Methodology for Measuring Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Soils Using Non-isotopic Techniques

Abstract Several approaches exist for measuring greenhouse gases (GHGs), mainly CO 2 , N 2 O, and CH 4 , from soil surfaces. The principle methods that are used to measure GHG from agricultural sites are chamber-based techniques. Both open and closed chamber techniques are in use; however, the majority of field applications use closed chambers. The advantages and disadvantages of different chamber techniques and the principal steps of operation are described. An important part of determining the quality of the flux measurements is the storage and the transportation of the gas samples from the field to the laboratory where the analyses are carried out. Traditionally, analyses of GHGs are carried out via gas chromatographs (GCs). In recent years, optical…