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The team of Prof. Longfei Yu from the Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Carbon Sequestration at the renowned Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, worked with us on the recent project: Synthesis of Global Soil-Emitted N₂O Isotopic Signatures: Geoclimatic Patterns and Influential Factors, published in February 2026 in Geophysical Research Letters.

The distribution of N₂O isotopic signatures across different ecosystems: From left to right, mean values and ranges for δ¹⁵N^bulk, δ¹⁸O, and δ¹⁵N^SP for different ecosystem types.

In this paper, we compiled a global database of in situ soil-emitted N₂O isotopes from chamber- and probe-based studies to examine the spatiotemporal variability and environmental controls. Croplands showed the greatest variability, with mean δ¹⁵N^bulk, δ¹⁸O, and δ¹⁵N^SP values of −15.0, 35.3, and 13.7 permil. Using the Time-resolved Fractionation and Mixing Evaluation (TimeFRAME) model, we estimated bacterial denitrification as the major N₂O source process (45%–63%) and found a mean N₂O reduction potential of 43%. Overall, this global inventory provides empirically constrained isotopic end-members for improved source–sink attribution, new insights into terrestrial N₂O cycling, and a benchmark for model evaluation.

Read more: Li, T., Harris, E., Niu, Z. and Yu, L. (2026) Synthesis of global soil-emitted N₂O isotopic signatures: Geoclimatic patterns and influential factors, Geophysical Research Letters, doi: 10.1029/2025GL116045