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Global NO and HONO emissions of biological soil crusts estimated by a process-based non-vascular vegetation model

  • The reactive trace gases nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous acid (HONO) are crucial for chemical processes in the atmosphere, including the formation of ozone and OH radicals, oxidation of pollutants, and atmospheric self-cleaning. Recently, empirical studies have shown that biological soil crusts are able to emit large amounts of NO and HONO, and they may therefore play an important role in the global budget of these trace gases. However, the upscaling of local estimates to the global scale is subject to large uncertainties, due to unknown spatial distribution of crust types and their dynamic metabolic activity. Here, we perform an alternative estimate of global NO and HONO emissions by biological soil crusts, using a process-based modelling approach to these organisms, combined with global data sets of climate and land cover. We thereby consider that NO and HONO are emitted in strongly different proportions, depending on the type of crust and their dynamic activity, and we provide a first estimate of the global distribution of fourThe reactive trace gases nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous acid (HONO) are crucial for chemical processes in the atmosphere, including the formation of ozone and OH radicals, oxidation of pollutants, and atmospheric self-cleaning. Recently, empirical studies have shown that biological soil crusts are able to emit large amounts of NO and HONO, and they may therefore play an important role in the global budget of these trace gases. However, the upscaling of local estimates to the global scale is subject to large uncertainties, due to unknown spatial distribution of crust types and their dynamic metabolic activity. Here, we perform an alternative estimate of global NO and HONO emissions by biological soil crusts, using a process-based modelling approach to these organisms, combined with global data sets of climate and land cover. We thereby consider that NO and HONO are emitted in strongly different proportions, depending on the type of crust and their dynamic activity, and we provide a first estimate of the global distribution of four different crust types. Based on this, we estimate global total values of 1.04 Tg yr⁻¹ NO–N and 0.69 Tg yr⁻¹ HONO–N released by biological soil crusts. This corresponds to around 20% of global emissions of these trace gases from natural ecosystems. Due to the low number of observations on NO and HONO emissions suitable to validate the model, our estimates are still relatively uncertain. However, they are consistent with the amount estimated by the empirical approach, which confirms that biological soil crusts are likely to have a strong impact on global atmospheric chemistry via emissions of NO and HONO.show moreshow less

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Author details:Philipp PoradaORCiDGND, Alexandra Tamm, Jose RaggioORCiD, Cheng YafangORCiD, Axel KleidonORCiDGND, Ulrich PöschlORCiDGND, Bettina WeberORCiDGND
DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2003-2019
ISSN:1726-4170
ISSN:1726-4189
Title of parent work (English):Biogeosciences
Publisher:Copernicus Publ.
Place of publishing:Göttingen
Publication type:Article
Language:English
Date of first publication:2019/05/15
Publication year:2019
Release date:2019/10/02
Tag:bryophytes; carbon; hilly loes plateau; inner-mongolia; lichens; mojave desert; net primary productivity; nitrous-oxide; spatial-distribution; succulent karoo
Volume:16
Number of pages:29
First page:2003
Last Page:2031
Funding institution:Universität Potsdam
Funding number:PA 2019_42
Organizational units:Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie
DDC classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 55 Geowissenschaften, Geologie / 550 Geowissenschaften
5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Peer review:Referiert
Grantor:Publikationsfonds der Universität Potsdam
Publishing method:Open Access
License (German):License LogoCC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International
External remark:Zweitveröffentlichung in der Schriftenreihe Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe ; 746
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