Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Isotopic Signatures And Concentration Profiles Of Nitrous Oxide In A Rice-Based Ecosystem During The Drained Crop-Growing Season, Z. Q. Xiong, M. A. K. Khalil, G. Xing, Martha J. Shearer, Christopher Lee Butenhoff

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The stable isotopic composition of nitrous oxide (N₂O) in agricultural soils can improve our understanding of the relative contributions of the main microbial processes (nitrification and denitrification) responsible for N₂O formation in soils, and can provide constraints for the atmospheric N2O budget. Here, we present soil profiles featuring N₂O concentrations and δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O values in N₂O over time, which permit the in situ identification of processes and sites of N₂O production in a rice-based ecosystem seeded with winter wheat. Our δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O soil profile values support the conclusion that denitrification is the dominant process behind N₂O production during …