Production and Emissions from Natural Wetlands

Estimates of the contribution of natural sources of N2O to the atmosphere have a high degree of uncertainty. Differences in the rate of N cycling among ecosystems account for differences in N2O 

FIGURE 16.7 The critical redox potential for nitrous oxide formation in flooded soil. (From Smith et al., 1983.) 

Factors Affecting Relative Proportion of Dinitrogen (N2) to Nitrous Oxide (N2O) 

The emissions of NjO from adjoining salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes within the Louisiana Barataria basin are 31, 48, and 55 mg N m, respectively (Smith et al., 1983). The NjO flux from this study was similar to NjO from the Narragansett Bay sediment (Seitzinger et al., 1980). The addition of nitrate to the salt marsh significantly increased the rate of N2O emission (Smith et al., 

Appreciable loss of N2O would only be expected when the marshes receive an extraneous source of nitrate such as sewage or waste water. 

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