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 (s_N) of soil N₂O emission (R_N2O) to N deposition (N_depo). This was done in order to infer soil R_N2O 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 s_N 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.