Amount and composition of clay-associated soil organic matter in a range of kaolinitic and smectitic soils

In the global carbon cycle, soil organic matter (SOM) is a major source/sink of atmospheric carbon. Clay minerals stabilize part of the SOM through mineral–organic matter binding. Stabilization of organic matter is essential for tropical soils. Since the climatic conditions of the tropics favor decomposition of organic matter, tropical soils would be very poor in organic matter without this stabilization process. This research aims at determining the effect of clay mineralogy on the amount and composition of organic matter that is bound to the mineral surface. We focused on organic matter that is associated with kaolinite and smectite. We characterized kaolinite- and smectite-associated SOM in soils from seven countries, employing ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and Py-GC/MS. The content of carbon in the total clay-size fraction showed no significant difference between kaolinitic and smectitic soils. This suggests that the total amount of organic carbon in the clay-size fraction is independent of the clay mineralogy. We first extracted the clay fraction with NaOH and thereafter with Na₄P₂O₇. About half of the kaolinite-associated SOM was extractable by NaOH. In the smectitic soils, pyrophosphate extracted more organic carbon than did NaOH. The Py-GC/MS and NMR results indicate that kaolinite-associated SOM is enriched in polysaccharide products, while smectite-associated organic matter contains many aromatic compounds. We suggest that different clay minerals use different binding mechanisms to complex SOM. As a result, the composition of clay-associated organic matter would be influenced by the type of clay that is dominantly present in the soil.     

Poorly crystalline mineral phases protect organic matter in acid subsoil horizons

Soil minerals are known to influence the biological stability of soil organic matter (SOM). Our study aimed to relate properties of the mineral matrix to its ability to protect organic C against decomposition in acid soils. We used the amount of hydroxyl ions released after exposure to NaF solution to establish a reactivity gradient spanning 12 subsoil horizons collected from 10 different locations. The subsoil horizons represent six soil orders and diverse geological parent materials. Phyllosilicates were characterized by X-ray diffraction and pedogenic oxides by selective dissolution procedures. The organic carbon (C) remaining after chemical removal of an oxidizable fraction of SOM with NaOCl solution was taken to represent a stable organic carbon pool. Stable organic carbon was confirmed as older than bulk organic carbon by a smaller radiocarbon (¹⁴C) content after oxidation in all 12 soils. The amount of stable organic C did not depend on clay content or the content of dithionite–citrate-extractable Fe. The combination of oxalate-extractable Fe and Al explained the greatest amount of variation in stable organic C (R² = 0.78). Our results suggest that in acid soils, organic matter is preferentially protected by interaction with poorly crystalline minerals represented by the oxalate-soluble Fe and Al fraction. This evidence suggests that ligand exchange between mineral surface hydroxyl groups and negatively charged organic functional groups is a quantitatively important mechanism in the stabilization of SOM in acid soils. The results imply a finite stabilization capacity of soil minerals for organic matter, limited by the area density of reactive surface sites.     

珠江三角洲地区土壤与表层沉积物有机质的性质结构研究

通过分析海洋、河流、池塘和稻田四种热带 /亚热带土壤与表层沉积物及用化学方法分离的有机质 ,证明了土壤与沉积物有机质是高度不均匀的 ,除了包括腐殖酸和演化程度较深的干酪根外 ,强调了演化程度更深的碳黑的存在 ,并对不同有机质的来源、性质和结构进行了表征。腐殖酸和干酪根来源于生物体的演化 ,在结构上后者比前者致密 ;碳黑来源于化石燃料和生物体的不完全燃烧 ,具有更致密的结构 ,对有机质的非均质性影响很大。因此可认为 ,系统地研究土壤与表层沉积物有机质的非均质性及组分特征对了解地球表层的生物地球化学过程和疏水性毒害有机污染物在环境中的迁移具有重要的意义。     

应用~(13)C核磁共振技术研究土壤有机质化学结构进展

土壤有机质化学结构对准确评价土壤有机质的稳定性及其在土壤中的功能具有重要意义。土壤有机质化学结构的研究方法中,固态~(13)C核磁共振波谱技术(Solid-state ~(13)C-NMR spectroscopy)具有独特优势,对土壤有机质化学结构的解析更贴近真实状态,近年来已取得诸多新进展和新突破。综述了近年来应用~(13)C-NMR测定土壤全土、团聚体和密度组分、腐殖质组分的有机碳化学结构特征,分析了影响化学结构变化的因素。不同气候条件、植被类型、土地利用管理方式、土壤类型、土壤有机碳含量的全土中有机碳化学结构比较相似,均表现为烷氧碳比例最高,其次为烷基碳和芳香碳,羧基羰基碳比例最低。土壤有机碳主要来源于外源植物残体,植物残体化学结构的相似性可能是导致土壤有机碳化学结构相似的主要原因,环境条件、土壤自身属性和微生物活性的差异使土壤有机碳化学结构产生微小差异。土壤颗粒及化学组分间的有机碳分子结构差异较大,大颗粒有机碳中烷氧碳比例最高,小粒径及与矿物颗粒结合的有机碳中烷基碳和羧基羰基碳比例更高,粉黏粒和腐殖酸组分的有机碳化学结构在土壤类型间差异较大。今后的研究重点应更多地关注土壤有机质来源的定量化分析、土壤微生物对土壤有机碳组分和结构稳定性的贡献及调控机制、土壤有机碳稳定性的生物物理化学保护机制、空间大尺度环境因子/土壤生态过程与微观尺度的有机碳化学分子结构的耦合作用机制、跨学科的多种土壤有机碳化学分子结构测定辨识技术等方面的研究。     

东北黑土地保护利用研究足迹与科技研发展望

中国东北黑土是世界上最肥沃、垦殖时间较短的土壤类型之一,在保障国家粮食安全中具有非常重要的地位。本文在总结东北黑土地概况(定义、分布、土壤类型和垦殖时间)的基础上,梳理了东北黑土地的研究足迹,并提出了未来东北黑土地科技研发的方向。东北黑土地包括黑土、黑钙土、草甸土、白浆土、暗棕壤和棕壤6种土壤类型,主要分布在辽河平原、松嫩平原和三江平原。自然黑土肥力较高,但是开垦后受生态系统改变和人类活动的双重驱动,土壤肥力发了巨大变化,土壤有机质含量在垦殖初期(约30a)迅速下降,开垦50a后下降速度趋于稳定;侵蚀区黑土层受风蚀和水蚀等影响出现了不同程度的流失。有机培肥、轮作、等高种植等技术措施已经被广泛应用于黑土培肥与水土流失防治。黑土层是黑土地的标志性土层,是黑土地肥力的核心。基于黑土层保护的东北黑土地保护利用建议从以下3方面开展科学研究:(1)解析人类活动下的黑土层厚度及颜色变化过程和驱动机制,探索现代农业管理方式下维持和增加黑土层厚度的技术途径;(2)针对东北黑土地6种土壤类型耕地限制粮食生产能力的主控因子,因地制宜建立以"肥沃耕层构建"、"障碍性土层消减"和"控蚀固土增肥"为核心的东北黑土...     

Soil Organic Matter/Carbon Dynamics in Contrasting Tillage and Land Management Systems: A Case for Smallholder Farmers with Degraded and Marginal Soils

This study reveals that soil organic matter (SOM) is 58% soil organic carbon (SOC) and the processes that govern SOM dynamics include those that promote SOM synthesis from organic inputs and those that decrease SOM through decomposition. Land use is a key determinant of SOC dynamics and spatial differences in SOM. Agricultural soils can accommodate extra carbon (C) between 140 and 170 Pg C. Globally sub soils store more than half of total SOC. The SOM can increase under no-tillage management even with low crop residue input. Soil tillage induces loss of carbon in macroaggregates (>250 μm) and a gain of carbon in microaggregates (<250 μm). The stage of plant development rather than plant species determines carbon dynamics from plants to soil, and the rate depends on the plant development. However, sorption of dissolved organic matter to mineral soil influences the stabilization of dissolved organic matter.     

Colluvisols under cultivation in Schleswig-Holstein. 3. Soil organic matter transformation after translocation

‘Colluvisols’ (Colluvi-cumulic Anthrosols) are an important soil unit in North Germany. In the landscape of loamy till these soils are associated with eroded Luvisols. The soil organic matter (SOM) of top layers of both soils was compared by using approaches of wet chemistry, CPMAS ¹³C-NMR and pyrolysis field-ionization mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS). The Luvisols are sources of SOM transfer due to a continuous erosion process. The annual input of straw and plant residues induces the dominance of litter compounds like proteins, polysaccharides and lignin in the SOM. The Colluvisols are sinks of SOM transfer with a predominance of humic compounds. Lignin is degraded forming humic compounds with an alkylic and aromatic structure. In these soils selected compounds with higher mass signals were detected by Py-FIMS, which may indicate the existence of typical “SOM markers” in the colluvic materials.     

Black carbon in the zonal steppe soils of Russia

Black Mollisols are typically rich in charred organic matter, however, little is known about the zonal distribution of black C (BC) in steppe soils. In this study, we used benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCA) as specific markers for BC in particle‐size fractions of depth profiles in several zonal soils (Greyzem, Phaeozem, Chernozem, Kastanozem) of the Russian steppe. In addition, liquid‐state ¹³C‐NMR spectra were obtained on the alkaline‐soluble soil organic matter (SOM). The results showed that both the content and depth distribution of BC varies in the different soil types; the concentration of BC in the bulk top soils being closely related to the aromaticity of the SOM (r² = 0.98 for the native topsoils, 0.83 for top‐ and subsurface soils). Especially the Chernozems were rich in aromatic SOM, which partly contained more than 17% BC of total C, most of which being allocated in the mineral fractions. Long‐term arable cropping did not reduce the BC contents of the surface soil, though it did promote the enrichment of BC in the silt fractions. The same shift was detected as soil depth increased. We conclude that BC is not fully inert in these soils, but apparently can be preserved in the silt as decomposition of SOM increased, i.e., it accumulates exactly in that fraction, which has been formerly assigned to contain old, aromatic C.     

Black carbon contribution to soil organic matter composition in tropical sloping land under slash and burn agriculture

Tropical soils are generally depleted in organic carbon (OC) due to environmental conditions favouring decomposition and mineralisation of soil organic matter (SOM). In Northern Laos, sloping soils are subjected to slash and burn agriculture, which leads to production of black carbon (BC), a stable SOM fraction. BC may directly influence the quantity and quality of SOM sequestered in tropical soils. The aim of this study was to quantify BC content and evaluate its impact on the chemical and stable isotope composition of SOM along a catena composed of Dystrochrepts at the bottom of the slope, Alfisols (midslope) and Inceptisols at the top of the slope for different burning frequencies. Six soil profiles, situated on a slope ranging from a river bank to the summit of a hill, were sampled. The stable isotope compositions (¹³C and ¹⁵N) of samples from both organo-mineral A and mineral B and C horizons were determined. The chemical composition of SOM analysed by ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectroscopy and the contribution of BC determined by dichromate oxidation were compared to OC and iron oxide content as well as land management including the burning cycle.The highest C contents were recorded at midslope positions. At any position on the slope, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N ratios showed an enrichment in ¹³C and ¹⁵N with increasing soil depth. The OC content of soil horizons was related to their aryl C content, which is the component most likely driven by BC inputs. The BC contributions analysed by dichromate oxidation ranged from 3% to 7% of total OC. A positive correlation was obtained between aryl C and the BC content of SOM. Comparison of BC content and stable isotope composition of SOM showed that BC influenced the δ¹³C and the δ¹⁵N stable isotope ratios of these soils. BC was not associated with the mineral phase. The highest BC contents were measured under intensive slash and burn practice in the vicinity of the boundary of Alfisols at the top of the slope, where erosion was severe. Therefore, BC, a SOM component strongly influencing OC sequestration of these soils, is susceptible to translocation down the slope.     

Variable use of plant- and soil-derived carbon by microorganisms in agricultural soils

In this study we used compound specific ¹³C and ¹⁴C isotopic signatures to determine the degree to which recent plant material and older soil organic matter (SOM) served as carbon substrates for microorganisms in soils. We determined the degree to which plant-derived carbon was used as a substrate by comparison of the ¹³C content of microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) from soils of two sites that had undergone a vegetation change from C3 to C4 plants in the past 20-30 years. The importance of much older SOM as a substrate was determined by comparison of the radiocarbon content of PLFA from soils of two sites that had different ¹⁴C concentrations of SOM.The ¹³C shift in PLFA from the two sites that had experienced different vegetation history indicated that 40-90% of the PLFA carbon had been fixed since the vegetation change took place. Thus PLFA were more enriched in ¹³C from the new C4 vegetation than it was observed for bulk SOM indicating recent plant material as preferentially used substrate for soil microorganisms. The largest ¹³C shift of PLFA was observed in the soil that had high ¹⁴C concentrations of bulk SOM. These results reinforce that organic carbon in this soil for the most part cycles rapidly. The degree to which SOM is incorporated into microbial PLFA was determined by the difference in ¹⁴C concentration of PLFA derived from two soils one with high ¹⁴C concentrations of bulk SOM and one with low. These results showed that 0-40% of SOM carbon is used as substrate for soil microorganisms. Furthermore a different substrate usage was identified for different microorganisms. Gram-negative bacteria were found to prefer recent plant material as microbial carbon source while Gram-positive bacteria use substantial amounts of SOM carbon. This was indicated by ¹³C as well as ¹⁴C signatures of their PLFA. Our results find evidence to support ‘priming’ in that PLFA indicative of Gram-negative bacteria associated with roots contain both plant- and SOM-derived C. Most interestingly, we find PLFA indicative of archeobacteria (methanothrophs) that may indicate the use of other carbon sources than plant material and SOM to a substantial amount suggesting that inert or slow carbon pools are not essential to explain carbon dynamics in soil.     

The role of mineralization of the organic matter of soddy-podzolic and peat bog soils in the accumulation of <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs by plants

The role of mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) in the mobilization of ¹³⁷Cs was estimated on the basis of data on the biokinetic fractionation of the organic matter of soddy-podzolic sandy-loam and peat bog soils and on the coefficients of the soil-to-plant transfer of radiocesium under field conditions. The peat bog soils were richer than the soddy-podzolic soils in the total organic carbon (by 7.9–23.8 times), the potentially mineralizable carbon (by 2.4–6.5 times), and the carbon of the microbial biomass (by 2.9–4.6 times). The agricultural use of the soddy-podzolic and peat bog soils led to a decrease in the SOM mineralization capacity by 1.1–1.8 and 1.4–2.0 times, respectively. Simultaneously, the portions of the easily, moderately, and difficultly mineralizable fraction of the SOM active pool changed. The coefficients of the ¹³⁷Cs transfer from the peat bog soils to plants were 3.3–17.6 times higher than those for the soddy-podzolic soils. The content of ¹³⁷Cs in plants grown on the peat bog soils was 2–65 times higher than that in the mobile (salt-extractable) soil pool by the beginning of the growing season. Strong positive linear correlations were found between the coefficients of the soil-to-plant transfer of ¹³⁷Cs and the total content of the SOM, the content of the microbial biomass, the content of the potentially mineralizable carbon, and the intensity of its mineralization. It was concluded that the decisive factors controlling the intensity of the ¹³⁷Cs transfer from mineral and organic soils into plants are the SOM content and its mineralization potential. The mineralization of the SOM is accompanied by the release of both ¹³⁷Cs and mineral nitrogen; the latter facilitates the transfer of radiocesium into plants.     

USING THE 137Cs TECHNIQUE TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF SOIL REDISTRIBUTION ON SOIL ORGANIC CARBON AND TOTAL NITROGEN STOCKS IN AN AGRICULTURAL CATCHMENT OF NORTHEAST CHINA

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stocks can be affected by soil erosion and this is of great significance in relation to global environmental concern about environmental change. This study investigated the spatial patterns of ¹³⁷Cs, SOC and TN as well as their relationships for an agricultural catchment and presents a budget analysis of the redistributions of SOC and TN for the period 1954–2010. ¹³⁷Cs, SOC and TN inventories were found to be significantly correlated, and the application of the¹³⁷Cs technique proved to be useful for evaluating SOC and TN dynamics in the Luvic Phaeozem soil typical of the Chinese black soil region. Spatial patterns of soil, SOC and TN were greatly influenced by shelterbelts/windbreaks within the study catchment. Higher ¹³⁷Cs, SOC and TN stocks were generally found upwind of the shelterbelts and at the study catchment outlet, whereas lower stocks of ¹³⁷Cs, SOC and TN occurred behind the shelterbelts (i.e. in the lee). The total net losses of SOC and TN over the past 56 years were approximately 152 and 11 t respectively, with 47 and 38 per cent of the eroded SOC and TN in soils redeposited within the study catchment, respectively. Based on the relationships of soil, SOC and TN in the investigated catchment, erosion‐induced SOC and TN losses per year are around 1·2 × 10⁶ and 0·1 × 10⁶ t for the typical black soil region of Northeast China. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of increasing fire frequency on black carbon and organic matter in Podzols of Siberian Scots pine forests

Fires in boreal forests frequently convert organic matter in the organic layer to black carbon, but we know little of how changing fire frequency alters the amount, composition and distribution of black carbon and organic matter within soils, or affects podzolization. We compared black carbon and organic matter (organic carbon and nitrogen) in soils of three Siberian Scots pine forests with frequent, moderately frequent and infrequent fires. Black carbon did not significantly contribute to the storage of organic matter, most likely because it is consumed by intense fires. We found 99% of black carbon in the organic layer; maximum stocks were 72 g m^?2. Less intense fires consumed only parts of the organic layer and converted some organic matter to black carbon (> 5 g m^?2), whereas more intense fires consumed almost the entire organic layer. In the upper 0.25 m of the mineral soil, black carbon stocks were 0.1 g m^?2 in the infrequent fire regime. After fire, organic carbon and nitrogen in the organic layer accumulated with an estimated rate of 14.4 g C m^?2 year^?1 or 0.241 g N m^?2 year^?1. Maximum stocks 140 years after fire were 2190 g organic C m^?2 and 40 g N m^?2, with no differences among fire regimes. With increasing fire frequency, stocks of organic carbon increased from 600 to 1100 g m^?2 (0–0.25 m). Stocks of nitrogen in the mineral soil were similar among the regimes (0.04 g m^?2). We found that greater intensities of fire reduce amounts of organic matter in the organic layer but that the greater frequencies may slightly increase amounts in the mineral soil.     

Carbon storage in loess derived surface soils from Central Germany: Influence of mineral phase variables

The influence of the soil mineral phase on organic matter storage was studied in loess derived surface soils of Central Germany. The seven soils were developed to different genetic stages. The carbon content of the bulk soils ranged from 8.7 to 19.7 g kg^—1. Clay mineralogy was confirmed to be constant, with illite contents > 80 %. Both, specific surface area (SSA, BET‐N₂‐method) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of bulk soils after carbon removal were better predictors of carbon content than clay content or dithionite‐extractable iron. SSA explained 55 % and CEC 54 % of the variation in carbon content. The carbon loadings of the soils were between 0.57 and 1.06 mg C m^—2, and therefore in the ”︁monolayer equivalent” (ME) level. The increase in SSA after carbon removal (ΔSSA) was significantly and positively related to carbon content (r² = 0.77). Together with CEC of carbon‐free samples, ΔSSA explained 90 % of the variation in carbon content. Clay (< 2 μm) and fine silt fractions (2—6.3 μm) contained 68—82 % of the bulk soil organic carbon. A significantly positive relationship between carbon content in the clay fraction and in the bulk soil was observed (r² = 0.95). The carbon pools of the clay and fine silt fractions were characterized by differences in C/N ratio, δ¹³C ratio, and enrichment factors for carbon and nitrogen. Organic matter in clay fractions seems to be more altered by microbes than organic matter in fine silt fractions. The results imply that organic matter accumulates in the fractions of smallest size and highest surface area, apparently intimately associated with the mineral phase. The amount of cations adhering to the mineral surface and the size of a certain and specific part of the surface area (ΔSSA) are the mineral phase properties which affect the content of the organic carbon in loess derived arable surface soils in Central Germany most. There is no monolayer of organic matter on the soil surfaces even if carbon loadings are in the ME level.     

Soil organic matter transformation in Argentinian Hapludolls

Distribution and transformation of SOM in an Argentinian Hapludoll under arable land use and afforested with Pinus radiata was investigated by a combined approach using particle-size fractionation, wet-chemical analysis and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The soils showed thick mollic A horizons and had high organic carbon (OC) contents even in the subsoil, clay-sized separates having the highest OC concentrations. Under pine, a thick forest floor was built up. CuO oxidation data indicated low transformation of lignin in the forest floor, but advanced oxidative decomposition in the mineral soil horizon. In contrast, non-cellulosic carbohydrates, appeared to be stabilized in the mineral soil horizon against mineralization. Humic acids extracted from the mineral soil horizons showed an extremely high aromaticity. We assume that this was due to the production of pyrogenic aromatic moieties (black carbon) as a result of frequent fires in this ecosystem. No clear profile differentiation with respect to SOM quality was obtained. Composition of SOM in the mineral soil appeared not yet influenced from land use.     

Location and chemical composition of stabilized organic carbon in topsoil and subsoil horizons of two acid forest soils

The ¹⁴C age of soil organic matter is known to increase with soil depth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the stabilization of carbon compounds in the entire soil profile using particle size fractionation to distinguish SOM pools with different turnover rates. Samples were taken from a Dystric Cambisol and a Haplic Podzol under forest, which are representative soil types under humid climate conditions. The conceptual approach included the analyses of particle size fractions of all mineral soil horizons for elemental composition and chemical structure of the organic matter by ¹³C cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS NMR) spectroscopy. The contribution of phenols and hydroxyalkanoic acids, which represent recalcitrant plant litter compounds, was analyzed after CuO oxidation.In the Dystric Cambisol, the highest carbon concentration as well as the highest percentage of total organic carbon are found in the <6.3 μm fractions of the B and C horizons. In the Haplic Podzol, carbon distribution among the particle size fractions of the Bh and Bvs horizons is influenced by the adsorption of dissolved organic matter. A relationship between the carbon enrichment in fractions <6.3 μm and the ¹⁴C activity of the bulk soil indicates that stabilization of SOM occurs in fine particle size fractions of both soils. ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectroscopy shows that a high concentration of alkyl carbon is present in the fine particle size fractions of the B horizons of the Dystric Cambisol. Decreasing contribution of O-alkyl and aromatic carbon with particle size as well as soil depth indicates that these compounds are not stabilized in the Dystric Cambisol. These results are in accordance with data obtained by wet chemical analyses showing that cutin/suberin-derived hydroxyalkanoic acids are preserved in the fine particle size fractions of the B horizons. The organic matter composition in particle size fractions of the top- and subsoil horizons of the Haplic Podzol shows that this soil is acting like a chromatographic system preserving insoluble alkyl carbon in the fine particle size fractions of the A horizon. Small molecules, most probably organic acids, dominate in the fine particle size fractions of the C horizons, where they are stabilized in clay-sized fractions most likely due to the interaction with the mineral phase. The characterization of lignin-derived phenols indicated, in accordance with the NMR measurements, that these compounds are not stabilized in the mineral soil horizons.     

Soil organic matter stabilization in acidic forest soils is preferential and soil type-specific

Minerals with large specific surface areas promote the stabilization of soil organic matter (SOM). We analysed three acidic soils (dystric, skeletic Leptic Cambisol; dystric, laxic Leptic Cambisol; skeletic Leptic Entic Podzol) under Norway spruce (Picea abies) forest with different mineral compositions to determine the effects of soil type on carbon (C) stabilization in soil. The relationship between the amount and chemical composition of soil organic matter (SOM), clay content, oxalate‐extractable Fe and Al (Fe_o; Al_o), and dithionite‐extractable Fe (Fe_d) before and after treatment with 10% hydrofluoric acid (HF) in topsoil and subsoil horizons was analysed. Radiocarbon age, ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectra, lignin phenol content and neutral sugar content in the soils before and after HF‐treatment were determined and compared for bulk soil samples and particle size separates. Changes in the chemical composition of SOM after HF‐treatment were small for the A‐horizons. In contrast, for B‐horizons, HF‐soluble (mineral‐associated) and HF‐resistant (non‐mineral‐associated) SOM showed systematic differences in functional C groups. The non‐mineral associated SOM in the B‐horizons was significantly depleted in microbially‐derived sugars, and the contribution of O/N‐alkyl C to total organic C was less after HF‐treatment. The radiocarbon age of the mineral‐associated SOM was younger than that of the HF‐resistant SOM in subsoil horizons with small amounts of oxalate‐extractable Al and Fe. However, in horizons with large amounts of oxalate‐extractable Al and Fe the HF‐soluble SOM was considerably older than the HF‐resistant SOM. In acid subsoils a specific fraction of the organic C pool (O/N‐alkyl C; microbially‐derived sugars) is preferentially stabilized by association with Fe and Al minerals. Stabilization of SOM with the mineral matrix in soils with large amounts of oxalate‐extractable Al_o and Fe_o results in a particularly stable and relatively old C pool, which is potentially stable for thousands of years.     

基于TM数据的黑土有机质含量空间格局反演研究

以吉林省黑土区为例,采集区域土壤样本,获取Landsat TM遥感影像,基于有机质含量(SOM)与土壤反射率的定量关系,筛选出与土壤有机质分布相关的波段TM1、TM5,建立区域土壤有机质遥感预测模型。结果表明,表层土壤有机质含量的对数值与TM1、TM5的灰度值(Digital Number,DN)呈显著负相关关系,满足二次多项式回归关系,基于TM1、TM5波段DN值的回归模型预测研究区表层土壤有机质含量,结果可靠。研究区表层土壤有机质含量15 g kg-1的区域主要分布在东部地区,含量在15~20 g kg-1的区域主要分布在中部地区,含量在20~25 g kg-1的土壤主要集中在西部地区。调查表明东部地区和中部地区主要是典型黑土,地形部位较高,排水条件较好;西部地区主要是草甸黑土,地势平坦,地下水位适中,水分条件充足,有机质含量较高。     

Organic matter stabilization in two Andisols of contrasting age under temperate rain forest

Recent studies with Andisols show that the carbon (C) stabilization capacity evolves with soil age relative to the evolution of the mineral phase. However, it is not clear how soil mineralogical changes during pedogenesis are related to the composition of soil organic matter (SOM) and ¹⁴C activity as an indicator for the mean residence time of soil organic matter (SOM). In the present study, we analyzed the contribution of allophane and metal–SOM complexes to soil C stabilization. Soil organic matter was analyzed with solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Additionally, the soil was extracted with Na-pyrophosphate (Al_p, Fe_p) and oxalate (Al_o, Si_o, and Fe_o). Results supported the hypothesis that allophane plays a key role for SOM stabilization in deep and oldest soil, while SOM stabilization by metal (Al and Fe) complexation is more important in the surface horizons and in younger soils. The metal/C_p ratio (C_p extracted in Na-pyrophosphate), soil pH, and radiocarbon age seemed to be important indicators for formation of SOM–metal complexes or allophane in top- and subsoils of Andisols. Changes in main mineral stabilization agents with soil age do not influence SOM composition. We suggest that the combination of several chemical parameters (Al_p, Fe_p and C_p, metal/C_p ratio, and pH) which change through soil age controls SOM stabilization.     

Die Böden von Wallhecken in Schleswig-Holstein. II. Aufbau und Umsetzung der organischen Bodensubstanz

Soils of Mound Hedges in Schleswig-Holstein. II. Composition and Transformation of Soil Organic Matter Two Cumulic Anthrosols of mound hedges and the fossil A-horizons below the deposits, were investigated by means of wet chemistry and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy in order to characterize soil organic matter (SOM) and to compare their SOM with natural and recent soils. The bulk humus of the Cumulic Anthrosols contains a high amount of easily soluble polysaccharides. Despite their high bioavailability sugars, starch and mobile fulvic acids are not completely consumed by microorganisms and translocated into the subsoil. The initial phase of podzolization is indicated due to this process and the very low pH-level of the soils. After deposition about 30 % of the soil carbon in the A-horizons is mineralized. Litter compounds are predominantly decomposed, whereas humic compounds are selectively preserved or newly synthesized. The significance of the humic compounds in the soil organic matter increases after deposition. This is why the potential cation exchange capacity of the fossil Ahorizons is similar to this of the recent ones.