Effects of soil texture and structure on carbon and nitrogen mineralization in grassland soils

Summary The hypotheses that disruption of soil structure increases mineralization rates in loams and clays more than in sandy soils and that this increase can be used to estimate the fraction of physically protected organic matter were tested. C and N mineralization was measured in undisturbed, and in finely and coarsely sieved moist or dried/remoistened soil. Fine sieving caused a temporary increase in mineralization. The relative increase in mineralization was much larger in loams and clays than in sandy soils and much larger for N than for C. The combination of remoistening and sieving of the soil gave a further increase in the mineralization flush after the disturbance. Again, the extra flush was larger in loams and clays than in sandy soils, and larger for N than for C. In loams and clays, small pores constituted a higher percentage of the total pore space than in sandy soils. The fraction of small pores explained more than 50% of the variation in the N mineralization rate between soils. There was also a good correlation between the small-pore fraction and the relative increase in N mineralization with fine sieving. For C, these relations were not clear. It is suggested that a large part of the organic matter that was present in the small pores could not be reached by microorganisms, and was therefore physically protected against decomposition. Fine sieving exposed part of this fraction to decomposition. This physically protected organic matter had a lower C: N ratio than the rest of the soil organic matter. The increase in N mineralization after fine sieving can be regarded as a measure of physically protected organic matter.     

Biochemical properties in managed grassland soils in a temperate humid zone: modifications of soil quality as a consequence of intensive grassland use

Although soil biochemical properties are considered to be good indicators of changes in soil quality, few studies have been made of the changes in biochemical properties brought about by anthropogenic disturbance of grassland ecosystems. In the present study, several biochemical properties were analysed in 31 grassland soils subjected to a high level of management, and the values obtained were compared with known values corresponding to native grasslands from the same region (Galicia, NW Spain). The 31 managed grasslands were divided into two groups (re-sown grasslands and improved grasslands) according to their management and past land use. The biochemical properties studied were: labile carbon, microbial biomass carbon, microbial respiration, metabolic quotient, net nitrogen mineralisation and the activities of dehydrogenase, catalase, phosphodiesterase, phosphomonoesterase, casein hydrolysing proteases, benzoyl arginamide (BAA)-hydrolysing proteases, urease, cellulase, ß-glucosidase, invertase and arylsulphatase. Managed grasslands exhibited lower values of soil biochemical properties than native grasslands. Three biochemical equilibrium equations were used to compare soil quality in managed and native grasslands. One of the equations did not show any significant difference between the groups of grassland soils considered. In contrast, two of the equations showed similar soil quality for improved and native grasslands, while re-sown grasslands exhibited a loss of soil quality when compared to native grassland soils.     

Soil organic carbon and fly-ash distributions in eroded phases of soils in Illinois and Russia

Soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics are affected by tillage, soil erosion and depositional processes. The objectives of this paper are to evaluate soil organic carbon and fly-ash distribution methods for identifying eroded phases of soils in Illinois and Russia and quantifying the extent of soil loss from erosion. The effect of accelerated erosion on soils is recorded on National Cooperative Soil Survey maps as phases of soil series that reflect the percentage of the original A horizon materials remaining. Identification depends on knowledge of the original A horizon thicknesses, SOC and fly-ash contents at uncultivated and uneroded sites when determining erosion phases of soil at cultivated and eroded sites. However, locating uncultivated and uneroded comparison sites with similar landscape and slope characteristics can be difficult. The amount of A horizon materials within the plow layers (Ap horizons) or topsoils are often determined by soil colors which reflect the SOC contents. Soil erosion phases based on original A horizon materials remaining in the topsoils may underestimate the extent of soil losses from topsoils and subsoils, particularly where soils have been cultivated for hundreds of years and are severely eroded. The SOC contents and soil erosion phases can be affected by losses or gains of organic C-rich sediments from tillage translocation and erosion, by management input level differences, oxidation, or as a result of land use and landscape position variations. Fly-ash was found to be more stable and act as a better indicator of soil erosion phase than SOC content.     

Cation exchange capacity of density fractions from paired conifer/grassland soils

The cation exchange capacity (CEC) of a soil depends on the type and amount of both mineral and organic surfaces. Previous studies that have sought to determine the relative contribution of organic matter to total soil CEC have not addressed differences in soil organic matter (SOM) composition that could lead to differences in CEC. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the CEC of two distinct SOM pools, the “light fraction (LF)” composed of particulate plant, animal, and microbial debris, and the “heavy fraction (HF)” composed of mineral-bound organic matter; and (2) to examine the effects of differences in aboveground vegetation on CEC. Soil samples were collected from four paired grassland/conifer sites within a single forested area and density fractionated. LF CEC was higher in conifer soils than in grassland soils, but there was no evidence of an effect of vegetation on CEC for the HF or bulk soil. LF CEC (but not HF CEC) correlated well with the C concentration in the fraction. The mean CEC of both fractions (per kg fraction) exceeded that of the bulk soil; thus, when the LF and HF CEC were combined mathematically by weighting values for each fraction in proportion to dry mass, the resulting value was nearly twice the measured CEC of bulk soil. On a whole soil basis, the HF contributed on average 97% of the CEC of the whole soil, although this conclusion must be tempered given the inflation of CEC values by the density fractionation procedure.     

沙质草地生境中植物群落对土壤质地演进的响应

利用空间代替时间,选取6个沙地生境类型(硬质灰钙土H_1,沙质灰钙土H_2,固定沙地H_3,半固定沙地H_4,半流动沙地H_5和流动沙地H_6),通过对其土壤颗粒组成、草地植物群落结构及数量特征的分析,研究沙质草地植物群落演替对土壤沙化过程的响应。结果表明:(1)从硬质灰钙土到流动沙地,物种丰富度分别为9,12,9,9,9,5种;演替初期(H_1-H_2)多年生草本植物种占绝对优势,演替中期(H_3-H_4)一年生植物优势度明显,演替后期(H_5-H_6)则以半灌木占主导地位;各演替阶段禾本科植物均有很高的优势度,在半流动沙地阶段成为最大优势物种,在沙质灰钙土后藜科植物优势度保持相对稳定,菊科和豆科植物分别在固定沙地和半固定沙地阶段逐渐消失。(2)物种多样性在沙质灰钙土最高,到固定沙地持续递减,而到流动沙地时又增大,生态优势度与物种多样性变化趋势正好相反,均匀度表现出先减小后增大的趋势,相邻的两个群落间具有较高的相似度。(3)从硬质灰钙土到流动沙地,0—10cm土层土壤黏粉粒含量极显著减少(p0.01),而粗砂粒极显著增加(p0.01),土壤颗粒分形维数由2.52下降到1.73。(4)一年生草本植物优势度与土壤黏粉粒含量、土壤颗粒分形维数呈显著负相关(p0.05);豆科植物优势度与土壤粉粒组分、土壤颗粒分形维数间呈显著正相关(p0.05);物种多样性与粉粒组分含量呈极显著正相关(p0.01),与细砂粒组分含量、土壤颗粒分形维数间呈显著正相关(p0.05)。     

Effects of potato–grain rotations on soil erosion, carbon dynamics and properties of rangeland sandy soils

The potential for wind erosion in South Central Colorado is greatest in the spring, especially after harvesting of crops such as potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) that leave small amounts of crop residue in the surface after harvest. Therefore it is important to implement best management practices that reduce potential wind erosion and that we understand how cropping systems are impacting soil erosion, carbon dynamics, and properties of rangeland sandy soils. We evaluate the effects of cropping systems on soil physical and chemical properties of rangeland sandy soils. The cropping system included a small grain–potato rotation. An uncultivated rangeland site and three fields that two decades ago were converted from rangeland into cultivated center-pivot-irrigation-sprinkler fields were also sampled. Plant and soil samples were collected in the rangeland area and the three adjacent cultivated sites. The soils at these sites were classified as a Gunbarrel loamy sand (Mixed, frigid Typic Psammaquent). We found that for the rangeland site, soil where brush species were growing exhibited C sequestration and increases in soil organic matter (SOM) while the bare soil areas of the rangeland are losing significant amounts of fine particles, nutrients and soil organic carbon (SOM-C) mainly due to wind erosion. When we compared the cultivated sites to the uncultivated rangeland, we found that the SOM-C and soil organic matter nitrogen (SOM-N) increased with increases in crop residue returned into the soils. Our results showed that even with potato crops, which are high intensity cultivated cropping systems, we can maintain the SOM-C with a rotation of two small grain crops (all residue incorporated) and one potato crop, or potentially increase the average SOM-C with a rotation of four small grain crops (all residue incorporated) and one potato crop. Erosion losses of fine silt and clay particles were reduced with the inclusion of small grains. Small grains have the potential to contribute to the conservation of SOM and/or sequester SOM-C and SOM-N for these rangeland systems that have very low C content and that are also losing C from their bare soils areas (40%). Cultivation of these rangelands using rotations with at least two small grain crops can reduce erosion and maintain SOM-C and increasing the number of small grain crops grown successfully in rotation above two will potentially contribute to C and N sequestration as SOM and to the sequestration of macro- and micro-nutrients.     

Carbon and nitrogen mineralization of non-composted and composted municipal solid waste in sandy soils

A sterilized, but undecomposed, organic by-product of municipal waste processing was incubated in sandy soils to compare C and N mineralization with mature municipal waste compost. Waste products were added to two soils at rates of 17.9, 35.8, 71.6, and dry weight and incubated at for 90 d. Every 30 d, nitrate and ammonium concentrations were analyzed and C mineralization was measured as total CO₂-C evolved and added total organic C. Carbon mineralization of the undecomposed waste decreased over time, was directly related to application rate and soil nutrient status, and was significantly higher than C mineralization of the compost, in which C evolution was relatively unaffected across time, soils, and application rates. Carbon mineralization, measured as percentage C added by the wastes, also indicated no differences between composted waste treatments. However, mineralization as a percentage of C added in the undecomposed waste treatments was inversely related to application rate in the more productive soil, and no rate differences were observed in the highly degraded soil. Total inorganic N concentrations were much higher in the compost- and un-amended soils than in undecomposed waste treatments. Significant N immobilization occurred in all undecomposed waste treatments. Because C mineralization of the undecomposed waste was dependant on soil nutrient status and led to significant immobilization of N, this material appears to be best suited for highly degraded soils low in organic matter where restoration of vegetation adapted to nutrient poor soils is desired.     

Fuzzy classification of microbial biomass and enzyme activities in grassland soils

Soil microbial properties are widely used as indicators of soil quality. The interpretation of soil microbial processes, however, is difficult because of their regional and seasonal heterogeneity as well as the lack of reference values. One possibility to overcome these limitations to apply the fuzzy set theory. This approach more realistically describes ecological systems because it considers natural ambiguity and complexity. The present study applies a fuzzy rule-based classification model to define soil quality based on soil microbial biomass, N-mineralisation, enzyme activity data (urease, xylanase, phosphatase, arylsulfatase) and soil organic matter. The data have been collected from different grassland sites in the European Union over a period of 20 years. The fuzzy model is based on a rule system derived from a training set using simulated annealing as an optimisation algorithm. For each variable, nine triangular fuzzy sets were defined for consideration as possible rule arguments. The model uses the t-norm for combination of arguments, product inference, the weighted sum as rule combination and the maximum method for defuzzification. The output is the assignment of membership of the object to a given soil quality class. The soil quality classes (very poor, poor, medium, high, very high) were defined by five heavy metal contamination levels (very high, high, medium, low, no). A predefined number of fuzzy rules were assessed using a simulated annealing algorithm. The fuzzy model was validated by a test file by assigning the soils to the quality class with the highest response value. The fuzzy model yielded an overall coincidence of 88.8% between observed and simulated results. The most sensitive index of soil quality was microbial biomass. N-mineralisation was a good indicator for the high-quality soils, while urease and arylsulfatase were important indicators for heavily contaminated, poor soil quality. Xylanase and phosphatase behaved ambivalently. Including soil organic carbon in the model decreased its effectiveness by 6.5%. We suggest that the presented fuzzy model based on soil microbial properties could be applied not only to soil degradation, upscaling and prediction, but also to judge the response of soils to environmental changes.     

Biological, chemical and thermal indices of soil organic matter stability in four grassland soils

The various ecosystem functions of soil organic matter (SOM) depend on both its quantity and stability. Numerous fractionation techniques have been developed to characterize SOM stability, and thermal analysis techniques have shown promising results to describe the complete continuum of SOM in whole soil samples. However, the potential link between SOM thermal stability and biological or chemical stability has not yet been adequately explored. The objective of this study was to compare conventional chemical and biological methods used to characterize SOM stability with results obtained by thermal analysis techniques. Surface soil samples were collected from four North American grassland sites along a continental mean annual temperature gradient, each with a native and cultivated land use. Soil organic C concentrations ranged from 6.8 to 33 g C kg⁻¹ soil. Soils were incubated for 588 days at 35 °C, and C mineralization rates were determined periodically throughout the incubation by measuring CO₂ concentration using an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) to calculate biological indices of SOM stability. Hot-water extractable organic C (HWEOC) contents were determined before and after incubation as chemical indices. Finally, samples from before and after incubation were analyzed by simultaneous thermal analysis (i.e., thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)) to determine thermal indices of SOM stability. Long-term incubation resulted in the mineralization of up to 33% of initial soil C. The number of days required to respire 5% of initial soil organic carbon (SOC), ranged from 27 to 115 days, and is proposed as a standardized biological index of SOM stability. The number of days was greater for cultivated soils compared to soils under native vegetation, and generally decreased with increasing site mean annual temperature. HWEOC (as % of initial SOC) did not show consistent responses to land use, but was significantly lower after long-term incubation. Energy density (J mg⁻¹ OM) was greater for soils under native vegetation compared to cultivated soils, and long-term incubation also decreased energy density. The temperatures at which half of the mass loss or energy release occurred typically showed larger responses to land use change than to incubation. Strong correlations demonstrated a link between the thermal and biogeochemical stability of SOM, but the interpretation of the thermal behavior of SOM in bulk soil samples remains equivocal because of the role the mineral component and organo-mineral interactions.     

Leaching of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in sandy soils after cultivating grass-clover swards

Several studies have focused on the formation and losses of dissolved organic matter in forest systems, whereas a limited number have dealt with this aspect in agricultural soils. The purpose of this study was to estimate the leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), with focus on the period after cultivating grass-clover swards. Grass-clovers were ploughed in the spring prior to sowing cereals followed by either catch crops or bare soil. The concentrations of DOC and DON decreased with soil depth and ranged at 90-cm soil depth between 7 and 21 mg C L⁻¹ and between 1 and 3 mg N L⁻¹, respectively, in a sandy loam soil, and between 16 and 63 mg C L⁻¹ and between 1 and 10 mg N L⁻¹, respectively, in a coarse sandy soil. The resulting DOC/DON ratios were in the range between 2 and 42, with higher values in the coarse sandy soil than in the sandy loam soil. The total percolation was 218 mm in the sandy loam soil and 596–645 mm in the coarse sandy soil, which resulted in an annual leaching of 22–40 kg DOC ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 3–4 kg DON ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in the sandy loam soil, and 174–310 kg DOC ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 10–31 kg DON ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in the coarse sandy soil. It was shown that higher amounts of DOC were lost by leaching under the catch crops than from bare soil, that losses of DON were higher from bare soil than from soils with catch crops and that DON contributed significantly to the total N loss. Thus, DON needs to be taken into account in N-balance calculations.     

Soil carbon pools, plant biomarkers and mean carbon residence time after afforestation of grassland with three tree species

Afforestation of grassland has been globally identified as being an important means for creating a sink for atmospheric carbon (C). However, the impact of afforestation on soil C is still poorly understood, due to the paucity of well designed long-term experiments and the lack of investigation into the response of different soil C fractions to afforestation. In addition, little is known about the origins of soil C and soil organic matter (SOM) stability after afforestation. In a retrospective study, we measured C mass in the soil light and heavy fractions in the first 10 years after afforestation of grassland with Eucalyptus nitens, Pinus radiata and Cupressus macrocarpa. The results suggest that C mass in the soil heavy fraction remained stable, but the C mass in the light fraction decreased at year 5 under three species. Soil δ¹³C analysis showed that the decrease in the light fraction may be due to reduced C inputs from grassland species litter and low inputs from the still young trees. After the initial reduction, the recovery of soil C in the light fraction depended on tree species. At year 10, an increase of 33% in light fraction soil C was observed at the 0-30 cm depth under E. nitens, compared to that under the original grassland (year 0). Planting P. radiata restored light fraction soil C to the original level under grassland, whereas planting C. macrocarpa led to a decrease of 33%. We concluded that the increase of light fraction soil C between year 5 and 10 is most likely due to C input from tree residues. Most of the increased C was derived from root turnover under pine and from both root and leaf turnover under E. nitens, as indicated by plant C biomarkers such as lignin-derived phenols and suberin and cutin-derived compounds in the 0-5 cm soil layer. Modelling of soil ?¹⁴C‰ suggested that SOM had a greater mean residence time at year 10 than year 0 and 5 due to increased relative abundance of recalcitrant plant biopolymers.     

Effects of hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic matter on the water repellency of model sandy soils

Soil water repellency affects the hydrological functions of soil systems. Water repellency is associated with the content and the composition of soil organic matter. In the present study, we examined the effects of hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic matter contents, the hydrophobic/hydrophilic organic matter ratio and the total organic matter content on water repellency using model sandy soils. Stearic acid and guar gum were used as the hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic compounds, respectively. Water repellency was estimated using the sessile drop method. Hydrophobic organic matter content was found to be the dominant factor affecting soil water repellency. Hydrophilic organic matter was found to increase the contact angle to some extent without the presence of hydrophobic organic matter. With the presence of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic matter, the effects of the hydrophilic organic matter content on contact angle were found to be dependent on the hydrophobic organic matter content of the soil. This relationship was explained by the differences in the surface free energies of different organic matter and mineral surfaces. The contact angle increased with increasing hydrophobic/hydrophilic organic matter ratio when the hydrophilic organic matter content was constant. When the hydrophobic organic matter content was constant, contact angles were roughly comparable, irrespective of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic organic matter ratio. The contact angles were not comparable at each total organic matter content. Accordingly, the hydrophobic/hydrophilic organic matter ratio and the total organic matter content in soil may not provide satisfactory information about soil water repellency.     

The effect of soil texture and organic amendment on the hydrological behaviour of coarse-textured soils

To gain more insight into the hydrological behaviour of coarse-textured soils, the physical properties of artificially created soil mixtures with different texture were determined. The mixtures were prepared according to the specifications of the United States Golf Association (USGA) for constructing putting greens. In addition, the effect of 10 vol.% organic matter addition was studied. The soil moisture retention and hydraulic conductivity relationships of the different mixtures were determined and their hydrological behaviour was studied using the numerical model SoWaM. Both texture and organic matter addition substantially affected the hydraulic properties. Hydraulic conductivity significantly increased with increasing coarseness while moisture retention decreased. On the other hand, organic matter addition reduced saturated hydraulic conductivity by a factor of 10 to 100 and distinctly increased moisture retention capacity. The amounts of total available water were increased by the addition of organic matter between 144% (slightly coarse texture) and 434% (very coarse texture). Results indicate that the mixtures can contain only 2–16% plant available water and therefore need frequent irrigation to maintain plant growth. Addition of organic matter seems a good solution to reduce the irrigation water requirements but it increases the risk of ponding or runoff because of large reductions in the saturated hydraulic conductivity sometimes to below the rate of 3.6 m/day recommended by the USGA.     

Functional resilience of microbial communities from perturbed upland grassland soils to further persistent or transient stresses

The microbial functioning of soils following perturbation was assessed at a temperate upland grassland site, maintained by the Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function Programme at Sourhope Research Station, Scotland. Published results indicated that the soil microbial communities were resilient to these initial perturbations; in this paper we tested whether they were equally resilient to a subsequent perturbation. Soil samples were taken from field plots receiving treatments that represented different forms of perturbation, viz. reseeding, application of sewage-sludge, biocide or nitrogen plus lime, and a non-perturbed control. Functional resilience following further perturbation comprising a transient heat or persistent copper perturbation was assessed over 28 days, by monitoring the short-term decomposition of added plant residues. Bacterial community structure was assessed by DGGE separation of eubacterial 16S rDNA PCR products. PCR-DGGE did not distinguish any significant difference (P>0.05) between the bacterial communities of soils under different treatments, showing differences only between treated soils and the untreated, control soils.Two days after the application of stresses, functional capability differed in soils under different treatments. Soil samples from all the treated plots were less resilient to heat stress than soil from control plots. The initial reduction in decomposition following the addition of copper differed between treatments, but function had not recovered in any of the Cu-amended soils within 28 days. Soil resilience varied according to the type and duration of stress applied, microbial activity, soil characteristics and treatment regimes. The initial resistance of function to stress was not predictive of recovery of function over time.     

Effect of CaCl2 on the kinetics of dissolved organic matter release from a sandy soil�

The dissolution of organic matter in soil is of fundamental relevance for the fate of organic contaminants associated with organic matter and for the microbial availability of organic matter. In this study, the kinetics of soil organic matter (SOM) dissolution from a sandy forest soil was investigated under different electrolyte conditions, using a continuous extraction method. The mathematical analysis of the concentration signal obtained from extractions with constant flow rates and after sudden flow rate changes showed that the dissolution of SOM is diffusion limited. The dissolution rate was lower during extraction with 0.01 M CaCl₂. The reaction on sudden flow rate changes was slower when extracting with 0.01 M CaCl₂ as compared to water, and the mechanism was different. These observations were explained by a gel phase developing in the swelling SOM. The lower dissolution rates found for extractions with 0.01 M CaCl₂ could indicate a more stable gel structure in the presence Ca²⁺. The development of the gel phase may be influenced by mechanical strain due to increased flow rates.     

Losses of glomalin-related soil protein under prolonged arable cropping: A chronosequence study in sandy soils of the South African Highveld

Residues of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may be important for agroecosystem functioning due to their ability to promote soil aggregation, especially in coarse textured soils with little biomass input and low capacity to conserve soil organic matter (SOM). Our aim was to assess the fate of AMF residues with prolonged arable cropping in coarse textured soils in a subtropical savannah assuming that glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), especially the MAb32B11-immunoreactive fraction, mainly constitutes material of AMF origin. In three agroecosystems on the South African Highveld, surface soils were sampled. The former grassland soils had a history of up to 98 yr of cropping. We measured four GRSP fractions: Bradford-reactive soil protein (BRSP) and immunoreactive soil protein (IRSP), and easily extractable fractions of both. The primary grassland sites exhibited generally low contents of SOM and low GRSP contents. Prolonged arable land use of former grassland soils reduced the content of GRSP further. The decline could be described with a mono-exponential function with rate constants ranging from 0.04 to 0.41 yr⁻¹. Depending on the GRSP fraction, steady-state conditions were reached after 11-92 yr on a level of 39-69% of the initial contents. We conclude that even though GRSP fractions had the same hypothesized origin, they comprised pools with different stability or replacement rate. Easily extractable IRSP was lost most rapidly. In contrast to carbon, nitrogen and microbial residue dynamics, GRSP contents were not reduced below a certain steady-state level, despite potentially negative management effects on AMF, such as tillage, inclusion of fallows into crop rotation and fertilization with inorganic phosphorus. The steady-state GRSP contents coincided with low, but steady agroecosystem yields under the given cropping management.     

Variation in 15N natural abundance of soil, humic fractions and plant materials in a disturbed and an undisturbed grassland

The natural abundance of δ¹⁵N in disturbed and undisturbed pasture soils was examined. From the disturbed soil, the top 10 cm of the profile was examined and the soil split into fractions based on particle size. Plant shoot and root material contained similar low enrichments in ¹⁵N, whereas recently deposited shoot residues were highly enriched. Differences between the soil fractions in observed total N did not reflect similar ¹⁵N variation. However, the enrichment of humic material extracted from the largest soil fraction was considerably lower in ¹⁵N relative to that from the smaller fractions. The complexity of the humic material from the larger fractions was less according to the E ₄ /E ₆ ratio. Analysis of the profile from the undisturbed soil showed increasing ¹⁵N enrichment with depth which corresponded well with visible soil horizons and showed an inverse relationship with total soil N. This ¹⁵N enrichment was mirrored by the enrichment in humic materials down the profile and also corresponded with an increasing chemical complexity as shown by the E ₄ /E ₆ ratio. Received: 15 March 1996     

Integrated Soil Fertility Management: Aggregate carbon and nitrogen stabilization in differently textured tropical soils

Soil organic matter is important to improve and sustain soil fertility in tropical agroecosystems. The combined use of organic residue and fertilizer inputs is advocated for its positive effects on short-term nutrient supply, but the effect of the integrated use on long-term stabilization of soil organic C and N is still unclear. We conducted a 1.5-y soil incubation experiment with maize (Zea mays) residue and urea fertilizer to examine the stabilization of C and N in four Sub-Saharan African soils differing in texture (sand, sandy loam, clay loam, and clay). The inputs were enriched with ¹³C and ¹⁵N in a mirror-labelling design to trace the fate of residue-C and N, and fertilizer-N in combination. We hypothesized that combining inputs would enhance the stabilization of C and N relative to either input alone across a range of soil textures. The treatments were destructively sampled after 0.25, 0.5, and 1.5 y to assess input-derived C and N stabilization in soil macro- and microaggregate fractions. The combination treatment had a significant but small (2% of residue-applied C) increase in residue-C stabilized in the total soil after 0.25 y, but this increase did not persist after 0.5 and 1.5 y. While combining residue and fertilizer decreased the amount of residue-N stabilized within 53- to 2000-μm sized soil aggregates (e.g., 7% less at 1.5 y), it increased the stabilization of fertilizer-N at all sampling times (e.g., 20% more at 1.5 y). The increased amount of fertilizer-N stabilized was significantly greater than the amount of residue-N lost in the combined input treatments in the three finer textured soils at 1.5 y, indicating an interactive increase in the stabilization of new N. Our results indicate that combining residue with fertilizer inputs can increase the short-term stabilization of N, which has the potential to improve soil fertility. However, benefits to N stabilization from combining organic residues and fertilizer seem to be less in coarser-textured soils.