A research team led by Dr. FANG Yunting from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Applied Ecology has been recognized for a groundbreaking study on the temperature sensitivity of gaseous nitrogen release from forest soil denitrification. Their work was selected as one of the Top 10 Nitrogen Cycle Advances of 2023 by the Fifth Nitrogen Biogeochemical Cycle Forum, which was held on August 17, 2024, in Wuhan.

The study, published in Nature Climate Change, addresses a critical aspect of nitrogen loss in terrestrial ecosystems. By developing a ¹⁵N labeling technique, the team quantified the production rates of N₂O and N₂ in forest soils and investigated their temperature sensitivity of these rates across 18 forest research stations in China. They found that denitrification rates increased exponentially with temperature, with N₂ production being more sensitive than N₂O. This indicates that warming could lead to greater nitrogen loss as N₂.

This research provides crucial data for improving process models and understanding ecosystem responses to climate change. The "Top 10 Nitrogen Cycle Advances" highlights the importance of interdisciplinary studies and public environmental awareness in addressing nitrogen cycle challenges.