New Study Sheds Light on Global N2O Emissions from Soil: LPJ-GUESS Model Gets an Upgrade

Our team members Jianyong, Almut, Peter, and Martin, along with other collaborators, have just published a new study in Geoscientific Model Development titled: “Soil nitrous oxide emissions from global land ecosystems and their drivers within the LPJ-GUESS model (v4.1)”. This work introduces a nitrification-denitrification module into the LPJ-GUESS land surface model, enhancing its ability to simulate emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O)—a potent greenhouse gas—from soils across the globe.

Key findings reveal that fertilized croplands have been the dominant driver, accounting for two-thirds of the global increase in N2O emissions between 1960 and 2020. The study underscores how environmental conditions shape soil N2O fluxes, offering crucial insights for climate mitigation strategies, especially in managed agricultural systems.

The full article is available at https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/18/3131/2025/