Comparison of two alkali trap methods for measuring the flush of CO2

Abstract

Soil biological activity is a key feature of healthy soil. The flush of CO2 during the first few days after rewetting of a dried soil is a rapid indicator of soil biological health, but variations in approach require testing and calibration. A 3-d incubation method (25°C, 50% water-filled pore space, acid titration) was compared with a 4-d incubation method (∼20°C, capillary wetted, electrical conductivity) from two long-term field experiments in Missouri (silt loam soils) and North Carolina (sandy loam and loamy sand soils). The two methods were related (p