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Semicontinuous Measurement of Soil Atmosphere Gases with Gas-Flow Soil Core Method

Laboratory of Soil Fertility and Soil Biology, Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kardinaal Mercierlaan 92, B 3001 Heverlee, Belgium

*Corresponding author (martien.swerts{at}agr.kuleuven.ac.be).

ABSTRACT

To study denitrification, a method was developed for simultaneous measurement of CO₂, N₂, N₂O, and NO production in soil cores. The technique does not interfere with biochemical processes in the soil and is fully automated to enable highly time-resolved measurements for prolonged periods. Soil cores (intact or repacked) are connected to individual gas-tight circuits (up to nine). Gas is continuously circulated through the soil cores to avoid diffusional problems. Each individual circuit can be automatically sampled for chromatographic gas analysis. The N₂O production rates can be measured accurately down to 0.04 µg N kg^–1 measuring interval^–1 (MI). Determination of N₂, CO₂, and O₂ production rates is less sensitive: 0.09 mg N kg^–1 MI^–1, 0.04 mg C kg^–1 MI^–1, and 0.02 mg O kg^–1 MI^–1, respectively. Dynamically changing gas production rates are monitored accurately, and total N gas production under anaerobiosis is balanced by NO₃^– disappearance.

Received for publication February 16, 1994.

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