Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 297-306 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science |
| Volume | 177 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2014 |
Abstract
To improve soil structure and take advantage of several accompanying ecological benefits, it is necessary to understand the underlying processes of aggregate dynamics in soils. Our objective was to quantify macroaggregate (> 250 μm) rebuilding in soils from loess (Haplic Luvisol) with different initial soil organic C (SOC) contents and different amendments of organic matter (OM) in a short term incubation experiment. Two soils differing in C content and sampled at 0-5 and 5-25cm soil depths were incubated after macroaggregate destruction. The following treatments were applied: (1) control (without any addition), (2) OM1 (addition of OM: preincubated wheat straw [< 10mm, C : N 40.6] at a rate of 4.1 g C [kg soil]-1), and (3) OM2 (same as (2) at a rate of 8.2 g C [kg soil]-1). Evolution of CO2 released from the treatments was measured continuously, and contents of different water-stable aggregate-size classes (> 250 μm, 250-53 μm, < 53 μm), microbial biomass, and ergosterol were determined after 7 and 28 d of incubation. Highest microbial activity was observed in the first 3 d after the OM application. With one exception, > 50% of the rebuilt macroaggregates were formed within the first 7 d after rewetting and addition of OM. However, the amount of organic C within the new macroaggregates was ≈ 2- to 3-fold higher than in the original soil. The process of aggregate formation was still proceeding after 7 d of incubation, however at a lower rate. Contents of organic C within macroaggregates were decreased markedly after 28 d of incubation in the OM1 and OM2 treatments, suggesting that the microbial biomass (bacteria and fungi) used organic C within the newly built macroaggregates. Overall, the results confirmed for all treatments that macroaggregate formation is a rapid process and highly connected with the amount of OM added and microbial activity. However, the time of maximum aggregation after C addition depends on the soil and substrate investigated. Moreover, the results suggest that the primary macroaggregates, formed within the first 7 d, are still unstable and oversaturated with OM and therefore act as C source for microbial decomposition processes.
Keywords
- Ergosterol, Microbial biomass, Soil respiration, Water-stable aggregates
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Soil Science
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Plant Science
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In: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Vol. 177, No. 2, 04.2014, p. 297-306.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Rate of soil-aggregate formation under different organic matter amendments-a short-term incubation experiment
AU - Andruschkewitsch, Rouven
AU - Geisseler, Daniel
AU - Dultz, Stefan
AU - Joergensen, Rainer Georg
AU - Ludwig, Bernard
N1 - Copyright: Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2014/4
Y1 - 2014/4
N2 - To improve soil structure and take advantage of several accompanying ecological benefits, it is necessary to understand the underlying processes of aggregate dynamics in soils. Our objective was to quantify macroaggregate (> 250 μm) rebuilding in soils from loess (Haplic Luvisol) with different initial soil organic C (SOC) contents and different amendments of organic matter (OM) in a short term incubation experiment. Two soils differing in C content and sampled at 0-5 and 5-25cm soil depths were incubated after macroaggregate destruction. The following treatments were applied: (1) control (without any addition), (2) OM1 (addition of OM: preincubated wheat straw [< 10mm, C : N 40.6] at a rate of 4.1 g C [kg soil]-1), and (3) OM2 (same as (2) at a rate of 8.2 g C [kg soil]-1). Evolution of CO2 released from the treatments was measured continuously, and contents of different water-stable aggregate-size classes (> 250 μm, 250-53 μm, < 53 μm), microbial biomass, and ergosterol were determined after 7 and 28 d of incubation. Highest microbial activity was observed in the first 3 d after the OM application. With one exception, > 50% of the rebuilt macroaggregates were formed within the first 7 d after rewetting and addition of OM. However, the amount of organic C within the new macroaggregates was ≈ 2- to 3-fold higher than in the original soil. The process of aggregate formation was still proceeding after 7 d of incubation, however at a lower rate. Contents of organic C within macroaggregates were decreased markedly after 28 d of incubation in the OM1 and OM2 treatments, suggesting that the microbial biomass (bacteria and fungi) used organic C within the newly built macroaggregates. Overall, the results confirmed for all treatments that macroaggregate formation is a rapid process and highly connected with the amount of OM added and microbial activity. However, the time of maximum aggregation after C addition depends on the soil and substrate investigated. Moreover, the results suggest that the primary macroaggregates, formed within the first 7 d, are still unstable and oversaturated with OM and therefore act as C source for microbial decomposition processes.
AB - To improve soil structure and take advantage of several accompanying ecological benefits, it is necessary to understand the underlying processes of aggregate dynamics in soils. Our objective was to quantify macroaggregate (> 250 μm) rebuilding in soils from loess (Haplic Luvisol) with different initial soil organic C (SOC) contents and different amendments of organic matter (OM) in a short term incubation experiment. Two soils differing in C content and sampled at 0-5 and 5-25cm soil depths were incubated after macroaggregate destruction. The following treatments were applied: (1) control (without any addition), (2) OM1 (addition of OM: preincubated wheat straw [< 10mm, C : N 40.6] at a rate of 4.1 g C [kg soil]-1), and (3) OM2 (same as (2) at a rate of 8.2 g C [kg soil]-1). Evolution of CO2 released from the treatments was measured continuously, and contents of different water-stable aggregate-size classes (> 250 μm, 250-53 μm, < 53 μm), microbial biomass, and ergosterol were determined after 7 and 28 d of incubation. Highest microbial activity was observed in the first 3 d after the OM application. With one exception, > 50% of the rebuilt macroaggregates were formed within the first 7 d after rewetting and addition of OM. However, the amount of organic C within the new macroaggregates was ≈ 2- to 3-fold higher than in the original soil. The process of aggregate formation was still proceeding after 7 d of incubation, however at a lower rate. Contents of organic C within macroaggregates were decreased markedly after 28 d of incubation in the OM1 and OM2 treatments, suggesting that the microbial biomass (bacteria and fungi) used organic C within the newly built macroaggregates. Overall, the results confirmed for all treatments that macroaggregate formation is a rapid process and highly connected with the amount of OM added and microbial activity. However, the time of maximum aggregation after C addition depends on the soil and substrate investigated. Moreover, the results suggest that the primary macroaggregates, formed within the first 7 d, are still unstable and oversaturated with OM and therefore act as C source for microbial decomposition processes.
KW - Ergosterol
KW - Microbial biomass
KW - Soil respiration
KW - Water-stable aggregates
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84898058960&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/jpln.201200628
DO - 10.1002/jpln.201200628
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84898058960
VL - 177
SP - 297
EP - 306
JO - Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
JF - Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
SN - 1436-8730
IS - 2
ER -