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Automated Soil Monolith-Flux Chamber System for the Study of Trace Gas Fluxes

Soils Dep., Scottish Agricultural College, School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, Scotland

Jonathan R. M. Arah

Inst. of Terrestrial Ecology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB, Scotland

Helen Clayton and Keith A. Smith^*

Inst. of Ecology and Resource Management, Univ. of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, Scotland

*Corresponding author (k.a.smith{at}ed.ac.uk).

ABSTRACT

Soils are the major source of atmospheric N₂O, and better estimates of fluxes are needed to improve the input to climatic general circulation models. We developed a system in a semicontrolled environment to investigate relationships between fluxes of N₂O and controlling variables. It consists of 12 soil monoliths (1-m diam., 0.6 m deep) in glass fiber casings, the tops of which have been converted into gas flux chambers. These chambers are connected to a gas chromatograph for measurement of N₂O and CO₂. Gas sampling and analysis is computer controlled and can be done continuously. Temperatures and soil water potential are also recorded continuously. The system has performed reliably since continuous operation began in September 1993. We conducted three experiments, examining the effects of soil water potential, organic matter input, and diurnal temperature variation on N₂O fluxes, to illustrate the capabilities of the system. In these experiments, the major emissions of N₂O (>800 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1) occurred when the water potential was above –5 kPa. When plant material was incorporated into the soil, a highly significant correlation was found between N₂O and CO₂ emissions; the N₂O emissions showed pronounced diurnal cycles, with the maxima occurring at night, 4 h after the temperature maxima at 0.1-m depth. Data interpretation was greatly aided by the frequency and continuity of measurement.

Received for publication June 26, 1996.

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