EXCHANGE OF N2O AND CH4 BETWEEN THE ATMOSPHERE AND SOILS IN SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED-STATES

We measured the exchange of N2O and CH4 between the atmosphere and soils in 5 spruce-fir stands located along a transect from New York to Maine. Nitrous oxide emissions averaged over the 1990 growing season (May-September) ranged from 2.1 ug N2O-N/m2-hr in New York to 0.4 ug N2O-N/m2-hr in Maine. The westernmost sites, Whiteface Mtn., New York and Mt. Mansfield, Vermont, had the highest nitrogen-deposition, net nitrification and N2O emissions. Soils at all sites were net sinks for atmospheric CH4. Methane uptake averaged over the 1990 growing season ranged from 0.02 mg CH4-C/m2-hr in Maine to 0.05 mg CH4-C/m2-hr in Vermont. Regional differences in CH4 uptake could not be explained by differences in nitrogen-deposition, soil nitrogen dynamics, soil moisture or soil temperature. We estimate that soils in spruce-fir forests at our study sites released ca. 0.02 to 0.08 kg N2O-N/ha and consumed ca. 0.74 to 1.85 kg CH4-C/ha in the 1990 growing season.