Title: Measuring Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Soils: Methodology, Instrumentation, Modeling, Data Stewardship and Analysis

Session Description: The objective of the workshop is to provide practical training in and to improve participants’ understanding of the principles, minimum requirements, and challenges of measuring greenhouse gas emissions from soils, with a particular emphasis on measuring nitrous oxide using static chamber and open path/micrometeorological methodologies.  The goal is to improve the quality of nitrous oxide emissions data being collected around the world since much of our understanding of nitrous oxide emissions, including data upon which national inventories are based, rely on these data.  Current issues addressed for both beginners and more experienced scientists will include: (1) implications of chamber designs and deployment strategies, (2)  automated chamber based method, (3) QA/QC of gas chromatography and calibration, (4) assessment of minimum flux detection, (5) accounting for diurnal flux, (6) proper model selection for flux calculation, (7) selection of  proper open path instruments or FTIR, (8) collection of ancillary data to broaden flux interpretations, and (9) data repositories for meta-analyses and support of models. The workshop will also review previously published guidelines by the GRA (Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases) and assess current issues of concern. Expert speakers will interact with the audience to address unique concerns. An outcome of the workshop will be to improve the nitrous oxide data collected and published by community and society members.