Trace gas fluxes from a Northern mixed-grass prairie interseeded with Alfalfa

AIMS: That legumes improve soil fertility is well established, however the extent that N fixed by legumes may increase trace gas emissions is poorly understood. Our aim was to determine if greater soil N in native prairies interseeded with alfalfa would increase trace gas emissions of nitrous oxide...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant and soil 2015-01, Vol.386 (1-2), p.285-301
Main Authors: Ingram, L. J, Schuman, G. E, Parkin, T. B, Mortenson, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alfalfa
Biogeochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
chronosequences
Ecology
Emissions
Environmental aspects
forage quality
gas emissions
Grasses
Grasslands
Legumes
Life Sciences
Methane
Micropollutants
Nitrogen dioxide
nitrogen fertilizers
nitrogen fixation
Nitrous oxide
Oil and gas production
Plant Physiology
Plant Sciences
Prairies
ranchers
Regular Article
soil
Soil fertility
Soil Science & Conservation
Soils
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Summary:AIMS: That legumes improve soil fertility is well established, however the extent that N fixed by legumes may increase trace gas emissions is poorly understood. Our aim was to determine if greater soil N in native prairies interseeded with alfalfa would increase trace gas emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄). METHODS: A chronosequence study to investigate interseeded alfalfa on the fluxes of N₂O and CH₄was undertaken on three prairie sites. At each site, native grasslands interseeded with alfalfa for 38, 16 and 5 years, along with adjacent native grassland controls and native grasslands fertilized with a one-time addition of N fertilizer, were measured for NO₂and CH₄using static chambers. RESULTS: Across interseeding years there were few significant differences between the three treatments (Native, Alfalfa, Fertilized). Despite increased soil N, the interseeded treatment released no more N₂O than native grasslands. Methane uptake was generally greatest on interseeded grasslands and least on fertilized grasslands. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that while alfalfa can increase soil N and improve productivity, it did not increase trace gas production relative to native grasslands. This is a win-win situation for ranchers wishing to increase soil fertility and thus their overall productivity and forage quality without increasing trace gas emissions.
ISSN:0032-079X
1573-5036
DOI:10.1007/s11104-014-2264-9