Dr. Saadat Malghani | Soil Biogeochemist, University of California, Riverside

Time: 2:00 PM — 3:00 PM

Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Location: Hybrid, CE-CERT RM 105 & Zoom (Join Zoom Meeting ID: 95977578893  ; Passcode: 579513 )

Title:  Tracing the Origins of Soil N2O: Linking Sources, Nitrogen Transformation and Mitigation

Abstract: Nitrous oxide (N2O), commonly known as laughing gas, is a potent greenhouse gas that also contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. Soils are the largest global source of N2O, producing it through multiple pathways that can be favored by contrasting environmental conditions. Identifying the dominant production pathways and their controls is therefore critical for developing effective mitigation strategies and understanding the processes contributing to rising atmospheric N2O concentrations. In this seminar, Dr. Malghani will share insights from his research using complementary approaches to partition soil N2O emissions, ranging from classical inhibition techniques to stable-isotope methods. Drawing on studies using acetylene inhibition, 15N tracing, and N2O isotopic site preference, he will discuss how these approaches help identify N2O -producing processes and assess the role of subsequent N2O reduction. Examples involving biochar and organic nutrient inputs will illustrate how management can modify nitrogen turnover and the balance between N2O production and consumption.

Bio: Dr. Saadat Malghani is a soil biogeochemist currently serving as a volunteer staff  in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Riverside. His research spans soil carbon sequestration and circular nutrient management in agricultural systems, emphasizing the soil processes that regulate carbon and nutrient cycling, with a particular focus on nitrous oxide (N₂O) source partitioning. He completed his doctoral training through the International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles, in cooperation with Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany. He subsequently held postdoctoral appointments at Texas A&M University, USA; Yonsei University, South Korea; and the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and served as an Associate Professor at Nanjing Forestry University, China.