Abstract: | Biotic and abiotic decomposition of organic matter in soils The problem area of organic matter decomposition in soils by biotic, abiotic and photochemical mechanisms is tested under administration of uniformly 14C-labelled wheat straw, humic of fulvic acids; furthermore by the use of conventional methods. In four separate test runs, based on Hapludalf-Ah soil, formed in loess, as well as on Ah soil of a spodic Dystrochrept in pleistocene sand, measurements over years - altogether 57 measurement cycles - revealed similar decomposition rates of 14C fulvic and 14C humic acid. The approximate magnitudes of turnover were: biotic: abiotic (Hg-sterilization): biotic + UV-irradiation: abiotic + UV-irradiation = 100:20:70:50. The sterilized samples continued to release CO2. Biotic + UV showed losses, compared with biotic, by partial UV sterilization. Abiotic + UV indicated increasing CO2 release, compared with abiotic only, due to additional photochemical decomposition. In a larger program with radioactive as well as conventional methods of CO2 measurement decomposition rates in different soils were tested under biotic, abiotic and photochemical condition in presence of metal ions, such as iron, aluminium, copper, zinc, lead and mercury. The impact by the added metals can be summerized as follows: Calcium and aluminium are favoring the organic matter decomposition under biotic conditions, while mercury, lead, copper, zinc and iron are rather inhibitive. Contrary, under biotic/steril conditions copper and especially mercury, further zinc and lead, at lower extent also calcium, impede CO2 liberation. Since there are but small differences among the various test soils, soil own parameters seem to exert under abiotic conditions low importance only. Under UV irradiation calcium had in the biotic milieu high, in the steril/abiotic milieu a lower increasing effect upon COz liberation. Also iron indicates a stimulating effect under contemporary UV irradiation, which at lower level applies to lead and mercury too, particularly in connection with the sandloess Hapludalf of Harburg. Based on the observed CO2 release also under abiotic/steril conditions final tests were conducted with calcinated quartzsand in contrast to soil, otherwise again under biotic, abiotic, as well as biotic or abiotic + UV conditions. Also in these calcinated sands 14CO2 release from the 14C labelled straw continued. Addition of increasing amounts of aluminiumlactate causes decreasing 14CO2 rates. An even stronger inhibition was produced by addition of zinclactate. |