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Title: MEASUREMENTS AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION FROM AGROECOSYSTEMS

Author
item DESJARDINS, R - AG AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item KAHARABATA, S - AG AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item MACPHERSON, J - AG AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item PATTEY, E - AG AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item SAVARD, L - AG AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item MASSE, D - AG AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA
item DENMEAD, O - CSIRO, AUSTRAILIA
item Harper, Lowry
item ZHU, T - PEKING UNIVERSITY, CHINA
item RIZNEK, R - AG AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA

Submitted to: Methane and Nitrous Oxide International Workshop Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2003
Publication Date: 11/17/2003
Citation: Desjardins, R.L., Kaharabata, S.K., Macpherson, J.I., Pattey, E., Savard, L., Masse, D., Denmead, O.T., Harper, L.A., Zhu, T., Riznek, R. 2003. Measurements and verification of greenhouse gas emission from agroecosystems. In: Methane and Nitrous Oxide International Workshop Proceedings, November 17-21, 2003, Beijing, China. p. 273-280.

Interpretive Summary: Methane and nitrous oxide from agricultural production are major sources of greenhouse gases and accurate emissions determinations are difficult to obtain. A current estimate of these emissions sources from agricultural systems in Canada is presented and some of the most up-to-date techniques available for obtaining reliable estimates of emissions of these two gases are described. For sources which are localized or small in source area, a mass-balance approach to quantify emissions using open-path laser spectrometers was jointly-developed by scientists at the J.P. Campbell Natural Resources Research Center, Watkinsville, GA, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Canberra, Australia, and the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Center, Ottawa, Ontario. For sources which are large in scale, studies using aircraft-based emissions, developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, are discussed. By using both of these new measurement systems, better estimates of trace-gas emissions are being derived, providing information to be used by other scientists, designers, managers, and regulators.

Technical Abstract: An estimate of the main sources of methane and nitrous oxide from agroecosystems in Canada will be presented. Some of the most up-to-date micrometeorological techniques available for obtaining reliable measurements of GHG emissions will be described. For point sources, a mass balance approach, using open path lasers, was recently used to quantify methane emissions. An accuracy of about 4% was obtained using this technique. For diffuse sources, such as nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural farmlands, observations using aircraft-based fluxes will be examined. It will be shown how such flux measurements can provide valuable information for verifying regional estimates of nitrous oxide emissions during episodes when nitrous oxide emissions are relatively large.