Gaseous losses of nitrogen from desert region soils

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Abstract
Gaseous losses of N from soils are mainly from denitrification and ammonia volatilization processes. Minute quantities of N gases may be lost via chemical reactions, but the amount is so small that these processes are not covered here. Although denitrification and ammonia volatilization processes have been known for many years, the magnitude of losses has been highly underestimated until recently. Denitrification and ammonia volatilization processes have been studied primarily under controlled laboratory conditions until the past few years. In soils, the presence of organisms such as Alcaligenes, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, and Thiobacillus; anoxie microsites due to excessive moisture; organic C for energy; elevated temperatures; and high soil pH all have interacting affects on the magnitude of loss by denitrification. Ammonia volatilization losses are influenced mainly by soil pH, ammonia concentration, pH buffering, cation exchange capacity, moisture content, and temperature. Management practices to control denitrification and ammonia volatilization losses are discussed. Although much progress has been made, more research is required to fully understand the interactions of all the factors that govern gaseous N losses under field conditions.

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