Ex situ soil respiration assessment using minimally disturbed microcosms and dried–sieved soils; comparison of methods to assess soil health

Soil respiration measurements are commonly used as soil health indicators. Several ex situ methods exist, but comparative performances between them have rarely been analyzed. Specifically, there is a lack of comparisons intact microcosms and destructive methods. The objective this study was to analyze compare three different methodologies: minimally disturbed using fresh soil, dried–sieved 24 h burst test, 10-day incubation. We hypothesized that ( i) the rates for correlated each other; ii) strongly with physico-chemical parameters; iii) disturbance caused by drying sieving reduces regression coefficients compared microcosms; iv) produces larger rates. collected in Province New Brunswick, Canada. Total carbon nitrogen (C:N), pH, aggregate stability, total dissolved C N, NO 3 NH 4 , texture, labile were determined prior incubations. Our results showed had CO 2 efflux similar ranges. However, all low no significant correlations parameters respiration. N strongest correlation efflux. microcosm method significantly test not incubation method. conclude performing heterotrophic tests can produce cautiously reliable results. Despite disturbance, from comparable