Influence of short-term transfers on nitrogen fluxes, budgets and indirect N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in rural landscapes
Abstract. Spatial interactions at short-term may lead to large inputs of reactive nitrogen (Nr) to oligotrophic ecosystems and induce environmental threats such as additional N2O emissions and global warming. The paper presents a new methodology to estimate Nr fluxes, especially additional N2O emissions, at the landscape scale by taking into account spatial interactions between landscape elements. We used the NitroScape model which integrates processes of Nr transformation and short-term transfer in a dynamic and spatially distributed way to simulate Nr fluxes and budgets at the landscape scale. Four configurations of NitroScape were implemented by taking into account or not the atmospheric, hydrological or both pathways of Nr transfer. We simulated Nr fluxes, especially direct and indirect N2O emissions, within a test landscape including pig farms, croplands and unmanaged ecosystems. Simulation results showed the ability of NitroScape to simulate patterns of Nr losses and recapture for each landscape element and the whole landscape. They made it possible to quantify the contribution of both atmospheric and hydrological transfers in Nr fluxes and budgets. Indirect N2O emissions were estimated at almost 25 % of the total N2O emissions. They varied within the landscape according to land use, meteorological and soil conditions as well as topography. This first attempt has proved that the NitroScape model is a useful tool to estimate the effect of spatial interactions on Nr fluxes and budgets as well as indirect N2O emissions within landscapes. Our approach needs to be further tested by applying NitroScape to several spatial distributions of ecosystems within the landscape and to real and larger landscapes.