A dataset for 15N natural abundance of soil ammonia volatilization

Investigating the sources of ammonia (NH₃) in the atmosphere and the contribution of each source is essential for environmental pollution control. The presented dataset aims to provide ¹⁵N natural abundance (δ¹⁵N) data collected from different controlled treatments to fill the knowledge gap between insufficient data of soil δ¹⁵N-NH₃ and accurately identifying atmospheric NH₃ source apportionments. Our results showed that the overall δ¹⁵N-NH₃ values emitted from soil ranged from -46.09 to 10.22‰, with an average of -26.81 ± 11.17‰. The mean δ¹⁵N-NH₃ values under different nitrogen (N) application rates, N fertilizer types, air temperatures, soil moisture, soil pH, soil types, and land use types were -29.41 ± 10.91, -32.43 ± 6.86, -29.10 ± 10.04, -30.31 ± 6.18, -24.84 ± 13.76, -23.53 ± 7.66, and -14.57 ± 12.54‰, respectively. Significant correlations were observed between δ¹⁵N-NH₃ values and soil pH, soil NO₃^--N concentration, and NH₃ volatilization. This unique database provides basic data and evidence for the qualification of atmospheric NH₃ source apportionments under different study area conditions.