Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Autoren

  • Wulf Amelung
  • Nele Meyer
  • Andrey Rodionov
  • Claudia Knief
  • Michaela Aehnelt
  • Sara L. Bauke
  • Danh Biesgen
  • Stefan Dultz
  • Georg Guggenberger
  • Maguy Jaber
  • Erwin Klumpp
  • Ingrid Kögel-Knabner
  • Volker Nischwitz
  • Steffen A. Schweizer
  • Bei Wu
  • Kai U. Totsche
  • Eva Lehndorff

Externe Organisationen

  • Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
  • Forschungszentrum Jülich
  • Universität Bayreuth
  • Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
  • Sorbonne Université
  • Technische Universität München (TUM)
Forschungs-netzwerk anzeigen

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer116226
FachzeitschriftGEODERMA
Jahrgang429
Frühes Online-Datum22 Okt. 2022
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 1 Jan. 2023

Abstract

Microaggregates (<250 µm) are key structural subunits of soils. However, their formation processes, rates, and transformation with time are poorly understood. We took advantage of multiple isotope labelling of potential organic gluing agents and inorganic building units to unravel their role in soil aggregation processes being initiated with and without plant growth. We added 13C-labelled extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), 15N-labelled bacteria, 57Fe-labelled goethite, and 29Si-labelled montmorillonite to fine soil <250 µm of an Ap horizon from a Stagnic Luvisol, which was planted with Festuca heteromalla or kept bare in a climate chamber. Samples were taken after 4, 12, and 30 weeks, and separated into free (f) and occluded (o) microaggregates of different sizes (<20 µm, 53–20 µm, 250–53 µm), and in stable macroaggregates (>250 µm) that resisted 60 J mL−1 ultrasonic dispersion. Afterwards, we assessed the C, N, Fe, and Si stable isotope composition in each size fraction. After four weeks we found a rapid build-up of stable macroaggregates comprising almost 50 % of soil mass in the treatment with plants and respective soil rooting, but only 5 % when plants were absent. The formation of these stable macroaggregates proceeded with time. Soil organic carbon (SOC) contents were elevated by 15 % in the large macroaggregates induced by plant growth. However, the recovery of EPS-derived 13C was below 20 % after 4 weeks, indicating rapid turnover in treatments both with and without plants. The remaining EPS-derived C was mainly found in macroaggregates when plants were present and in the occluded small microaggregates (<20 µm) when plants were absent. The excess of bacterial 15N closely followed the pattern of EPS-derived 13C (R2 = 0.72). In contrast to the organic gluing agents, the goethite-57Fe and montmorillonite-29Si were relatively equally distributed across all size fractions. Overall, microaggregates were formed within weeks. Roots enforced this process by stabilizing microaggregates within stable macroaggregates. As time proceeded the labelled organic components decomposed, while the labelled secondary oxides and clay minerals increasingly contributed to aggregate stabilization and turnover at the scale of months and beyond. Consequently, the well-known hierarchical organization of aggregation follows a clear chronological sequence of stabilization and turnover processes.

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

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Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling. / Amelung, Wulf; Meyer, Nele; Rodionov, Andrey et al.
in: GEODERMA, Jahrgang 429, 116226, 01.01.2023.

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Amelung, W, Meyer, N, Rodionov, A, Knief, C, Aehnelt, M, Bauke, SL, Biesgen, D, Dultz, S, Guggenberger, G, Jaber, M, Klumpp, E, Kögel-Knabner, I, Nischwitz, V, Schweizer, SA, Wu, B, Totsche, KU & Lehndorff, E 2023, 'Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling', GEODERMA, Jg. 429, 116226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116226
Amelung, W., Meyer, N., Rodionov, A., Knief, C., Aehnelt, M., Bauke, S. L., Biesgen, D., Dultz, S., Guggenberger, G., Jaber, M., Klumpp, E., Kögel-Knabner, I., Nischwitz, V., Schweizer, S. A., Wu, B., Totsche, K. U., & Lehndorff, E. (2023). Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling. GEODERMA, 429, Artikel 116226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116226
Amelung W, Meyer N, Rodionov A, Knief C, Aehnelt M, Bauke SL et al. Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling. GEODERMA. 2023 Jan 1;429:116226. Epub 2022 Okt 22. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116226
Amelung, Wulf ; Meyer, Nele ; Rodionov, Andrey et al. / Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling. in: GEODERMA. 2023 ; Jahrgang 429.
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title = "Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling",
abstract = "Microaggregates (<250 µm) are key structural subunits of soils. However, their formation processes, rates, and transformation with time are poorly understood. We took advantage of multiple isotope labelling of potential organic gluing agents and inorganic building units to unravel their role in soil aggregation processes being initiated with and without plant growth. We added 13C-labelled extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), 15N-labelled bacteria, 57Fe-labelled goethite, and 29Si-labelled montmorillonite to fine soil <250 µm of an Ap horizon from a Stagnic Luvisol, which was planted with Festuca heteromalla or kept bare in a climate chamber. Samples were taken after 4, 12, and 30 weeks, and separated into free (f) and occluded (o) microaggregates of different sizes (<20 µm, 53–20 µm, 250–53 µm), and in stable macroaggregates (>250 µm) that resisted 60 J mL−1 ultrasonic dispersion. Afterwards, we assessed the C, N, Fe, and Si stable isotope composition in each size fraction. After four weeks we found a rapid build-up of stable macroaggregates comprising almost 50 % of soil mass in the treatment with plants and respective soil rooting, but only 5 % when plants were absent. The formation of these stable macroaggregates proceeded with time. Soil organic carbon (SOC) contents were elevated by 15 % in the large macroaggregates induced by plant growth. However, the recovery of EPS-derived 13C was below 20 % after 4 weeks, indicating rapid turnover in treatments both with and without plants. The remaining EPS-derived C was mainly found in macroaggregates when plants were present and in the occluded small microaggregates (<20 µm) when plants were absent. The excess of bacterial 15N closely followed the pattern of EPS-derived 13C (R2 = 0.72). In contrast to the organic gluing agents, the goethite-57Fe and montmorillonite-29Si were relatively equally distributed across all size fractions. Overall, microaggregates were formed within weeks. Roots enforced this process by stabilizing microaggregates within stable macroaggregates. As time proceeded the labelled organic components decomposed, while the labelled secondary oxides and clay minerals increasingly contributed to aggregate stabilization and turnover at the scale of months and beyond. Consequently, the well-known hierarchical organization of aggregation follows a clear chronological sequence of stabilization and turnover processes.",
keywords = "Aggregate formation, Clay minerals, Extracellular polymeric substances, Iron oxides, Organo-mineral interactions, Stable isotopes",
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note = "Funding Information: We thank Dr. Sneha Narvekar for help in the laboratory, and the German Science Foundation for funding ( DFG FOR2179 ). The NaOH fusion digestion and ICP-OES measurements by Nadine Wettengl, ZEA-3 Forschungszentrum Juelich, and the support of Fe and Si isotope ratio measurements by Ulrike Seeling, ZEA-3 Forschungszentrum Juelich, are gratefully acknowledged. ",
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day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116226",
language = "English",
volume = "429",
journal = "GEODERMA",
issn = "0016-7061",
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Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - Process sequence of soil aggregate formation disentangled through multi-isotope labelling

AU - Amelung, Wulf

AU - Meyer, Nele

AU - Rodionov, Andrey

AU - Knief, Claudia

AU - Aehnelt, Michaela

AU - Bauke, Sara L.

AU - Biesgen, Danh

AU - Dultz, Stefan

AU - Guggenberger, Georg

AU - Jaber, Maguy

AU - Klumpp, Erwin

AU - Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid

AU - Nischwitz, Volker

AU - Schweizer, Steffen A.

AU - Wu, Bei

AU - Totsche, Kai U.

AU - Lehndorff, Eva

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Dr. Sneha Narvekar for help in the laboratory, and the German Science Foundation for funding ( DFG FOR2179 ). The NaOH fusion digestion and ICP-OES measurements by Nadine Wettengl, ZEA-3 Forschungszentrum Juelich, and the support of Fe and Si isotope ratio measurements by Ulrike Seeling, ZEA-3 Forschungszentrum Juelich, are gratefully acknowledged.

PY - 2023/1/1

Y1 - 2023/1/1

N2 - Microaggregates (<250 µm) are key structural subunits of soils. However, their formation processes, rates, and transformation with time are poorly understood. We took advantage of multiple isotope labelling of potential organic gluing agents and inorganic building units to unravel their role in soil aggregation processes being initiated with and without plant growth. We added 13C-labelled extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), 15N-labelled bacteria, 57Fe-labelled goethite, and 29Si-labelled montmorillonite to fine soil <250 µm of an Ap horizon from a Stagnic Luvisol, which was planted with Festuca heteromalla or kept bare in a climate chamber. Samples were taken after 4, 12, and 30 weeks, and separated into free (f) and occluded (o) microaggregates of different sizes (<20 µm, 53–20 µm, 250–53 µm), and in stable macroaggregates (>250 µm) that resisted 60 J mL−1 ultrasonic dispersion. Afterwards, we assessed the C, N, Fe, and Si stable isotope composition in each size fraction. After four weeks we found a rapid build-up of stable macroaggregates comprising almost 50 % of soil mass in the treatment with plants and respective soil rooting, but only 5 % when plants were absent. The formation of these stable macroaggregates proceeded with time. Soil organic carbon (SOC) contents were elevated by 15 % in the large macroaggregates induced by plant growth. However, the recovery of EPS-derived 13C was below 20 % after 4 weeks, indicating rapid turnover in treatments both with and without plants. The remaining EPS-derived C was mainly found in macroaggregates when plants were present and in the occluded small microaggregates (<20 µm) when plants were absent. The excess of bacterial 15N closely followed the pattern of EPS-derived 13C (R2 = 0.72). In contrast to the organic gluing agents, the goethite-57Fe and montmorillonite-29Si were relatively equally distributed across all size fractions. Overall, microaggregates were formed within weeks. Roots enforced this process by stabilizing microaggregates within stable macroaggregates. As time proceeded the labelled organic components decomposed, while the labelled secondary oxides and clay minerals increasingly contributed to aggregate stabilization and turnover at the scale of months and beyond. Consequently, the well-known hierarchical organization of aggregation follows a clear chronological sequence of stabilization and turnover processes.

AB - Microaggregates (<250 µm) are key structural subunits of soils. However, their formation processes, rates, and transformation with time are poorly understood. We took advantage of multiple isotope labelling of potential organic gluing agents and inorganic building units to unravel their role in soil aggregation processes being initiated with and without plant growth. We added 13C-labelled extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), 15N-labelled bacteria, 57Fe-labelled goethite, and 29Si-labelled montmorillonite to fine soil <250 µm of an Ap horizon from a Stagnic Luvisol, which was planted with Festuca heteromalla or kept bare in a climate chamber. Samples were taken after 4, 12, and 30 weeks, and separated into free (f) and occluded (o) microaggregates of different sizes (<20 µm, 53–20 µm, 250–53 µm), and in stable macroaggregates (>250 µm) that resisted 60 J mL−1 ultrasonic dispersion. Afterwards, we assessed the C, N, Fe, and Si stable isotope composition in each size fraction. After four weeks we found a rapid build-up of stable macroaggregates comprising almost 50 % of soil mass in the treatment with plants and respective soil rooting, but only 5 % when plants were absent. The formation of these stable macroaggregates proceeded with time. Soil organic carbon (SOC) contents were elevated by 15 % in the large macroaggregates induced by plant growth. However, the recovery of EPS-derived 13C was below 20 % after 4 weeks, indicating rapid turnover in treatments both with and without plants. The remaining EPS-derived C was mainly found in macroaggregates when plants were present and in the occluded small microaggregates (<20 µm) when plants were absent. The excess of bacterial 15N closely followed the pattern of EPS-derived 13C (R2 = 0.72). In contrast to the organic gluing agents, the goethite-57Fe and montmorillonite-29Si were relatively equally distributed across all size fractions. Overall, microaggregates were formed within weeks. Roots enforced this process by stabilizing microaggregates within stable macroaggregates. As time proceeded the labelled organic components decomposed, while the labelled secondary oxides and clay minerals increasingly contributed to aggregate stabilization and turnover at the scale of months and beyond. Consequently, the well-known hierarchical organization of aggregation follows a clear chronological sequence of stabilization and turnover processes.

KW - Aggregate formation

KW - Clay minerals

KW - Extracellular polymeric substances

KW - Iron oxides

KW - Organo-mineral interactions

KW - Stable isotopes

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U2 - 10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116226

DO - 10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116226

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85140654576

VL - 429

JO - GEODERMA

JF - GEODERMA

SN - 0016-7061

M1 - 116226

ER -

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