%0 Journal Article
%T The Effects of Land-Use Change from Grassland to Miscanthus x giganteus on Soil N2O Emissions
%A Brendan Roth
%A Michael Jones
%A James Burke
%A Michael Williams
%J Land
%D 2013
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/land2030437
%X A one year field trial was carried out on three adjacent unfertilised plots; an 18 year old grassland, a 14 year old established Miscanthus crop, and a 7 month old newly planted Miscanthus crop. Measurements of N 2O, soil temperature, water filled pore space (WFPS), and inorganic nitrogen concentrations, were made every one to two weeks. Soil temperature, WFPS and NO 3 £¿ and NH 4 + concentrations were all found to be significantly affected by land use. Temporal crop effects were also observed in soil inorganic nitrogen dynamics, due in part to C 4 litter incorporation into the soil under Miscanthus. Nonetheless, soil N 2O fluxes were not significantly affected by land use. Cumulative yearly N 2O fluxes were relatively low, 216 ¡À 163, 613 ¡À 294, and 377 ¡À 132 g¡¤N¡¤ha £¿1¡¤yr £¿1 from the grassland, newly planted Miscanthus, and established Miscanthus plots respectively, and fell within the range commonly observed for unfertilised grasslands dominated by perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne). Higher mean cumulative fluxes were measured in the newly planted Miscanthus, which may be linked to a possible unobserved increase immediately after establishment. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Based on the results of this experiment, land-use change from grassland to Miscanthus will have a neutral impact on medium to long-term N 2O emissions.
%K land-use change
%K N2O
%K bioenergy crops
%K Miscanthus
%U http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/2/3/437