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Respiration of nitrous oxide in suboxic soil
Author(s) -
Vieten B.,
Conen F.,
Neftel A.,
Alewell C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
european journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 1351-0754
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.2009.01125.x
Subject(s) - nitrous oxide , respiration , soil respiration , environmental science , environmental chemistry , chemistry , soil science , soil water , biology , botany , organic chemistry
Summary Reduction of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is an autonomous respiratory pathway. Nitrous oxide is an alternative electron acceptor to O 2 when intensive biological activity and reduced diffusivity result in an O 2 deficit. Hypoxic or anoxic micro sites may form even in well‐aerated soils, and provide a sink for N 2 O diffusing through the gas‐filled pore space. We reproduced similar in vitro conditions in suboxic (0.15% O 2 ) flow‐through incubation experiments with samples from a Stagnosol and from a Histosol. Apparent half‐saturation constants ( k m ) for N 2 O reduction were similar for both soils and were, on average, 3.8 μmol mol −1 at 5°C, 5.1 μmol mol −1 at 10°C, and 6.9 μmol mol −1 at 20°C. Respiration of N 2 O was estimated to contribute a maximum proportion of 1.7% to total respiration in the Stagnosol (pH 7.0) and 0.9% in the Histosol (pH 2.9).