A STATISTICAL APPROACH TO DEFINE SOIL, AERATION IN RESPECT TO DENITRIFICATION1

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Interpretation of aeration measurements made in soils with restricted aeration may lead to contradictory conclusions. One reason for this difficulty is the high spatial variability of soil factors which affect aeration such as structural properties of the gaseous diffusion paths, distribution and intensity of gaseous sinks and sources and hence partial pressures of gaseous components. The variability pattern of aeration parameters is a meaningful expression of soil aeration status. The objective of this paper is to discuss and illustrate the concept that aeration may be understood as a statistical expression of microscale heterogeneity. The significance of space resolution of aeration sensors and ways of interpreting aeration measurements are discussed with respect to the relative importance of anoxic microsites. The range of soil aeration variabilities is illustrated with oxygen diffusion constants measured on soil samples and with field-measured nitrous oxide concentrations.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: