K. Regina et al., FLUXES OF NITROUS-OXIDE FROM BOREAL PEATLANDS AS AFFECTED BY PEATLANDTYPE, WATER-TABLE LEVEL AND NITRIFICATION CAPACITY, Biogeochemistry, 35(3), 1996, pp. 401-418
Feat soils with high nitrogen content are potential sources of nitrous
oxide (N2O). Fluxes of nitrous oxide were measured in situ on nine vi
rgin and ten drained peatlands of different hydrology and nutrient sta
tus. Numbers of nitrifying bacteria were estimated in different layers
of the peat profiles with a most-probable-number technique. Nitrifica
tion potentials were determined in soil slurries of pH 4 and 6 from th
e profiles of six peat soils. Many virgin peatlands showed low N2O upt
ake. Lowering of the water table generally increased the average fluxe
s of N2O from the soils, although more in minerotrophic (nutrient rich
) than in ombrotrophic (nutrient poor) sites. Ammonium oxidizing bacte
ria were found on only two sites but nitrite oxidizers were detected i
n almost all peat profiles. More nitrite oxidizers were found in drain
ed than in virgin pear profiles. Nitrification was enhanced after lowe
ring of the water table in minerotrophic peat but not in ombrotrophic
peat. The N2O fluxes correlated positively with the numbers of nitrite
oxidizers, nitrification potential, N, P and Ca content and pH of the
soil and negatively with the level of water table (expressed as negat
ive values) and K content of the soil.