Pierre-Andre Jacinthe

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

I plan to use this activity in a senior / graduate course in Biogeochemistry.

Skills

• General understanding of nitrous oxide biochemistry
• Ability to draw and inject air samples
• Familiarity with spreadsheets (Excel, or QuatroPro)

- Part of a sequence to demonstrate link between soil physical conditions and biological processes

In this laboratory exercise, students add nitrous oxide to pairs of undisturbed soil cores. One core in each set of cores is treated with acetylene to block nitrous oxide transformation. The bulk of this exercise involves, injection and drawing of air samples. Students gain experience manipulating gas concentration data, determining soil properties related to transport of gases through porous medium like soils. This exercise is appropriate for soil physics and biogeochemistry courses.

• Ability of the students to do the computations and check literature data to see if they are off
• Ability to synthesize the results