title: Nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide dynamics from experimental pig graves.
abstract: Twelve pig carcasses were buried in single, shallow and deep (30 and 90 cm, respectively) graves at an experimental site near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with three shallow and three deep wrapped in black plastic garbage bags. An additional six carcasses were left at the surface to decompose, three of which were bagged. Six reference pits without remains were also dug. The objective of this three-year study was to examine the biogeochemistry and utility of nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in grave detection and whether grave depth or cadaver condition (bagged versus bare) affected soil pore air concentrations and emission of the three gases. Graves showed significantly higher (α=0.05) concentrations and surface fluxes of N2O and CO2 than reference pits, but there was no difference in CH4 between graves and reference pits. While CH4 decreased with depth in the soil profiles, N2O and CO2 showed a large increase compared to reference pits. Shallow graves showed significantly higher emissions and pore air concentrations of N2O and CO2 than deep graves, as did bare versus bagged carcasses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, McGill University, 805 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0B9. Electronic address: moshe.dalva@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dalva
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, McGill University, 805 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0B9. Electronic address: tim.moore@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, McGill University, 805 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 0B9. Electronic address: margaret.kalacska@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalacska
authors.affiliation: National Research Council Canada, Flight Research Laboratory, 1920 Research Rd., Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6. Electronic address: george.leblanc@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, McGill University, 855 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2T7. Electronic address: andre.costopoulos@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costopoulos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002048:Burial; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D008697:Methane
keywords: Biogeochemistry; Decomposition; Forensic anthropology; Pig carcasses