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Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Saturated Riparian Buffers: Are We Trading a Water Quality Problem for an Air Quality
Journal of Environmental Quality
|April 6, 2019
Summary
Saturated riparian buffers (SRBs) effectively remove nitrogen from agricultural runoff. While concerns exist about increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, SRBs showed similar N2O levels to traditional buffers and less than row crops.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural science
- Environmental science
- Soil science
Background:
- Riparian buffers mitigate nutrient and sediment loss in agroecosystems.
- Subsurface drainage systems (tile drains) can bypass traditional buffers, limiting nutrient removal.
- Saturated riparian buffers (SRBs) aim to improve nutrient removal by re-engaging tile drainage with the soil profile.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from SRBs with traditional buffers and adjacent agricultural fields.
- To assess the potential for increased N2O emissions due to enhanced denitrification in SRBs.
- To evaluate the overall impact of SRBs on nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural landscapes.
Main Methods:
- Direct measurement of N2O emissions from soil surfaces.
- Measurement of dissolved N2O in shallow groundwater.
- Estimation of indirect N2O emissions from downstream denitrification.
- Field studies conducted at two sites in Central Iowa from 2015-2017.
Main Results:
- Greatest N2O emissions originated from fertilized corn fields.
- SRBs showed significantly greater N2O emissions than traditional buffers in only one out of six site-years.
- Dissolved N2O in groundwater from SRBs was not significantly higher than from tile outlets.
- Indirect N2O emissions were reduced by N2O removal in SRBs.
- Total N2O emissions from SRBs were comparable to traditional buffers and lower than from agriculture.
Conclusions:
- Replacing cultivated land with SRBs can reduce N2O emissions from agricultural landscapes.
- SRBs demonstrate potential for removing N2O from surface waters.
- SRBs offer a viable strategy for mitigating nitrogen pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in agroecosystems.
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