ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the need for systematic studies on quantification of gaseous composition and flux in relation to predominant land use and management systems, such as, forest, pasture, arable land, cropping system, tillage methods, and manuring. Terrestrial ecosystems in general and soil resources in particular play a major role in the global C budget and flux of radiatively active gases. Depending on land use and farming systems, soil can be an important source or sink for carbon. Sampling to characterize the soil air composition and the emission of radiatively active gasses from the soil was carried out on existing field experiments involving land use and management variables. These field experiments were established at the Agronomy Research Farm of the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and at the Northwestern Branch of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) at Hoytville, Ohio. Soils of the Columbus experimental site are mostly well-drained and belong to the Miamian series.
