Hydrogen consumption and carbon monoxide production in soils with different properties

 Soils are the dominant sink in the global budget of atmospheric H₂, and can be an important local source of atmospheric CO. In order to understand which soil characteristics affect the rates of H₂ consumption and CO production, we measured these activities in 16 different soils at 30% and 60% of their maximum water holding capacity (whc). The soils were obtained from forests, meadows and agricultural fields in Germany and exhibited different characteristics with respect to texture, pH, total C, substrate-induced respiration (SIR), respiration, total and inorganic N, N mineralization, nitrification, N₂O production and NO turnover. The H₂ consumption rate constants were generally lower at 60% than at 30% whc, whereas the CO production rates were not influenced by the whc. Spearman correlation analysis showed that H₂ consumption correlated significantly (r>0.5, P<0.05) at both water contents only with SIR and potential nitrification. The correlation with these variables that are largely dominated by soil microorganisms is consistent with our understanding that atmospheric H₂ is oxidized by soil hydrogenases. Multiple regression analysis and factor analysis gave similar results. Production of CO, on the other hand, was significantly correlated to soil total C, respiration, total N and NH₄ ⁺. The correlation with these variables that are largely dominated by a soil's chemical composition is consistent with our understanding that CO is produced by chemical oxidation of soil organic C. CO production was also influenced by soil usage, with rates increasing in the order: arable2 consumption was not influenced by soil usage. Received: 28 October 1999