
  series       = {{Geoderma Regional}},
  title        = {{N2O and NO emission from the Nyungwe tropical highland rainforest in Rwanda}},
  volume       = {{03-feb}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}