Analysis of soil and water borne emissions of nitrous oxide and methane in the Netherlands

Abstract

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Two different estimates of the soil borne emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) are compared. One uses global data on land use and fertilizer consumption, and the other estimate is based on more detailed information about Dutch national land use. In addition, a tentative estimate of the water borne N2O emissions is presented, based on an assessment of input of nitrogen in Dutch surface and coastal waters and gross denitrification rates. The total N2O emission in the Netherlands amounts to about 24 kTon N2O-N per year, of which 10-15 kTon stems from soils, and 9-12 kTon comes from inland waters, coastal waters and water treatment plants. In the second part an assessment is made of the CH4 emissions from organic soils and shallow waters in the Netherlands. The total emission from these sources amounts to 70-200 kTon CH4 per year. The reported estimates are based on literature data from other countries with similar climatic conditions and soils, as to date very few measurements have been carried out in the Netherlands. Therefore, the estimates show a high degree of uncertainty.