Data and Code for: Nitrogen deposition contributed to a global increase in nitrous oxide emissions from forest soils

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). Anthropogenically enhanced nitrogen (N) deposition causes natural forest soils to release more N2O, exacerbating global warming. The data from the N addition experiments conducted in forests worldwide were used to quantify the spatially varying sensitivity (sN) of soil N2O emission (RN2O) to N deposition (Ndepo). This was done in order to infer soil RN2O dynamics from N deposition data. From 1985 to 2015, global forest soil N2O emissions increased from 3.55 TgN2O-N yr–1 to 3.85 TgN2O-N yr–1. N deposition was found to contribute directly to 9.0% of global forest soil N2O emissions. The derived sN for 145 countries could be employed as localized emission factors for national inventories of N2O emissions from forestlands. This study sheds light on a process-augmented data-driven approach to estimating global N2O emissions by synthesizing experimental and observational data.