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Cited by 235Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsSoil and Environmental StudiesFire effects on ecosystems

Labile, recalcitrant, and inert organic matter in Mediterranean forest soils

Rovira, Pere, Ramón Vallejo, V.·2007·Soil Biology and Biochemistry
DOI 10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.07.021
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Abstract

The biochemical quality of soil organic matter (SOM) was studied in various profiles under Quercus rotundifolia Lam. stands on calcareous parent material. Special attention was paid to the question of how biochemical quality is affected by position within the soil profile (upper versus lower horizons). The following global SOM characteristics were investigated: (a) overall recalcitrance, using hydrolysis with either hydrochloric or sulphuric acid; (b) hydrolyzable carbohydrates and polyphenolics; (c) extractability by hot water and quality of the extract; and (d) abundance of inert forms of SOM: charcoal and soot-graphite. The recalcitrance of soil organic carbon (OC) decreases with depth, following the order: H horizons>A horizons>B horizons. In contrast, the recalcitrance of nitrogen is roughly maintained with depth. The ratio carbohydrate C to total OC increases from H to B horizons, due to the increasing importance of cellulosic polysaccharides in B horizons, whereas other carbohydrates are maintained throughout the soil profile at a relatively constant level, 12-15% of the total OC in the horizon. Whereas the quality of the hydrolyzable carbon (measured by the carbohydrate to polyphenolic C ratio) decreases with depth from H to B horizons, the quality of the hot-water extractable organic matter is much higher in B horizons than in A or H horizons. The relative importance of both charcoal and soot-graphitic C and N tends to increase with depth. The ratio black/total is usually higher for N than for C, a result that suggests that inert SOM may represent a relevant compartment in the nitrogen cycle. Overall, our data suggest that in Mediterranean forest soils the organic matter in B horizons could be less stable than often thought.

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  • This suggested the importance of microbial biomass colonising litter.

    “This suggested the importance of microbial biomass colonising litter [117, 118].”

    From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [118]

  • It has never been proven experimentally that a multi-pool chain model can represent the decreasing decomposition of residues due to chemical and physical protection.

    “Second, it has never been proven experimentally that a multi-pool chain model can represent the decreasing decomposition of residues due to chemical and physical protection [118, 148, 170].”

    From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [118]

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Authors
Rovira, P., & Ramón Vallejo, V.
Affiliations
Universitat de Barcelona (ES)
Corresponding author
Rovira, Pere
ORCID
Rovira, Pere
Venue
Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2007-01
Volume
39
Issue
1
Pages
202-215
ISSN
0038-0717 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.07.021
OpenAlex
W1989577118
Cited by
235
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 14
FWCI
8.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
Soil Biology and Biochemistry (publishedVersion)
Funders
Universitat de Barcelona
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil and Environmental Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
Keywords
soil organic matter, recalcitrant organic matter, soil depth distribution, Quercus rotundifolia, calcareous soils, soil organic carbon, soil organic nitrogen, polyphenols, charcoal, soil horizons, Mediterranean forest soils

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