Towards Filling a Major Gap in the Greenhouse Gas Balance From the Arctic: Defining the Importance of N2O Emission in the North Slope of Alaska

北极土壤向大气排放的一氧化二氮(N2O)是一种强有力的温室气体(GHG)，目前尚不清楚，但长期以来人们认为可以忽略不计。新的数据表明情况并非如此，特别是在植被覆盖丧失的受干扰地区。为了更好地限制这些数字并评估这种温室气体的大规模重要性，研究人员将在阿拉斯加沿海平原进行测量。该项目将继续推进阿拉斯加北坡当地社区和学生参与的良好推广活动。鉴于北部湿地生态系统N有限，研究界假设土壤N2O排放的温室气体(GHG)可以忽略不计。然而，这一假设忽略了与死有机物质相关的大N库，这些有机物质可以在干扰时释放。来自阿拉斯加的研究人员的初步数据表明，可能会出现大量的N2O通量，特别是在发生地面塌陷的地形上，导致无植物地区。研究人员将使用横跨阿拉斯加北坡植被和非植被地区的小室来测量N2O通量，以量化这种温室气体的大规模重要性。调查人员预计，这一结果将是限制温室气体预算的一步。该项目将继续开发一个涉及阿拉斯加北坡当地社区和学生的成熟的外展部分。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), from arctic soils to the atmosphere is unknown, but long thought to be negligible. New data suggests otherwise, especially in areas subjected to disturbance where vegetation cover has been lost. To better constrain these numbers and appraise the large-scale importance of this GHG, the researchers will make measurements across the coastal plain of Alaska. This project will continue the advancing of a well-established outreach activities that involve local communities and students in the North Slope of Alaska.Given that northern wetland ecosystems are N limited, the research community has assumed the soil emissions of N2O, a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG), is negligible. However, this assumption ignores the large N pool associated with dead organic matter that can be released upon disturbance. The investigator’s preliminary data from Alaska suggest substantial N2O fluxes can occur, especially in terrain where ground slumping has occurred, resulting in unvegetated areas. The investigators will measure N2O fluxes using chambers across the North Slope of Alaska in vegetated and unvegetated areas to quantify the large-scale importance of this GHG. The investigators expect the results to be a step toward constraining the GHG budget. This project will continue the development of a well-established outreach component involving local communities and students in the North Slope of Alaska.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.