N2O-Predict
Episodic nitrous oxide emissions and their prediction from northern agricultural soils
The N2O-Predict project studies episodic nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in northern agricultural soils, and determines the factors influencing the seasonal variation of emissions. The aim of the project is to assess the overall climate impact and emission reduction potentials of northern agricultural soils.
Official name
Predicting episodic N2O emissions from northern agricultural soils
Duration
2024–2028
Persons in charge
Mari Pihlatie (University of Helsinki)
Organisations
University of Helsinki, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), University of Eastern Finland, and Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)
Funder
Research Council of Finland
Climate-smart agriculture contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from soil and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Mitigating emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is challenging because emissions are unpredictable, episodic, and depend not only on field management but also on weather conditions. The largest N2O emissions occur after droughts when the soil gets wet, or when the soil repeatedly freezes and thaws in winter. However, the understanding of the causes and processes of these emission peaks is still poor.
To investigate this, the N2O-Predict multidisciplinary research team will carry out both field and laboratory measurements. These measurements are used to determine the seasonal variations in N2O emissions, as well as the factors and processes that influence them, from northern agricultural soils. The results will be used to improve process models for agricultural soils. Ultimately, the project will assess the overall climate impact of northern agricultural soils, and emission reduction potentials in the current and future climate.
Contact
Mari Pihlatie, University of Helsinki, mari.pihlatie@helsinki.fi
PROJECT PARTNERS
