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Relevance of functional soil organic matter fractions for kinetics and spatiotemporal patterns of denitrification (DASIM)
Project
Project code: keine Angabe
Contract period: 01.06.2016
- 31.05.2019
Purpose of research: Inventory & Assessment
Denitrification is a key transformations process, which returns nitrogen (N) from soil back into the atmosphere as N2 and N oxides and therefore plays an important role for the closure of the global N cycle. Despite soil organic matter (OM) is known to fuel denitrification by acting as an electron donor, the role of OM quality and its spatial and temporal bioavailability is only poorly understood. Such information is mandatory for understanding and predicting the 'hot-spot'- and 'hot-moment'-behavior of N trace gas emissions from agricultural soils. This project aims to study the effect of OM type and composition on soil denitrification. Particularly, we will link the properties and abundance of different functional OM fractions (dissolved, particulate, and mineral-associated OM) to the onset and extent of soil denitrification and the respective gas products. Controlled incubation experiments utilizing different organic substrates and soil aggregate size-fractions will be conducted to derive rate equations for denitrification as well as threshold oxygen concentrations and to identify the prime locations of soil denitrification activity. The spatial arrangement of OM in soil will be evaluated microscopically using thin sections of aggregates. Based on OM properties, as judged from element analytics, 13C-NMR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and denitrification data we will develop an OM-specific quality index for implementation and use in denitrification models.
Section overview
Subjects
- Soil science
- Process engineering
- Climate Change
Collaborative Project
FOR 2337: Denitrification in Agricultural Soils: Integrated Control and Modelling at Various Scales