White Clover does not Increase Soil N2O Emissions Compared to Ryegrass in Non-Frozen Winter, but Increases CH4 Uptake

As one of the most important forage species in Europe, white clover (Trifolium repens) is a legume that is well recognized for its potential to increase productivity especially under reduced N input. It is hypothesized that legumes have the potential to decrease overwinter soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to more efficient N recycling as compared to non-legume forbs. We conducted a field experiment recording high-resolution soil nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) fluxes during the winter months (December 2019 to March 2020) on a five-year-old grassland in central Germany with white clover, fertilized and unfertilized perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and bare soil. White clover and fertilized ryegrass stimulated soil N2O emissions by 174