Emissions of CH4, CO2, and N2O from soil at a cattle overwintering area as affected by available C and N

• Relations between CH4, CO2 and N2O emissions were studied in soil that had been freshly amended with large deposits of cattle wastes.
• Different time courses of CH4, CO2 and N2O emissions were observed.
• Soil may rapidly change from being a source of N2O to a source of CH4.
• N2O emissions occur at high level of mineral N and low immobilization of N.
• Emissions of CH4 were independent on C and N availability.

Relationships between CH4, CO2, and N2O emissions were studied in soil that had been freshly amended with large deposits of cattle wastes. Dynamics of CH4, CO2, and N2O emissions were investigated with flux chambers from early April to late June 2011, during the 3 months following cattle overwintering at the site. This 81-day field study was supplemented with soil analyses of available C and N content and measurement of denitrification activity. In a more detailed field investigation, the daily time course of emissions was determined. The field research was complemented with a laboratory experiment that focused on the short-term time course of N2O and CH4 production in artificially created anoxic soil microsites. The following hypotheses were tested: (i) a large input of C (and N and other nutrients) in cattle manure creates conditions suitable for methanogenesis, and therefore overwintering areas can produce large amounts of CH4; (ii) N2O is produced and emitted until the level of mineral N decreases, while the level of CH4 production is low; and (iii) production of CH4 is greater when N immobilization decreases the level of NO3− in soil. N2O emissions were relatively large during the first 3 weeks, then peaked (at ca. 4000 μg N2ON m−2 h−1) and soon decreased to almost zero; the changes were related to the mineral and soluble organic N content in soil. CH4 fluxes were large, though variable, in the first 2 months (600–3000 μg CH4C m−2 h−1) and were independent of C and N availability. Although time courses differed for CH4 and N2O, a negative relationship between N2O and CH4 emissions was not detected. Contrary to CH4 and N2O fluxes, CO2 emissions progressively increased to ca. 300 mg CO2C m−2 h−1 at the end of the field study and were closely related to air and soil temperatures. Diurnal measurements revealed significant correlations between temperature and emissions of CH4, N2O, and CO2. Addition of C to soil during anaerobic incubation increased the production and consumption of N2O and supported the emission of CH4. The results suggest that rapid denitrification significantly contributes to the exhaustion of oxidizing agents and helps create microsites supporting methanogenesis in otherwise N2O-producing upland soil. The results also indicate that accurate estimate of gas fluxes in animal-impacted grassland areas requires assessment of both diurnal and long-term changes in CH4, CO2, and N2O emissions.