An automated greenhouse gas detection system for carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane

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Greenhouse gas emissions are driving global climate change. Agricultural practices and human-induced disturbance/management of Canadian forests affect the microbial processes controlling carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions from soils. We are requesting a gas chromatograph system that can measure these gases simultaneously and is equipped with a 100-tray autosampler for efficient, high-throughput analysis. This equipment supports research programs that investigate the microbially-mediated reactions leading to respiration and nitrification in aerobic soil environments of agricultural and forest ecosystems, as well as denitrification and methane production/consumption in anaerobic soils (e.g., following snowmelt and flooding, in riparian buffers). Ongoing research includes multiple field experiments in Quebec and controlled laboratory incubations, generating more than 10,000 samples per year for analysis of CO2, N2O and CH4. Our two stand-alone gas chromatographs for CO2 and N2O have failed repeatedly in the past 2 years and are compromising our ability to complete required analysis on time and within budget. We have no capacity to analyze CH4 with the current equipment. We absolutely require a modern, automated system for greenhouse gas analysis to sustain our research programs. The cost-effective and robust gas chromatograph system described in this proposal is urgently needed to increase our research capacity and productivity.