Estimating the nitrous oxide emission rate from the soil surface by means of a diffusion model

Soil cover methods are probably the most widely used methods for measuring the nitrous oxide emission rate from the soil surface. The methodology involves estimation of the emission rate from repeated measurements of the nitrous oxide concentration beneath a soil cover. Based on a deterministic model proposed by Hutchinson & Mosier (1981) we propose to use a diffusion process as a stochastic model for the evolution of the nitrous oxide concentrations beneath a soil cover. From this model we derive methods for statistical inference about the emission rate that significantly extend the method proposed by Hutchinson & Mosier (1981). In particular, the derived methods provide solutions to important problems with the method proposed by Hutchinson & Mosier (1981).