Nitric oxide emission from arid grassland and shrubland ecosystems in southern New Mexico
- Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)
Soil nitrogen losses are characteristic of the transition from semi-arid grassland to arid shrubland in the southwestern United States. Nitrogen gas emission from soil microbial activity contributes to the long-term reduction of soil fertility associated with desertification. We investigated nitric Oxide (NO) emission from arid soils in the Jornada Experimental Range, near Las Cruces, New Mexico. During the dry season, mean NO fluxes from coarse-textured soils in a Boutelcua grassland and a Larrea shrubland were similar (0.12 and 0.15 ng NO-N cm[sup [minus]2] hr[sup [minus]1], respectively), and higher than flexes from fine-textured soils in a Flourensia shrubland (0.02 ng NO-N cm[sup [minus]2] hr[sup [minus]1]). In a wetting experiment, mean NO fluxes were higher under shrub canopies of Larrea and Flourensia, reflecting the accumulation of soil organic matter under shrubs in islands of fertility. In the Larrea shrubland, mean NO fluxes were ten times higher under shrubs than between shrubs (12.9 vs. 1.29 ng NO-N cm[sup [minus]2] hr[sup [minus]1]).
- OSTI ID:
- 5985993
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930798--
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States), Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States) Vol. 74:2; ISSN BECLAG; ISSN 0012-9623
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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540100* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- (1990-)
540120 -- Environment
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ARID LANDS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECOSYSTEMS
EMISSION
MATTER
MICROORGANISMS
NEW MEXICO
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC MATTER
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
RANGELANDS
SHRUBS
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SYNTHESIS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
USA