{"id":1472,"date":"2024-09-18T08:28:17","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T08:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microplanet.at\/?page_id=1472"},"modified":"2026-02-12T10:38:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:38:36","slug":"wp-4-3-control-of-nitrous-oxide-emissions-in-soils","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.microplanet.at\/index.php\/wp-4-3-control-of-nitrous-oxide-emissions-in-soils\/","title":{"rendered":"WP 4.3 Control of Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Soils"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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WP 4.3 Control of Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Soils<\/h2>\n\n\n

project description<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Soils are the main source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2<\/sub>O), a potent greenhouse gas and the dominant ozone-depleting agent. Human activities strongly impact global N cycling and have led to significant increases in terrestrial ecosystem N2<\/sub>O emissions, particularly due to excessive N-fertilizer use. Yet, control and magnitude of N2<\/sub>O emissions ultimately depend on the interplay between physico-chemical conditions and the composition, interaction and activity of the highly diverse soil microbiome members. N2<\/sub>O is produced and consumed by denitrifying bacteria, archaea, and fungi via a cascade of four enzymes reducing nitrate via nitrite, nitric oxide, and N2<\/sub>O to dinitrogen gas. Additionally, N2<\/sub>O is a metabolic byproduct of ammonia oxidation by complete ammonia oxidizers, ammonia-oxidizing archaea, and bacteria, where the latter additionally produce large amounts of N2<\/sub>O through nitrifier denitrification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key to understanding and predicting global N2<\/sub>O emissions from agricultural soils is a mechanistic understanding of the activity and interactions between nitrifiers, denitrifiers, and other members of the soil microbiome. We will investigate N2<\/sub>O production and consumption processes in two systems – complex natural cropland soils with different fertilization regimes and histories and synthetic soil communities to address the following questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n