Abstract
Net productions of permanent soil atmosphere gases (N2, CO2, O2) and temporary gases (N2O, NO) were monitored in soil cores using a non-interfering, fully automated measuring technique allowing highly time resolved measurements over prolonged periods. The influence of changes in available organic carbon on CO2, N2O, NO and N2 production was studied by changing the soil carbon content through aerobic preincubations of different length, up to 21 days.
The aerobic preincubation caused an increase in NO3 - concentration and a decrease in available carbon content. Available carbon content dominated both CO2 and total N gas (N2+N2O+NO) production during anaerobiosis. Both CO2 and total N gas production rates decreased with increasing length of the previous aerobic preincubation, this in spite of the higher initial NO3 - concentration.
Total denitrification rates were closely related to the anaerobic CO2 production rates. No relation was found between water soluble carbon content and total denitrification. The N2O/N2 ratio could be explained by an interaction of carbon availability, NO3 - concentration and enzyme status. Net N2O consumption was monitored. The balance between cumulative total N gas production and NO3 - consumption varied according to the different treatments. Cumulative N2O production exceeded cumulative N2 production for 0 up to 5 days.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Aulakh M S, Doran J W and Mosier A R 1992 Soil denitrification-significance, measurement, and effects of management. Adv. Soil Sci. 18, 1–57.
Bijay-Singh, Ryden J C and Whitehead D C 1988 Some relationships between denitrification potential and fractions of organic carbon in air-dried and field-moist soils. Soil Biol. Biochem. 5, 737–741.
Bouwman A F 1990 Nitrous Oxide. In Soils and the Greenhouse Effect. Ed. A FBouwman. pp 100–120. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
Burford J R and Bremner J M 1975 Relationship between the denitrification capacities of soils and total, water-soluble and readily decomposable soil organic matter. Soil Biol. Biochem. 7, 389–394.
Comfort S D, Kelling K A, Keeney D R and Converse J C 1990 Nitrous oxide production from injected liquid dairy manure. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 54, 421–427.
Crutzen P J 1981 Atmospheric chemical processes of the oxides of nitrogen, including nitrous oxide. In Denitrification, Nitrification, and Atmospheric Nitrous Oxide. Ed. C CDelwiche. pp 17–44. John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA.
deCatanzaro J B, Beauchamp E G and Drury C F 1987 Denitrification vs. dissimilatory nitrate reduction in soil with alfalfa, straw, glucose, and sulfide treatments. Soil Biol. Biochem. 19, 583–587.
Hutchinson, G L and Davidson, E A 1993 Processes for production and consumption of gaseous nitrogen oxides in soil. In Agricultural Ecosystem Effects on Trace Gases and Global Climate Change. Eds. L A, Harper, A R, Mosier, J M, Duxbury and D E, Rolston. pp 79–93. ASA Special Publication 55, Madison, WI, USA.
Katz R, Hagin J and Kurts L T 1985 Participation of soluble and oxidizable soil organic compounds in denitrification. Biol. Fertil. Soils 1, 209–213.
Lalisse-Grundmann G, Brunel B and Chalamet A 1988 Denitrification in a cultivated soil: optimal glucose and nitrate concentrations. Soil Biol. Biochem. 20, 839–844.
McCardell A and Fuhrmann J J 1992 Determination of persulfate-oxidizable carbon by gas chromatography. Soil Biol. Biochem. 24, 615–616.
Paul J W and Beauchamp E G 1989 Effect of carbon constituents in manure on denitrification in soil. Can. J. Soil Sci. 69, 49–61.
Sahrawat K L and Keeney D R 1986 Nitrous oxide emission from soils. Adv. Soil Sci. 4, 103–148.
Swerts M, Uytterhoeven G, Merckx R and Vlassak K 1995 Semicontinuous measurement of soil atmosphere gases with a gas-flow soil core method. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 59, 1336–1342.
Tiedje J M 1982 Denitrification. In Methods of Soil Analysis, part 2. Eds. A LPage, R HMiller and D RKeeney. pp 1011–1026. Agronomy Monograph 9, ASA-SSSA, Madison, USA.
Weier K L, Doran J W, Power J F and Walters D T 1993 Denitrification and the dinitrogen/nitrous oxide ratio as affected by soil water, available carbon, and nitrate. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 57, 66–72.
Yoshinari T, Hynes R and Knowles R 1977 Acetylene inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction and measurement of denitrification and nitrogen fixation in soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 9, 177–183.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Swerts, M., Merckx, R. & Vlassak, K. Influence of carbon availability on the production of NO, N2O, N2 and CO2 by soil cores during anaerobic incubation. Plant Soil 181, 145–151 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011301
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011301