title: Edge effects on N2O, NO and CH4fluxes in two temperate forests.
abstract: Forest ecosystems may act as sinks or sources of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) compounds, such as the climate relevant trace gases nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO) and methane (CH4). Forest edges, which catch more atmospheric deposition, have become important features in European landscapes and elsewhere. Here, we implemented a fully automated measuring system, comprising static and dynamic measuring chambers determining N2O, NO and CH4fluxes along an edge-to-interior transect in an oak (Q. robur) and a pine (P. nigra) forest in northern Belgium. Each forest was monitored during a 2-week measurement campaign with continuous measurements every 2h. NO emissions were 9-fold higher than N2O emissions. The fluxes of NO and CH4differed between forest edge and interior, but not for N2O. This edge effect was more pronounced in the oak than in the pine forest. In the oak forest, edges emitted less NO (on average 60%) and took up more CH4(on average 177%). This suggests that landscape structure can play a role in the atmospheric budgets of these climate relevant trace gases. Soil moisture variation between forest edge and interior was a key variable explaining the magnitude of NO and CH4fluxes in our measurement campaign. To better understand the environmental impact of N and C trace gas fluxes from forest edges, additional and long-term measurements in other forest edges are required.
authors.affiliation: Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Forest and Water Management, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium. Electronic address: elyn.remy@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Elyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Remy
authors.affiliation: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Electronic address: rainer.gasche@kit.edu.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gasche
authors.affiliation: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Electronic address: ralf.kiese@kit.edu.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiese
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental & Urban Ecology - ENdEMIC, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: karen.wuyts@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wuyts
authors.affiliation: Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Forest and Water Management, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium. Electronic address: kris.verheyen@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verheyen
authors.affiliation: Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: pascal.boeckx@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boeckx
keywords: Forest edge; Methane; Nitric oxide; Nitrogen deposition; Nitrous oxide