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Effects of excretal returns and soil compaction on nitrous oxide emissions from a cattle overwintering area [An article from: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment]
Book Details
PublisherElsevier
ISBN / ASINB000RR52O0
ISBN-13978B000RR52O5
AvailabilityAvailable for download now
MarketplaceUnited States 🇺🇸
Description
This digital document is a journal article from Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Description:
Excretal returns and physical disturbance due to treading can greatly influence nitrogen flows in grazed pastures. Dung and urine depositions stimulate microbial transformations, while soil compaction and poaching change the physical environment in which these transformations take place. In this study, a cattle overwintering area in the Southwest Czech Republic was characterized with respect to bulk density, porosity, water-filled pore space (WFPS), organic C, total N, pH, microbial biomass C and denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA). Carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide (N"2O) emissions were measured on four different dates between October 2001 and May 2002. Sampling took place along a transect away from an open barn with access to feed. Soil chemical and biological properties showed that deposition of excreta declined with distance from the barn. In contrast, N"2O emissions were highest at intermediate positions along the transect. At the section with the greatest animal impact, the ratio of N"2 versus N"2O produced was five-fold higher, and the soil pH was 2 units higher, compared to the section with the least animal impact, which indicated that soil conditions favoured production of N"2 rather than N"2O in the area where excretal returns and treading was intense. A multiple linear regression was conducted using data from the last sampling. There were significant effects of WFPS and pH on log-transformed N"2O emissions, while effects of NH"4^+ and NO"3^-, and interactions between NH"4^+ and, respectively, WFPS and pH were nearly significant. The observations indicate that, whereas pasture management to achieve a better distribution of animal impact may improve N retention in the soil, it is not clear whether this will reduce N"2O emissions.
Description:
Excretal returns and physical disturbance due to treading can greatly influence nitrogen flows in grazed pastures. Dung and urine depositions stimulate microbial transformations, while soil compaction and poaching change the physical environment in which these transformations take place. In this study, a cattle overwintering area in the Southwest Czech Republic was characterized with respect to bulk density, porosity, water-filled pore space (WFPS), organic C, total N, pH, microbial biomass C and denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA). Carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide (N"2O) emissions were measured on four different dates between October 2001 and May 2002. Sampling took place along a transect away from an open barn with access to feed. Soil chemical and biological properties showed that deposition of excreta declined with distance from the barn. In contrast, N"2O emissions were highest at intermediate positions along the transect. At the section with the greatest animal impact, the ratio of N"2 versus N"2O produced was five-fold higher, and the soil pH was 2 units higher, compared to the section with the least animal impact, which indicated that soil conditions favoured production of N"2 rather than N"2O in the area where excretal returns and treading was intense. A multiple linear regression was conducted using data from the last sampling. There were significant effects of WFPS and pH on log-transformed N"2O emissions, while effects of NH"4^+ and NO"3^-, and interactions between NH"4^+ and, respectively, WFPS and pH were nearly significant. The observations indicate that, whereas pasture management to achieve a better distribution of animal impact may improve N retention in the soil, it is not clear whether this will reduce N"2O emissions.
