Gas sampling on snow surface and soil surface after removing snow

26, 26 December, 2006 with Keegan and Lindsey

Conducted gas sampling on snow surface in woody buffer, warm and cool season grass filter and crop field in Ron Risdal site.

Fig. 1. Installed a gas chamer on snow surface

Conducted gas sampling on soil surface after removing snow in woody buffers, warm and cool season grass filters and crop field in Ron Risdal, John Risdal and Lonnie Strum site.

Fig. 2. Installed a gas chamber on soil surface after removing snow

Fig. 3. Measuring an anchor length after removing snow (Keegan Kult)

Fig. 4. Collecting gas samples in snowy crop field (Lindsey Barney)

gas sampling on snow surface and soil surface after removing snow

December 19,20,21

Conducted gas sampling on snow surface and then soil surface after removing snow in RWG,RWB,RCG, and RCF

Conducted gas sampling on soil surface after removing snow in LWG, LWB,JWG and JWB.


With Lindsey and Zack

Fig. 1. Warn season grass filter site in Lonnie Strum

Fig. 2. Gas sampling point (destg 5) in warn season grass filter site in Lonnie Strum

Fig. 3. Gas sampling (destg 5) in warn season grass filter site in Lonnie Strum

Fig. 4. Measuring soil moisture and soil temperature around an anchor in wood buffer of Lonnie Strum site (Lindsey Barney)

Fig. 5. A lonly tree in snowy field

Gas sampling (snow inside anchors)

December 6, 2005

Collected gas samples (intacted snow were inside anchors) in John Risdal farm site.

* New idea-

collect gas samples on the snow surface and removing the snow of inside anchors. Is there any significant differece?

Fig. 1. Snow around anchors were removed,however, snow inside anchors were not disturbed.

Gas sampling (snow inside anchors)

December 5, 2005

Collected gas samples in Lonnie Strum farm site.
We removed snow around anchors, however, we did not disturbed the snow inside anchors.


* Our green van stopped in the middle of R77. It's an amazing situation! The school tansfortation servive brough other van to us and we continued the trip. Meanwhil, I took several pictures around there.

With Keegan

Fig. 1. Our green van stopped on the road R77

Fig. 2. Trees and white world

Gas sampling on the surface of snow

December 2, 2005

Collected gas samples on the surface of snow in North and South Ron Risdal farm site.

Removed the snow accumulated around anchors and above of anchors, however, did not remove snow which were inside of anchors. So the inside height of gas chambers is only the length of lid.

Downloaded the weather station data in Ron Ridal farm and percipitation data in Lonnie Strum farm.

Fig.1. Crop field site were covered by snow


With Keegan

Groundwater sampling

December 1, 2005

Collected groundwater to quantify dissolved N2O gas in North and South of Ron Risdal farm sties.

Fig.1. Ground water collecting and measurement of DO, EC, and Temp. (James Gilbert)

With James Gilbert

Midnight madness gas sampling

November 21, 22, 2005

We collected gas samples in a warm season garss filter, a cool season grass fitler, a woody buffer and a soy field every 3hr during a day (start 10:00 am November 21; finish 07:00am November 22)

Fig. 1. Collecting gas samples in wamr season grass filter in Ron Risdal site (Zack DeYoung, 13:00 November 21, 2005)

Fig. 2. Collecting gas samples in warm season grass filter in Ron Risdal site (Zack DeYoung, 22:00 November 21, 2005)

freezing and thawing incubation experiment

November 11~16, 2005

start time of incubation at 4 degree
11/11/2005. 16:30
11/11/05 18:58:01.0
4 degree condition

1st flux measurement, 4 degree
covering lids : 11/12/2005, 11:00
gas sampling: 11/12/2005, 13:00 and 16:00
start soil freezing, - 4 degree
11/12/2005 16:30

2nd flux measurement, -4 degree
covering lids: 11/13/2005, 14:00
gas sampling : 11/13/2005, 16:00 and 19:00
CF 3-3, CF 4-3 : collected gas samples two tines at 16:00

3rd flux measurement, -4 degree
covering lids: 11/14/2005, 17:00
gas sampling: 11/14/2005, 19:00 and 22:00

4th flux measurement, 4 degree
covering lids: 11/15/2005, 11:00
gas sampling: 11/15/2005, 13:00 and 16:00

5th flux measurement. 4 degree
covering lids: 11/15/2005, 19:00
gas sampling : 11/15/2005, 20:00 and 23:00

6th flux measurement. 4 degree
covering lids: 11/16/2005, 16:00
gas sampling : 11/16/2005, 18:00 and 21:00

Fig. 1. Freezing incubation in the lab freezer (-10oC).

Soil cores sampling and incubation experiment

November 11, 2005

We are conducting incubation experiments to measure N2O emission during thawing of froze soil. In November 11, Friday afternoon, we collected 5 intact soil cores (D 5cm * L 7cm) in warms season grass filter, woody buffer, cool season grass filter and crop field in Ron Risdal farm site, respectively (total 20 each). These soil cores are using for incubation experiments. Also simultaneously we collected a intact soil core (D 3.5cm * L 7 cm) beside the points where the intact soil cores (D 5cm X L 7cm) were collected (total 20 each). These soil cores are using for analyzing of soil properties such as soil moisture, bulk density, TN, TC, nitrate, ammonia, etc.

Fig. 1. Nitrae and ammonia extraction from sampled soil.

dry fine roots and evacuated gas vials

November 9, 2005

Weighted dry mass of fine roots

evacuated gas vials

With Zack and Jim

soil core sampling and fine root dring

October 8, 2005

soil core sampling in Lonnie Strum

washed fine roots and put the fine roots into dry oven


Jason, Jin-ki, Leigh Ann and Phil

soil core sampling

Collected soil cores using a Jack hammer (deep 1.5m) in Lonnie Strum site

With Dick, Jin-Kie, Keegan, Mustafa, and Lindsey

Gas sampling and buried fine roots mesh bags

Colleced gas samples in the crop field, woody buffer, warm season grass fitler and cool season grass filter in Ron Risdal farm site.

Installed fine root mesh bags in shallow deep soil in the woody buffer, warm season grass fitler and cool season grass filter in Ron Risdal farm site.

Fig.1. Buried fine mesh bags contained with fine roots in cool season grass filter in Ron Risdal site.

Fig. 2. Buried fine mesh bags

sorting fine roots and fine root mesh bags

November 3, 2005

Sorted fime roots and then weighted the dry mass

Put the fine roots into mesh bags and then attached label tag

With Phil

Groundwater sampling for N2O gas in groundwater

November 1, 2005

Sampled groundwaters in Ron Risdal North and South sites.

With James

Sorting fine roots in the soil

October 29, 2005

Sorted fine roots in the soil of warm season grass filter (Ron Risdal farm)

collected intact soils for to sort fine root

Collected soil cores and soils in Ron Risdal farm sites

Collected litterfalls from 5 litterfall collecting baskets in Ron Risdal farm and put into dry oven (75degree). I found a coin (a quater) in the basket! I am not sure if I dropped it or some one did it for fun. Anyway, it's a good fortune coin for me:)



Helped Dr. Yeo's oak root excuvation in Lonnier Strum famr site.


With Lindsey and Phil

Soil sampling, fine root sorting and removing sediment around an weir

October 27, 2005

Sampled 3 soil cores (20cm depth) in each points of warm season grass filter of Ron Risdal farm site

Soaked the soils in the water and then shaked an hour.

Cleaned sediments and woody debris (a small Beaver dam) around an weir in Bear Creek. I felt guilty! Oh sorry Beaver family there!




With Keegan

Gas sampling and lab meeting

25 October 2005

Collected gas samples in a woody buffer and a warm season grass filter in Jon Risdal farm site in the morning.

Fig.1. Keegan is collecting gas samples in crop field

With Lindsey and Keegan


Lab meeting.

Collected gas samples in a cool season grass filter and a crop field in Ron Risdal farm site in the afternoon.

Another good reason for the buffer program

Forwarded by Jim Munson (Jim_Munson@fws.gov)

Gas sampling

24 October, 2005

Collected gas samples in a woody buffer and a warm season grass filter in Lonnie Strum and in a woody buffer and a warm season grass filter in Ron Risdal farm.

Measured the dry mass of soy residual 1

With Keegan and Lindsey

Decompostion rate and N mineralization experiments_initial

21 October, 2005

Installed 20 mesh bags in each a warm season grass filter,a cool season grass filter and a crop field and 40 mesh bags in a woody buffer.

Fig. 1. Buried mesh bags contained crop remains in the crop field


Sampled soil cores (5 cores in each points of Ron Risdal farm), seperated two parts and inserted a part into poly-bags and then brought another part to lab and extrated N with KCl(2M)

Fig. 2. Buried a poly-bag contained with intact soil in crop field for N mineralization experiment

Gas sampling

October 17, 2005

Collected N2O gas samples in a cool season grass filter and a crop field in Ron Risdal farm and a woody buffer and a warm season grass filter in John Risdak farm.

With Lindsey

Gas samping

October 14, 2005

Collected gas samples in Lonnie Strum farm (woody zoen, warm season grass filter) and Ron Risdal farm (woody zone, warm season grass fitler)

Need to check 4 soil thermo meters (low battery ???)

With Keegan

Gas sampling vials and mesh bags

October 13, 2005

Evacuate gas sampling vials (180 each) in National Soil Tilth Lab (Dr. Tim Parkin's lab)

Fig. 1 Vial evacuation equipment in NSTL, USDA

With Jim Seevers and Dr. Tim Parkin




Decide to make mesh bags with commercially available window screen (mesh size 2mm, fiberglss material).

With Dr. Jin-Kie Yeo

N mineralization

October 12, 2005

Rainy day!

Developed an experimental design for N mineralization experiment in woody zone, warm season grass filter, cool season grass filter and crop field at Notrh and South of Ron Risdal farm site.

Install gas chambers and a datalogger

October 11, 2005

Install 5 gas chambers and a datalogger with soil moisture and soil temperature sensors in soy field in North of Ron Risdal farm.

With Lindsey

Download dataloggers

October 7, 2005

Downloaded soil moisture and soil temperature data from HOBO dataloggers in Jon Risdal, Ron Risdal, and Lonni Strum sites.

Lost a lubber O ring in the Ron Risdal woody zone (?)

Adjust buried depths and horizontality of gas chambers; however, need real measurement of buried depth in the field whenever measure it.

U bolts are not available to tie dataloggers with wood panel. Will make 4 holes and then tie with zipties in each panel.

With Leigh Ann Long

Litter fall and crop remains collecting

October 6,2005

Collect litterfall and cool season and warm season grasses and crop (soy) remains in Ron Risdal farm site

Measure DBH of oak tress in Lonnie Strum farm site

with Dr. Jin-Kie Yeo

Fig.1. Befor colleting cool season grasses (50cm x 50cm)

Fig. 2. After collecting cool season grasses

Fig. 3. Before collecting crop (soy) remians

Fig. 4. After collecting crop remains

Fig. 5. Measuring DBH of oak trees in Lonnie Strum site (Dr. Jin-Ki Yeo)

Litterfall collecting baskets

October 5, 2005

Installed 5 litterfall collecting baskets in woody zone of South of Ron Risdal farm site.

Collected litterfalls and woody debries in in woody zone of South of Ron Risdal farm site.

with Dr. Jin-Ki Yeo

Fig. 1. Installed litter fall collecting basket around an anchor

Fig. 2. Dr. Yeo, Jin-Ki, visiting scientist, Korean institute of forest research, ROK

Fig. 3. Wind and Iowa

Flags, anchors and data loggers

August 30, 2005

Install 5 gas chambers and a data logger with sensors in warm season grass filter site of Lonnie Strum farm.

Record the geographic information of gas chambers points in the GPS unit (dgstg1~5).

Check the time to come and go between sampling points in Lonnie Strum and John Risdal farm.

Take some photos of installed gas chambers and dataloggers

With Phil

Fig. 1. Installed an anchor in the site

Fig. 2. Phil Woolery, undergarduate research assistant in Dept. NREM, ISU

Flags, anchors and data loggers

August 29, 2005

Install 2 anchors in Lonnie Strum farm (woody zomne).
Moved to grass filter site, however, the grass condition was very poor.
Load the geographic information of potentail site into a GPS unit (dgstart and dgend).
Bring back GPS unit and a data logger with sensors to school and other stuff are still there.

Flags, anchors and data loggers

August 23, 2005
10 Flagging in John Risdal farm
with Keegan

August 26, 2005
Install 2 data loggers in John Risdal farm
15 flagging in Ron Risdal farm
Install 15 anchors and 3 data loggers in Ron Risdal farm
with Keegan

August 27, 2005
Install 3 anchors and 1 data logger in Lanie Strun farm

with Lindsey

Fig. 1. Installed an anchor

Fig.2. Installed a data logger with a soil moisture sensor and a soil temp. sensor

Fig. 3. Keegan Kult, undergraduate research assistant in Dept. NREM, ISU

Fig. 4. Lindsey Barney, undergraduate research assistant in Dept. NREM, ISU