Sources of variation in nitrous oxide flux from Amazonian ecosystems

Journal Article · Thu Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD095iD10p16789· OSTI ID:6103690

Matson, P A ^[1]; Vitousek, P M ^[2]; Livingston, G P; Swanberg, N A ^[3]

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1. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (USA)
2. Stanford Univ., CA (USA)
3. TGS Technology Inc., Moffett Field, CA (USA)

Nitrous oxide flux and soil nutrient characteristics were measured in three undisturbed tropical ecosystem types, in cleared and burned areas, and in areas of forest converted to pasture near Manaus, Brazil. Nitrogen mineralization, nitrification, and soil nitrogen pools were high in upland forests on clay soils (terra firme) and low in the sand-type and floodplain (varzea) soils. Nitrous oxide flux followed the same pattern, with an average flux of 1.9 ng cm{sup {minus}2} h{sup {minus}1} in terra firme, 0.3 in sand types, and 0.1 in varzea. Flux from recently cleared and burned areas did not differ from terra firme forest, but pastures had significantly elevated fluxes (10.3 ng cm{sup {minus}2} h{sup {minus}1}). These data were combined with satellite data-based areal estimates of land cover classes to estimate total N{sub 2}O-N flux from the intensive study area used by the Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment. Total N{sub 2}O-N flux from the area was 22.9 kg h{sup {minus}1}; pastures covered 11% of the area but accounted for over 40% of the flux.

• OSTI ID: 6103690
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA) Vol. 95:D10; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540220 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
AMAZON RIVER
BOUNDARY LAYERS
BRAZIL
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CLAYS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DEGASSING
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISASTERS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
EMISSION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FLOODS
FORESTS
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
LATIN AMERICA
LAYERS
MASS TRANSFER
NITRIFICATION
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NITROUS OXIDE
NUTRIENTS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PASTURES
POLLUTION
RIVERS
SAND
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SOUTH AMERICA
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS