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CO 2 FLUX MEASUREMENT USING SODA LIME: CORRECTION FOR WATER FORMED DURING CO 2 ADSORPTION
Author(s) -
Grogan Paul
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/0012-9658(1998)079[1467:cfmusl]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - adsorption , flux (metallurgy) , lime , environmental science , environmental chemistry , mineralogy , materials science , chemistry , ecology , metallurgy , biology
Terrestrial carbon budgets and models of ecosystem carbon cycling rely on accurate field measurements of CO 2 release from soils. Despite limitations of accuracy that require the use of a calibration curve, the soda‐lime technique has distinct advantages that have resulted in its continued use for in situ measurements of soil respiration. In this note I report an error in the correction factor used to account for water formed during chemical adsorption of CO 2 by soda lime. The appropriate correction factor (1.69 in place of 1.41) implies that all previously reported CO 2 fluxes using the soda‐lime method should by increased by 20%. Recent global estimates of soil CO 2 release have relied largely on soda‐lime data and will require reevaluation in the light of this correction.