Mobile continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometer system for automated measurements of N and NO fluxes in fertilized cropping systems.

The use of synthetic N fertilizers has grown exponentially over the last century, with severe environmental consequences. Most of the reactive N will ultimately be removed by denitrification, but estimates of denitrification are highly uncertain due to methodical constraints of existing methods. Here we present a novel, mobile isotope ratio mass spectrometer system (Field-IRMS) for in-situ quantification of N and NO fluxes from fertilized cropping systems.

Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions in the Context of Convective Self-Aggregation.

We investigate the sensitivity of self-aggregated radiative-convective-equilibrium cloud-resolving model simulations to the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration. Experiments were conducted on a long (2,000-km × 120-km) channel domain, allowing the emergence of multiple convective clusters and dry regions of subsidence. Increasing the CCN concentration leads to increased moisture in the dry regions, increased midlevel and upper level clouds, decreased radiative cooling, and decreased precipitation.

N-fixing black locust intercropping improves ecosystem nutrition at the vulnerable semi-arid Loess Plateau region, China.

The Loess Plateau in northwestern China constitutes one of the most vulnerable semi-arid regions in the world due to long-term decline in forest cover, soil nutrient depletion by agricultural use, and attendant soil erosion. Here, we characterize the significance of N-fixing Robinia pseudoacacia L. and non-N-fixing Juglans regia L.

Constraining N cycling in the ecosystem model LandscapeDNDC with the stable isotope model SIMONE.

The isotopic composition (ic) of soil nitrogen (N) and, more recently, the intramolecular distribution of N in the N O molecule (site preference, SP) are powerful instruments to identify dominant N turnover processes, and to attribute N O emissions to their source processes. Despite the process information contained in the ic of N species and the associated potential for model validation, the implementation of isotopes in ecosystem models has lagged behind. To foster the validation of ecosystem models based on the ic of N species, we developed the stable isotope model for nutrient cycles (SIMONE).

The dimensionality of stability depends on disturbance type.

Ecosystems respond in various ways to disturbances. Quantifying ecological stability therefore requires inspecting multiple stability properties, such as resistance, recovery, persistence and invariability. Correlations among these properties can reduce the dimensionality of stability, simplifying the study of environmental effects on ecosystems.

Potential for mitigating global agricultural ammonia emission: A meta-analysis.

Ammonia (NH) emission from agricultural sources has contributed significantly to air pollution, soil acidification, water eutrophication, biodiversity loss, and declining human health. Although there are numerous strategies for reducing NH emission from agricultural systems, the effectiveness of these measures is highly variable. Furthermore, the integrated assessment of measures to reduce NH emission both from livestock production and cropping systems based on animal and crop type is lacking.

Trade-offs between soil carbon sequestration and reactive nitrogen losses under straw return in global agroecosystems.

It is widely recommended that crop straw be returned to croplands to maintain or increase soil carbon (C) storage in arable soils. However, because C and nitrogen (N) biogeochemical cycles are closely coupled, straw return may also affect soil reactive N (Nr) losses, but these effects remain uncertain, especially in terms of the interactions between soil C sequestration and Nr losses under straw addition. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis using 363 publications to assess the overall effects of straw return on soil Nr losses, C sequestration and crop productivity in agroecosystems.

Benefits of integrated nutrient management on NO and NO mitigations in water-saving ground cover rice production systems.

To cope with challenges of food security and water scarcity in rice production, water-saving ground cover rice production systems (GCRPSs) are increasingly adopted in China and globally. Reduced soil moisture as well as increased soil aeration and temperature under GCRPSs may promote soil N transformations, and in turn give rise to environmental challenges. These include emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (NO) and atmospheric pollutant nitric oxide (NO).

The impact of rain events on CO emissions from contrasting land use systems in semi-arid West African savannas.

In the future the Sudanian savanna - one of West Africa's high-potential "bread baskets" - will likely face shorter rainy seasons with more extreme rains and droughts. That could have serious impacts on the vegetation and its carbon dioxide (CO) exchange with potentially increasing CO emissions accelerating climate warming. Understanding how the CO fluxes in this area respond to environmental variables, in particular rain events, is essential, but available data are scarce.

Temporal and spatial variability in the nutritive value of pasture vegetation and supplement feedstuffs for domestic ruminants in Western Kenya.

Objective: The study aimed at quantifying seasonal and spatial variations in availability and nutritive value of herbaceous vegetation on native pastures and supplement feedstuffs for domestic ruminants in Western Kenya.

Methods: Samples of herbaceous pasture vegetation (n = 75) and local supplement feedstuffs (n = 46) for cattle, sheep, and goats were collected in 20 villages of three geographic zones (Highlands, Mid-slopes, Lowlands) in Lower Nyando, Western Kenya, over four seasons of one year. Concentrations of dry matter (DM), crude ash (CA), ether extract (EE), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), gross energy (GE), and minerals were determined.

Is Black Carbon an Unimportant Ice-Nucleating Particle in Mixed-Phase Clouds?

It has been hypothesized that black carbon (BC) influences mixed-phase clouds by acting as an ice-nucleating particle (INP). However, the literature data for ice nucleation by BC immersed in supercooled water are extremely varied, with some studies reporting that BC is very effective at nucleating ice, whereas others report no ice-nucleating ability. Here we present new experimental results for immersion mode ice nucleation by BC from two contrasting fuels (n-decane and eugenol).

Increasing sensitivity of methane emission measurements in rice through deployment of 'closed chambers' at nighttime.

This study comprises field experiments on methane emissions from rice fields conducted with an Eddy-Covariance (EC) system as well as test runs for a modified closed chamber approach based on measurements at nighttime. The EC data set covers 4 cropping seasons with highly resolved emission rates (raw data in 10 Hz frequency have been aggregated to 30-min records). The diel patterns were very pronounced in the two dry seasons with peak emissions at early afternoon and low emissions at nighttime.

Urea deep placement reduces yield-scaled greenhouse gas (CH and NO) and NO emissions from a ground cover rice production system.

Ground cover rice production system (GCRPS), i.e., paddy soils being covered by thin plastic films with soil moisture being maintained nearly saturated status, is a promising technology as increased yields are achieved with less irrigation water.

Reducing NO and NO emissions while sustaining crop productivity in a Chinese vegetable-cereal double cropping system.

High nitrogen (N) inputs in Chinese vegetable and cereal productions played key roles in increasing crop yields. However, emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (NO) and atmospheric pollutant nitric oxide (NO) increased too. For lowering the environmental costs of crop production, it is essential to optimize N strategies to maintain high crop productivity, while reducing the associated N losses.

Impacts of climate and management on water balance and nitrogen leaching from montane grassland soils of S-Germany.

In this study water balance components as well as nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon leaching were quantified by means of large weighable grassland lysimeters at three sites (860, 770 and 600 m a.s.l.

Laboratory measurements of HDO/HO isotopic fractionation during ice deposition in simulated cirrus clouds.

The stable isotopologues of water have been used in atmospheric and climate studies for over 50 years, because their strong temperature-dependent preferential condensation makes them useful diagnostics of the hydrological cycle. However, the degree of preferential condensation between vapor and ice has never been directly measured at temperatures below 233 K (-40 °C), conditions necessary to form cirrus clouds in the Earth's atmosphere, routinely observed in polar regions, and typical for the near-surface atmospheric layers of Mars. Models generally assume an extrapolation from the warmer experiments of Merlivat and Nief [Merlivat L, Nief G (1967) 19:122-127].

Straw return reduces yield-scaled NO plus NO emissions from annual winter wheat-based cropping systems in the North China Plain.

Straw return in combination with synthetic N fertilizer is considered to be beneficial to soil fertility and crop yield. Such practice, however, can considerably modify soil microbial activity and relative C and N availability, both of which are known to regulate soil nitrous oxide (NO) and nitric oxide (NO) emissions. Minimizing these emissions per unit of crop yield is a prerequisite to minimize the environmental footprint of agricultural production and thus, a policy objective.

Improving rice production sustainability by reducing water demand and greenhouse gas emissions with biodegradable films.

In China, rice production is facing unprecedented challenges, including the increasing demand, looming water crisis and on-going climate change. Thus, producing more rice at lower environmental cost is required for future development, i.e.

Temperature-dependent formation of NaCl dihydrate in levitated NaCl and sea salt aerosol particles.

Recent laboratory studies indicate that the hydrated form of crystalline NaCl is potentially important for atmospheric processes involving depositional ice nucleation on NaCl dihydrate particles under cirrus cloud conditions. However, recent experimental studies reported a strong discrepancy between the temperature intervals where the efflorescence of NaCl dihydrate has been observed. Here we report the measurements of the volume specific nucleation rate of crystalline NaCl in the aqueous solution droplets of pure NaCl suspended in an electrodynamic balance at constant temperature and humidity in the range from 250 K to 241 K.

Active sites in heterogeneous ice nucleation-the example of K-rich feldspars.

Ice formation on aerosol particles is a process of crucial importance to Earth's climate and the environmental sciences, but it is not understood at the molecular level. This is partly because the nature of active sites, local surface features where ice growth commences, is still unclear. Here we report direct electron-microscopic observations of deposition growth of aligned ice crystals on feldspar, an atmospherically important component of mineral dust.

Stable isotopes in atmospheric water vapor and applications to the hydrologic cycle.

The measurement and simulation of water vapor isotopic composition has matured rapidly over the last decade, with long-term datasets and comprehensive modeling capabilities now available. Theories for water vapor isotopic composition have been developed by extending the theories that have been used for the isotopic composition of precipitation to include a more nuanced understanding of evaporation, large-scale mixing, deep convection, and kinetic fractionation. The technologies for in-situ and remote sensing measurements of water vapor isotopic composition have developed especially rapidly over the last decade, with discrete water vapor sampling methods, based on mass spectroscopy, giving way to laser spectroscopic methods and satellite- and ground-based infrared absorption techniques.

Disentangling gross NO production and consumption in soil.

The difficulty of measuring gross NO production and consumption in soil impedes our ability to predict NO dynamics across the soil-atmosphere interface. Our study aimed to disentangle these processes by comparing measurements from gas-flow soil core (GFSC) and NO pool dilution (NOPD) methods. GFSC directly measures soil NO and N fluxes, with their sum as the gross NO production, whereas NOPD involves addition of NO into a chamber headspace and measuring its isotopic dilution over time.

The 27 day solar rotational effect on mesospheric nighttime OH and O observations induced by geomagnetic activity.

Observations performed by the Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder instrument on board the Aura satellite from 2004 to 2009 (2004 to 2014) were used to investigate the 27 day solar rotational cycle in mesospheric OH (O) and the physical connection to geomagnetic activity. Data analysis was focused on nighttime measurements at geomagnetic latitudes connected to the outer radiation belts (55°N/S-75°N/S). The applied superposed epoch analysis reveals a distinct 27 day solar rotational signal in OH and O during winter in both hemispheres at altitudes >70 km.

UTLS water vapour from SCIAMACHY limb measurementsV3.01 (2002-2012).

The SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) aboard the Envisat satellite provided measurements from August 2002 until April 2012. SCIAMACHY measured the scattered or direct sunlight using different observation geometries. The limb viewing geometry allows the retrieval of water vapour at about 10-25 km height from the near-infrared spectral range (1353-1410 nm).

Quantifying global dust devil occurrence from meteorological analyses.

Unlabelled: Dust devils and nonrotating dusty plumes are effective uplift mechanisms for fine particles, but their contribution to the global dust budget is uncertain. By applying known bulk thermodynamic criteria to European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) operational analyses, we provide the first global hourly climatology of potential dust devil and dusty plume (PDDP) occurrence. In agreement with observations, activity is highest from late morning into the afternoon.