BS EN ISO 16072:2011

This International Standard describes methods for the determination of soil microbial respiration of aerobic, unsaturated soils. The methods are suitable for the determination of O₂ uptake or CO₂ release, either after addition of a substrate (substrate-induced respiration), or without substrate addition (basal respiration).

This International Standard is applicable to the measurement of soil respiration in order to:

• determine the microbial activity in soil (see [3]);

• establish the effect of additives (nutrients, pollutants, soil improvers, etc.) on the metabolic performance of microorganisms;

• determine the microbial biomass (see [4]);

• determine the metabolic quotient qCO₂.