Techniques for Soil CO₂ Flux Measurement

Soil CO₂ production is the sum of respiration from heterotrophic and autotrophic organisms in the soil, and it is strongly temperature dependent. On a seasonal scale, soil CO₂ production depends on soil moisture content, organic matter content, plant growth, and other factors. Because soil is resistant to gas transport, a strong CO₂ concentration gradient exists across the soil profile. This gradient is a major driving force for soil CO₂ flux. Two techniques are commonly used to measure soil CO₂ flux: chamber-based systems (open and closed) and gradient methods. In this webinar, we discuss the requirements of chamber-based closed soil CO₂ flux systems in detail.