Nitrous oxide emissions from desert region soils

This study was conducted to determine emission rates of nitrous oxide (N₂O) gas from arid region locations. Fluxes were measured at an effluent-irrigated turfgrass location in Arizona, a Sonoran desert location, and a savannah location in Africa. Fluxes were measured by a closed chamber method at the Arizona locations on a weekly basis during the summer of 1991, and at the African location during two separate three day studies during the summer of 1992. Soils were sampled at each location during each sampling period and analyzed for water content, nitrate, pH, and total organic carbon content. Nitrous oxide fluxes in Arizona averaged approximately 13 and 0.7 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the turfgrass and desert locations respectively. The average fluxes from the African sites were 1.3, 1.6, and 1.3 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for a millet field, fallow field, and "tigerbush" plateau, respectively. Diurnal and seasonal variability was observed