A model of nitrous oxide evolution from soil driven by rainfall events: 2. Model applications

Abstract

Simulations of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from soils were carried out with a rain‐event model of nitrogen and carbon cycling processes in soils (Li et al., this issue). Model simulations were compared with five field studies: a 1‐month denitrification study of a fertilized grassland in England; a 2‐month study of N 2 O emissions from a native and fertilized grassland in Colorado; a 1‐year study of N 2 O emissions from agricultural fields on drained, organic soils in Florida; a 1‐year study of CO 2 emissions from a grassland in Germany; and a 1‐year study of CO 2 emissions from a cultivated agricultural site in Missouri. The trends and magnitude of simulated N 2 O (or N 2 O + N 2 ) and CO 2 emissions were consistent with the results obtained in field experiments. The successful simulation of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from the wide range of soil types studied indicates that the model, DNDC, will be a useful tool for studying linkages among climate, land use, soil‐atmosphere interactions, and trace gas fluxes.