9420612 REINERS Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas that is increasing in concentration by about 0.3% per year. Humid tropical forests account for 25-40% of the annual global emissions of N2O, and the conversion of forests to pastures or agriculture initially increases the emission rate to very high levels. These high levels of gas emission are sustained in ecosystems where fertilizers are applied, but the rates of emission can drop precipitously in pastures and unfertilized fields. Accurately estimating the atmospheric input of nitrous oxide on a regional scale must account for such complexity and provide estimates of the variance which is occurring. This project develops and test two models which more accurately characterizes the regional flux of nitrous oxide to the atmosphere from humid tropical forests.
