Grazing-induced reduction of natural nitrous oxide release from continental steppe

Benjamin Wolf, Xunhua Zheng, Nicolas Brüggemann, Weiwei Chen, Michael Dannenmann, Xingguo Han, Mark A. Sutton, Honghui Wu, Zhisheng Yao and Klaus Butterbach-Bahl ()
Additional contact information
Benjamin Wolf: Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstrasse 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Xunhua Zheng: State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Nicolas Brüggemann: Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstrasse 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Weiwei Chen: State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Michael Dannenmann: Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstrasse 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Xingguo Han: State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Mark A. Sutton: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, UK
Honghui Wu: State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhisheng Yao: State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Klaus Butterbach-Bahl: Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstrasse 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Nature, 2010, vol. 464, issue 7290, 881-884

Abstract: Grazing cuts N2O emission Levels of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide have increased since pre-industrial times, mainly because of agricultural activities. Among these changes it has been reported that livestock grazing substantially increases nitrous oxide emissions from temperate grasslands. New data obtained from year-round monitoring at ten steppe grassland sites in Inner Mongolia, China, challenge this view by highlighting a previously overlooked interaction. The measurements made using the automatic chamber system show that nitrous oxide release is dominated by pulses during springtime thawing, is highest in ungrazed steppe and decreases with increasing stocking rate. So surprisingly, grazing decreases rather than increases nitrous oxide emissions by changing the soil water balance and microbial activity.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08931

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