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

一氧化二氮（N2O）是一种强有力的温室气体（GHG），从北极土壤到大气的排放量是未知的，但长期以来被认为是微不足道的。新数据表明情况并非如此，特别是在遭受干扰、植被覆盖消失的地区。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。该项目将继续推进一个完善的推广活动，涉及当地社区和学生在阿拉斯加北坡。鉴于北方湿地生态系统是N有限的，研究界认为土壤排放的N2O，一个强大的温室气体（GHG），是微不足道的。然而，这一假设忽略了大的N池与死的有机质，可以被释放后扰动。研究人员从阿拉斯加获得的初步数据表明，可能会发生大量的N2O通量，特别是在发生地面塌陷的地形中，导致无植被地区。研究人员将在阿拉斯加北坡的植被和无植被地区使用室测量N2O通量，以量化这种温室气体的大规模重要性。研究人员预计，这些结果将是朝着限制温室气体预算迈出的一步。该项目将继续发展一个完善的外展部分，涉及阿拉斯加北坡的当地社区和学生。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

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.