Nitrous Oxide Production and Consumption in Peat

Nitrous oxide can be produced in soils by biological or chemical processes in which nitrogen compounds are transformed. The occurrence and course of these processes are affected by different factors, e.g. temperature, pH, aeration of the soil, availability of organic substances and availability of inorganic nitrogen (e.g. nitrate and ammonium). How these factors affect nitrogen transformations was investigated in laboratory experiments. In these experiments biological denitrification was probably responsible for observed flushes of net nitrous oxide production. The observed effects of the above-mentioned factors qualitatively confirmed the results described by various authors for soils other than peat. A denitrification simulation model to explain the results is briefly discussed. This model was developed to describe the underlying biological processes. Suggestions are given on how to develop a field scale model to explain nitrous oxide emissions from pastures.