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SPP 1090 AG 4: Distribution and stability of carbon during the degradation of 14C-labelled wheat straw in the different compartments of a soil with a different agricultural fertilization practice
Project
Project code: keine Angaben
Contract period: 01.01.2000
- 01.01.2004
Purpose of research: Basic research
It has been hypothesised that beside non degraded plant debris the soil organic matter roughly consists of two compartments. Governed by the content of clay and fine silt fractions an inert C-pool develops during the formation of soils. This carbon bound to the fine mineral particles participates in C-turnover in soils only over long term ranges. In dependence on agricultural practice a second, labile C-pool develops during the degradation process of plant residues and organic fertilizers, caused by the metabolic activity of soil animals and micro-organisms. This labile C-pool is mainly responsible for the nutrient fluxes in soils.
The aim of the planned research project is to follow in a laboratory experiment the distribution of freshly added 14C from labelled wheat straw between the inert and the labile C-pool over a period of one year. In addition, the mineralization to 14CO2, the formation of water soluble 14C-metabolites and the anabolic use of the labelled carbon by the soil microbial biomass will be estimated. By a physical fractionation according to particle size of the soil mineral-organic constituents the distribution of 14C/12C organic matter in these fraction will be followed over time. In an incubation experiment isolated particle size fractions will be inoculated with the autochthonous soil microflora and the mineralization (liberation of 14CO2) will indicate the stability of the new 14C organic matter in the different fractions. For these investigations soil samples from an agricultural field will be selected which had been under three different fertilizer treatments (nil, mineral and organic) for several decades.
By this research project information about the causal relation of soil processes during the formation and storage of the soil organic matter are expected.
Section overview
Subjects
- Soil science
- Climate Change
