A SIMPLE METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE RESPIRATORY QUOTIENT OF SOILS

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Abstract
A simple method for the determination of the respiratory quotient of soils is described. The advantages of this method over those previously described are: (1) Variability between identical treatments is minimized. (2) Errors arising from non-uniform respiration of replicated treatments are eliminated. (3) Soil moisture contents are maintained at a constant level. (4) R.Q.'s can be correlated directly with microbial activity as indicated by CO2evolution and both parameters are collected from a single soil sample for extended periods of time. (5) C14-enriched substrates may be used. (6) The composition of the ambient atmosphere can be easily controlled. A brief comparison of different methods is presented.