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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #385505
Research Project: Increasing the Productivity and Resilience to Climate Variability of Agricultural Production Systems in the Upper Midwest U.S. while Reducing Negative Impact on the Environment

Location: Soil and Water Management Research

Title: Trace gas emissions from agricultural ecosystems in the U.S.

Author
item GRIFFIS, TIMOTHY - University Of Minnesota
item Baker, John
item MILLET, D - University Of Minnesota
item CHEN, Z - Johns Hopkins University
item WOOD, J - University Of Missouri
item HU, C - Nanjing Forestry University
item ERICKSON, M - University Of Minnesota
item YU, ZHONGJIE - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/23/2021
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Agricultural ecosystems are having a profound influence on nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3), and methane (CH4) emissions in the U.S. Midwest. Nitrous oxide, NH3 and CH4 have increased dramatically as a consequence of the production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and proliferation of intensive livestock systems. Nitrous oxide and CH4 are radiatively important trace gases, while NH3 is a chemical of significant environmental concern as it readily reacts with atmospheric acids to produce fine particulate matter linked to serious human health impacts. Here, we use over a decade of trace gas observations from a tall tower located within the U.S. Corn Belt in combination with micrometeorological flux and atmospheric inverse analyses to constrain these trace gas emissions and to assess the IR sensitivity to climate variability and land management. Preliminary budget estimates indicate large inter-annual variability for each trace gas with N2O emissions ranging from 300 to 600 GgN2O-Ny-1; NH3 emissions ranging from 1200 to 1400 GgNH3-N y-1, and CH4 emissions ranging from 9 to 11 Tg CH4 y-1. Our ongoing analyses are assessing the extent to which these emissions are modulated by seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation, which is key to understanding how these emissions are likely to change as climate continues to become warmer and wetter within this region.