Measurement of gaseous losses of nitrogen from soils

The measurement of gaseous losses of nitrogen from a red-brown earth has been investigated by direct determination of the evolved gaseous products. The results of field investigations, enclosed growth chamber experiments, and incubation experiments have indicated that the majority of the losses as N₂O are due to the microbial reduction of soil nitrate at anaerobic microsites within the generally aerobic soil.The detection and measurement of N₂O in the soil atmosphere by analyses for N₂O in samples obtained from equilibrium diffusion reservoirs provided a satisfactory and convenient means of detecting losses of nitrogen and of observing the seasonal distributions of nitrous oxide in the soil profile. Aspects of this problem requiring further investigation before the magnitude of the total gaseous losses can be accurately assessed are indicated.