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Ammonia volatilization loss and ^{15}N balance were studied in a rice field at three different stages after urea application in Taihu Lake area with a micrometeorological technique. Factors such as climate and the NH_4^+-N concentration in the field floodwater affecting ammonia loss were also investigated. Results show that the ammonia loss by volatilization accounted for 18.6%–38.7% of urea applied at different stages, the greatest loss took place when urea was applied at the tillering stage, the smallest at the ear bearing stage, and the intermediate loss at the basal stage. The greatest loss took place within 7 d following the fertilizer application. Ammonia volatilization losses at three fertilization stages were significantly correlated with the ammonium concentration in the field floodwater after the fertilizer was applied. ^{15}N balance experiment indicated that the use efficiency of urea by rice plants ranged between 24.4% and 28.1%. At the early stage of rice growth, the fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency was rather low, only about 12%. The total amount of nitrogen lost from different fertilization stages in the rice field was 44.1%–54.4%, and the ammonia volatilization loss was 25.4%–33.3%. Reducing ammonia loss is an important treatment for improving N use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]