Greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions after abandonment of agriculture, and insights on the response of the (de)nitrifier

Alaa H.M. El-Hawwary; K. Brenzinger; Hyo Jung Lee; Annelies J. Veraart; Elly Morrien; Michael Schloter; W.H. van der Putten; Paul Bodelier; Adrian Ho

doi:10.1007/s00374-022-01644-x

Greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions after abandonment of agriculture, and insights on the response of the (de)nitrifier

Alaa H.M. El-Hawwary, K. Brenzinger, Hyo Jung Lee, Annelies J. Veraart, Elly Morrien, Michael Schloter, W.H. van der Putten, Paul Bodelier, Adrian Ho^* (Corresponding author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

The GHG (CO2, CH4, N2O) emission potential along a chronosequence of former agricultural soils abandoned for 9 to 32 years were compared to an actively managed (on-going) agricultural soil (reference). The soils were incubated in mesocosms with and without manure amendment, and microbial functional groups involved in nitrous oxide emission were quantitatively assessed. Carbon dioxide emission significantly increased after agriculture abandonment (< 24 years) consistent with higher decomposition rate, but total emission decreased in the long term (> 29 years). With the cessation of agriculture, the abandoned sites generally became a net methane sink. Notably, total nitrous oxide emission showed a significant monotonic decrease over years of abandonment in response to manure amendment, possibly reflecting an altered capacity for (de)nitrification as indicated in the response of the (de)nitrifier abundance. Overall, our findings suggest that the GHG legacy of agriculture diminishes over time (> 29 years), with lowered GHG emissions and global warming potential (GWP) after abandonment of agriculture.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	579–591
Number of pages	13
Journal	Biology and Fertility of Soils
Volume	58
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-022-01644-x
Publication status	Published - 2022

Keywords

Agriculture abandonment
Carbon-cycle
Nitrogen cycle
Legacy effect
Ammonium oxidizers
Denitrifiers

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7419_El-HawwaryFinal published version, 1.2 MBLicence: CC BY

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title = "Greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions after abandonment of agriculture, and insights on the response of the (de)nitrifier",

abstract = "The GHG (CO2, CH4, N2O) emission potential along a chronosequence of former agricultural soils abandoned for 9 to 32 years were compared to an actively managed (on-going) agricultural soil (reference). The soils were incubated in mesocosms with and without manure amendment, and microbial functional groups involved in nitrous oxide emission were quantitatively assessed. Carbon dioxide emission significantly increased after agriculture abandonment (< 24 years) consistent with higher decomposition rate, but total emission decreased in the long term (> 29 years). With the cessation of agriculture, the abandoned sites generally became a net methane sink. Notably, total nitrous oxide emission showed a significant monotonic decrease over years of abandonment in response to manure amendment, possibly reflecting an altered capacity for (de)nitrification as indicated in the response of the (de)nitrifier abundance. Overall, our findings suggest that the GHG legacy of agriculture diminishes over time (> 29 years), with lowered GHG emissions and global warming potential (GWP) after abandonment of agriculture.",

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author = "El-Hawwary, {Alaa H.M.} and K. Brenzinger and Lee, {Hyo Jung} and Veraart, {Annelies J.} and Elly Morrien and Michael Schloter and {van der Putten}, W.H. and Paul Bodelier and Adrian Ho",

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T1 - Greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions after abandonment of agriculture, and insights on the response of the (de)nitrifier

AU - El-Hawwary, Alaa H.M.

AU - Brenzinger, K.

AU - Lee, Hyo Jung

AU - Veraart, Annelies J.

AU - Morrien, Elly

AU - Schloter, Michael

AU - van der Putten, W.H.

AU - Bodelier, Paul

AU - Ho, Adrian

N1 - 7419, ME

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - The GHG (CO2, CH4, N2O) emission potential along a chronosequence of former agricultural soils abandoned for 9 to 32 years were compared to an actively managed (on-going) agricultural soil (reference). The soils were incubated in mesocosms with and without manure amendment, and microbial functional groups involved in nitrous oxide emission were quantitatively assessed. Carbon dioxide emission significantly increased after agriculture abandonment (< 24 years) consistent with higher decomposition rate, but total emission decreased in the long term (> 29 years). With the cessation of agriculture, the abandoned sites generally became a net methane sink. Notably, total nitrous oxide emission showed a significant monotonic decrease over years of abandonment in response to manure amendment, possibly reflecting an altered capacity for (de)nitrification as indicated in the response of the (de)nitrifier abundance. Overall, our findings suggest that the GHG legacy of agriculture diminishes over time (> 29 years), with lowered GHG emissions and global warming potential (GWP) after abandonment of agriculture.

AB - The GHG (CO2, CH4, N2O) emission potential along a chronosequence of former agricultural soils abandoned for 9 to 32 years were compared to an actively managed (on-going) agricultural soil (reference). The soils were incubated in mesocosms with and without manure amendment, and microbial functional groups involved in nitrous oxide emission were quantitatively assessed. Carbon dioxide emission significantly increased after agriculture abandonment (< 24 years) consistent with higher decomposition rate, but total emission decreased in the long term (> 29 years). With the cessation of agriculture, the abandoned sites generally became a net methane sink. Notably, total nitrous oxide emission showed a significant monotonic decrease over years of abandonment in response to manure amendment, possibly reflecting an altered capacity for (de)nitrification as indicated in the response of the (de)nitrifier abundance. Overall, our findings suggest that the GHG legacy of agriculture diminishes over time (> 29 years), with lowered GHG emissions and global warming potential (GWP) after abandonment of agriculture.

KW - Agriculture abandonment

KW - Carbon-cycle

KW - Nitrogen cycle

KW - Legacy effect

KW - Ammonium oxidizers

KW - Denitrifiers

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DO - 10.1007/s00374-022-01644-x

M3 - Article

SN - 0178-2762

VL - 58

SP - 579

EP - 591

JO - Biology and Fertility of Soils

JF - Biology and Fertility of Soils

IS - 5

ER -

Greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions after abandonment of agriculture, and insights on the response of the (de)nitrifier

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Keywords

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