A temperature correction procedure for field-based soil denitrification experiments

An equation is developed to permit temperature correction (to some chosen r eference temperature) for field-based soil columns that measure the depleti on of nitrate in the water column above a soil layer where denitrification occurs. The derivation is based on the assumption that the overall nitrate depletion is diffusion controlled by the nitrate flux from the water column into the soil and the soil denitrification obeys Michaelis-Menten kinetics . The expression is tested on results from a large soil column maintained i n a greenhouse where natural temperature cycling occurred.