Denitrification in soil constitute an important part of ecosystem nitrogen cycling by transforming nitrate to gaseous nitrogen compounds that are emitted to the atmosphere and hence lost from the ecosystem, Some of the gaseous nitrogen is lost as nitrous oxide, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. The activity of denitrifying bacteria is very sensitive to changes in oxygen, nitrate, and concentration of easily degradable compounds, all of which may be affected by climate changes. The student will investigate denitrication potential in soil samples collected at the CLIMAITE field site, and combine these measurements with experiments carried out in the laboratory under controlled conditions. In contrast to most denitrifying communities, the denitrifying community at the CLIMAITE field site show very little potential for reduction of nitrous oxide. A specific experiment will be set up to unravel the mystery of the missing potential for nitrous oxide reduction.

Contact (More contact info - press here):

Anders Prieme, KU, aprieme@bi.ku.dk