Denitrification hysteresis during wetting and drying cycles in soil

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1-1-1988

Abstract

In the drying phase, rates of denitrification decreased dramatically as soils were dried from saturation to field capacity, with further decreases in activity observed at 60 and 20% water-filled porosity. In the wetting phase, denitrification activity sharply increased immediately after rewetting soils from 20-60% water-filled porosity, with only slight increases observed as soils were wet further to field capacity and saturation. The hysteretic response was observed in three soils of markedly different texture. Denitrification dynamics in the wetting phase were strongly correlated with pulses of C and N mineralization caused by stress of microbial biomass by drying and rewetting. -from Authors

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Soil Science Society of America Journal

Volume

52

Issue

6

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