Oecologia https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-019-04424-x (2019)

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas predominantly emitted to the atmosphere by agriculture. However, natural systems account for nearly 20% of global emissions, and changes in these may be dictated by human influence. The amount of N2O released depends on direct factors, such as soil temperature, nitrate or water content, as well as more distal controls, like climate and plant cover, that are more difficult to constrain but potentially easier to include in plans.

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To quantify these indirect effects, Juan Manuel Piñeiro-Guerra from the University of Buenos Aires and colleagues investigate the N2O emissions from natural grasslands in the Rio de la Plata, Argentina, for a year. They find that decreasing plant biodiversity and increasing plant productivity are associated spatially with higher N2O emissions. Over time, however, temperature and precipitation determine the magnitude of N2O fluxes. The different spatial and temporal effects mean that biodiversity, primary productivity and climate must be considered in determining and limiting greenhouse gas emissions in natural systems.