HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Weier, K. L. Articles by Gilliam, J. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Weier, K. L. Articles by Gilliam, J. W. Agricola Articles by Weier, K. L. Articles by Gilliam, J. W.

Effect of Acidity on Denitrifcation and Nitrous Oxide Evolution from Atlantic Coastal Plain Soils¹

ABSTRACT

The effect of acidity on denitrification and nitrous oxide production in six soils from the Atlantic Coastal Plain was estimated using laboratory incubations of flooded soil for periods up to 21 d. Increased denitrification rates were associated with a decrease in acidity in all soils but most of the effect occurred above pH 6.5. Some accumulation of NH⁺₄-N occurred in all soils and was positively correlated to the NO^-₃-N lost from the system. Small quantities of NO^-₂-N were formed in all soils. Larger amounts of NO^-₂-N were found at pH 5.0 and 4.7 for two soils. Nitrite-N accumulation corresponded to the release of large quantities of N₂O suggesting a possible relationship between NO^-₂-N accumulation and N₂O production. Nitrous oxide evolved, as a percentage of NO^-₃-N lost, increased with increasing acidity with maximum N₂O being evolved at pH values 5.8. Above pH 5.8, evolution of N₂O virtually ceased. Since all six Coastal Plain soils are generally <pH 5.8, a high percentage of nitrogen being lost from these soils through denitrification is as N₂O.

¹ Paper no. 10024 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC. 27695-7601.

² Former Graduate Research Assistant and Professor, respectively. Current address of senior author is CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, 306 Carmody Road, St. Lucia, 4067, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Received for publication August 7, 1985.