Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

M. Hahn, K. Gartner and S. Zechmeister-Boltenstern:

Greenhouse gas emissions (N20, CO2 and CH4) from three forest soils near Vienna (Austria) with different water and nitrogen regimes

Summary

Greenhouse gas production from forest soils was measured during the 1997 vegetation period using closed chambers. Klausenleopoldsdorf 1 and Schottenwald differed significantly in N03- and NH4+ concentrations hut not in climatic conditions and soil type, while Klausenleopoldsdorf 2 was characterized by high soil water content, N20 emission rates were highest at Schottenwald (70.0 µg N20-N m-2 h-1) , which was mainly due to higher N03 availability. The lower N20 emissions at Klausenleopoldsdorf 2 (15.1 µg N20 -N m-2 h-1) indicated that denitrification proceeded entirely to N2, conditioned by high soil water content. Klausenleopoldsdorf 1 and Schottenwald showed similar CO2 emissions and functioned as a sink for methane. At Klausenleopoldsdorf 2 methane was produced (30.7 µg CH4 m-2 h -1) and CO2 emissions were low, which can be attributed to anaerobic soil conditions. Key words:  denitrification, nitrification, nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide.