Land use effects on gross nitrogen mineralization, nitrification, and N2O emissions in ephemeral wetlands

Stable 15N isotope dilution and tracer techniques were used in cultivated (C) and uncultivated (U) ephemeral wetlands in central Saskatchewan, Canada to: (1) quantify gross mineralization and nitrification rates and (2) estimate the relative proportion of N2O emissions from these wetlands that could be attributed to denitrification versus nitrification-related processes. In-field incubation experiments were repeated in early May, mid-June and late July. Mean gross mineralization and nitrification rates (10.3 and 3.1 mg kg−1 d−1, respectively) did not differ between C and U wetlands on any given date. Despite these similarities, the mean NH4+ pool size in the U wetlands (17.2 mg kg−1) was two to three times that of the C wetlands (6.7 mg kg−1) whereas the mean NO3− pool size in U wetlands (2.2 mg kg−1) was less than half that of C wetlands (5.8 mg kg−1). Mean N2O emissions from the C wetlands decreased from 112.8 to 17.0 ng N2O m2 s−1 from May to July, whereas mean U-wetland N2O emissions ranged only from 31.8 to 51.1 ng N2O m2 s−1 over the same period. This trend is correlated to water-filled pore space in C wetlands, demonstrating a soil moisture influence on emissions. Denitrification is generally considered the dominant emitter of N2O under anaerobic conditions, but in the C wetlands, only 49% of the May emissions could be directly attributed to denitrification, decreasing to 29% in July. In contrast, more than 75% of the N2O emissions from the U wetlands arose from denitrification of the soil NO3− pool throughout the season. These land use differences in emission sources and rates should be taken into consideration when planning management strategies for greenhouse gas mitigation.