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Title: MEASUREMENTS AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM AGROECOSYSTEMS

Author
item DESJARDINS, R - AGRI & AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item KAHARABATA, S - AGRI & AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item MACPHERSON, J - AGRI & AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item PATTEY, E - AGRI & AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item SAVARD, K - AGRI & AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item MASSE, D - AGRI & AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item DENMEAD, O - CSIRO AUSTRALIA
item Harper, Lowry
item ZHU, T - PEKING UNIVERSITY BEIJING
item RIZNEK, R - AGRI & AGRI-FOOD CANADA

Submitted to: Methane and Nitrous Oxide International Workshop Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/17/2003
Publication Date: 11/17/2003
Citation: Desjardins, R.L., Kaharabata, S.K., MacPherson, J.I., Pattey, E., Savard, K., Masse, D., Denmead, O.T., Harper, L.A., Zhu, T., Riznek, R. 2003. Measurements and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from agroecosystems. Methane and Nitrous Oxide International Workshop Proceedings.

Interpretive Summary: Methane and nitrous oxide from agricultural production are major sources of greenhouse gases. A current estimate of these sources from agricultural systems in Canada will be presented and some of the most up-to-date techniques available for obtaining reliable estimates of emissions of these two gases will be described. For originating sources which are localized or small in source area, a mass-balance approach using open-path laser spectrometers to quantify emissions will be discussed. For sources which are diffuse or large in scale (small in emissions source), studies using aircraft-based emissions will be discussed. Better estimates of emissions will be derived using these techniques which will provide information to be used by other scientists, designers, managers, and regulators.

Technical Abstract: An estimate of the main sources of methane and nitrous oxide from agroecosystems in Canada will be presented. Some of the most up-to-date micrometeorological techniques available for obtaining reliable measurements of GHG emissions will be described. For point sources, a mass balance approach, using open path lasers, was recently used to quantify methane emissions. An accuracy of about 4% was obtained using this technique. For diffuse sources, such as nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural farmlands, observations using aircraft-based fluxes will be examined. It will be shown how such flux measurements can provide valuable information for verifying regional estimates of nitrous oxide emissions during episodes when nitrous oxide emissions are relatively large.