What plant functional traits can reduce nitrous oxide emissions from intensively managed grasslands?

Abstract

Plant species exert a dominant control over the nitrogen (N) cycle of natural and managed grasslands. Although in intensively managed systems that receive large external N inputs the emission of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂ O) is a crucial component of this cycle, a mechanistic relationship between plant species and N₂ O emissions has not yet been established. Here we use a plant functional trait approach to study the relation between plant species strategies and N₂ O emissions from soils. Compared to species with conservative strategies, species with acquisitive strategies have higher N uptake when there is ample N in the soil, but also trigger N mineralization when soil N is limiting. Therefore, we hypothesized that (1) compared to conservative species, species with acquisitive traits reduce N₂ O emissions after a high N addition; and (2) species with conservative traits have lower N₂ O emissions than acquisitive plants if there is no high N addition. This was tested in a greenhouse experiment using monocultures of six grass species with differing above- and below-ground traits, growing across a gradient of soil N availability. We found that acquisitive species reduced N₂ O emissions at all levels of N availability, produced higher biomass and showed larger N uptake. As such, acquisitive species had 87% lower N₂ O emissions per unit of N uptake than conservative species (p < .05). Structural equation modelling revealed that specific leaf area and root length density were key traits regulating the effects of plants on N₂ O emission and biomass productivity. These results provide the first framework to understand the mechanisms through which plants modulate N₂ O emissions, pointing the way to develop productive grasslands that contribute optimally to climate change mitigation.