Global Research Alliance N₂O chamber methodology guidelines: Recommendations for deployment and accounting for sources of variability

Summary

Adequately estimating soil nitrous oxide (N₂ O) emissions using static chambers is challenging due to the high spatial variability and episodic nature of these fluxes. We discuss how to design experiments using static chambers to better account for this variability and reduce the uncertainty of N₂ O emission estimates. This paper is part of a series, each discussing different facets of N₂ O chamber methodology. Aspects of experimental design and sampling affected by spatial variability include site selection and chamber layout, size, and areal coverage. Where used, treatment application adds a further level of spatial variability. Time of day, frequency, and duration of sampling (both individual chamber closure and overall experiment duration) affect the te