Abstract: In up-scaling studies, model input data aggregation is a common method to cope with deficient data availability and limit the computational effort. We analyzed model errors due to soil data aggregation for modeled SOC trends. For a region in North West Germany, gridded soil data of spatial resolutions between 1 km and 100 km has been derived by majority selection. This data was used to simulate changes in SOC for a period of 30 years by 7 biogeochemical models. Soil data aggregation strongly affected modeled SOC trends. Prediction errors of simulated SOC changes decreased with increasing spatial resolution of model output. Output data aggregation only marginally reduced differences of model outputs between models indicating that errors caused by deficient model structure are likely to persist even if requirements on the spatial resolution of model outputs are low. (C)2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Radish is one of the major dry field crops in Asia commonly grown with plastic mulch and high rates of N fertilization, and potentially harming the environment due to N2O emissions and nitrate leaching. Despite the widespread use of plastic mulch, biogeochemical models so far do not yet consider impacts of mulch on soil environmental conditions and biogeochemistry. In this study, we adapted and successfully tested the LandscapeDNDC model against field data by simulating crop growth, C and N turnover and associated N2O emissions as well as nitrate leaching for radish cultivation with plastic mulch and in conjunction with different rates of N fertilization (465-765 kg N ha(-1) year(-1)). Due to the sandy soil texture and monsoon climate, nitrate leaching with rates up to 350 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) was the dominant reason for overall low nitrogen use efficiency (32-43 %). Direct or indirect N2O emissions (calculated from simulated nitrate leaching rates and IPCC EFind = 0.0075) ranged between 2 and 3 kg N ha(-1) year(-1), thus contributing an equal amount to total field emissions of about 5 kg N ha(-1) year(-1). Based on our results, emission factors for direct N2O emissions ranged between 0.004 and 0.005. These values are only half of the IPCC default value (0.01), demonstrating the need of biogeochemical models for developing site and/or region specific EFs. Simulation results also revealed that changes in agricultural management by applying the fertilizer only to the rows would be an efficient mitigation strategy, effectively decreasing field nitrate leaching and N2O emissions by 50-60 %.

Abstract: Numerical simulation models are increasingly used to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at site to regional scales and are outlined as the most advanced methodology (Tier 3) for national emission inventory in the framework of UNFCCC reporting.Low resolution simulations needs less effort in computation and data management, but details could be lost during data aggregation associated with high uncertainties of the simulation results. This aggregation effect and its uncertainty will be propagated with the simulations.  This paper aims to study the aggregation effects of climate and soil input data on soil N2O emissions and nitrate leaching by comparing different biogeochemistry models. We simulated two 30-year cropping systems (winter wheat and maize monocultures) under nutrient-limited conditions. Input data (climate and soil) was based on a 1 km resolution aggregated on resolutions of 10, 25, 50, and 100. In the first step, the soil data was kept homogenous using representative soil properties while climate data was used on all different scales. In the second step, the climate data was kept homogeneous while soil initial data was used on all different scales. Finally in the third step we have used spatially explicit climate and soil data on all different scales. We analyzed the N2O emissions per unit of crop yield as well as the nitrate leaching on the annual average as well as on daily resolution to study pulsing events for all scenarios and on all scales. The study presents an analysis of the influence of data aggregation.The study gives an indication on adequate spatial aggregation schemes in dependence on the scope of regionalization studies addressing the quantification of losses of reactive nitrogen from managed arable systems. No Label