Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dynamics of organic matter in soils

  • Chapter
Biological Processes and Soil Fertility

Part of the book series: Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences ((DPSS,volume 11))

Summary

Dynamics of C, N, S, and to some extent P are expressed by a knowledge of the size and turnover rates of plant constituents such as soluble C and N components, cellulose and hemicellulose, and lignin. Soil organic matter constituents include: the microbial biomass as determined chemically or microscopically, non-biomass active components determined by isotopic dilution, stabilized N constituents for which good techniques are not yet available, and resistant or old C and associated N determined by carbon dating. The processes involved in the nutrient transformations and transfers are reasonably well understood. The control mechanisms require further elucidation to be able to extrapolate from the laboratory to the field, and between field sites. Major control mechanisms requiring further insight include the effects of C availability on transformations of C and N. The other control for which every little is known is that of spatial compartmentalization. Compartmentalization ranges from landscape or management sequences to pedogenic layers, rhizosphere-mycorrhizal effects, clay-sesquioxide surfaces, aggregation, localized enzymes, and microbial effects such as membrane boundaries. Control mechanisms for concurrent mineralization-immobilization, the stabilization of microbial products, and the relative role of the biomass as a catalyst rather than as a source-sink for nutrients, must be understood. There is potential for combining a knowledge of microbial production and turnover with that of the roles of the soil organic active fraction as a temporary storehouse for nutrients. This, in conjunction with management techniques such as zero tillage and crop rotation, should make it possible to better utilize soil and fertilizer N, especially in areas of the world where the cost of nutrients is high relative to the value of the crop grown.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Adams McM T and Laughlin R J 1981 The effects of agronomy on the carbon and nitrogen contained in the soil biomass. J. Agric. Sci. Camb. 97, 319–327.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Anderson D W 1979 Processes of humus formation and transformation in soils of the Canadian plains. J. Soil Sci. 30, 77–84.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Anderson D W, Saggar S, Bettany J R and Stewart J W B 1981 Particle size fractions and their use in studies of soil organic matter: I. The nature and distribution of forms of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 45, 767–772.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Anderson D W and Paul E A 1983 Organo-mineral complexes and their study by radiocarbon dating. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. (submitted).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Benzing-Purdie L and Ripmeester J A 1983 Melanoidins and soil organic matter: evidence of strong similarities revealed by’3C CP-MAS NMR. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 47, 56–61.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Carter M R and Rennie D A 1982 Changes in soil quality under zero tillage farming systems: Distribution of microbial biomass and mineralizable C and N potentials. Can. J. Soil Sci. 62, 587–597.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Doran J W 1980 Social microbial and biochemical changes associated with reduced tillage. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 44, 765–771.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Elliott E T, Cole C V, Fairbanks B C, Woods L E, Bryant R J and Coleman D C 1983 Short-term bacterial growth, nutrient uptake, and ATP turnover in sterilized, inoculated and C-amended soil: The influence of N availability. Soil Biol. Biochem. 15, 85–91.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gainey P L 1936 Total nitrogen as a factor influencing nitrate accumulation in solids. Science 42, 157–163.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Greenland D J and Ford G W 1964 Separation of partially humified organic materials from soils by ultrasonic vibration. 8th International Congress of Soil .Science Transactions 3, 137–148.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Greenland D J and Watanabe I 1982 The continuing nitrogen enigma. In Whither Soil Research, Panel Discussion Papers, 12th International Congress of Soil Science, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hatcher P G, Schnitzer M, Dennis L W and Maciel G E 1981 Aromaticity of humic substances in soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 45, 1089–1094.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hedley M J, Stewart J W B and Chauhan B S 1982 Changes in inorganic and organic soil phosphorus fractions induced by cultivation practices and by laboratory incubations. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 46, 970–976.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jansson S L 1958 Tracer studies on nitrogen transformation in soil with special attention to mineralization-immobilization relationships. Annals Royal Agr. Coll., Sweden 24, 101–361

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Jansson S L and Persson J 1982 Mineralization and immobilization of soil nitrogen. In Nitrogen in Agricultural Soils. Ed. F J Stevenson. Agronomy No. 22, Amer. Soc. Agron. Inc., Madison, Wisconsin.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Jenkinson D C and Ladd J N 1981 Microbial biomass in soil. In Soil Biochemistry, Vol. 5, pp. 415–472. Eds. E A Paul and J N Ladd. Marcel Dekker, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Juma N G and Paul E A 1983 Effect of a nitrification inhibitor on N immobilization and release of 15N from nonexchangeable ammonium and microbial biomass. Can. J. Soil Sci. 62 (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kassim G, Stott D E, Martin J P and Haider K 1982 Stabilization and incorporation into biomass of phenolic and benzenoid carbons during biodegradation in soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 46,305–309.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kucey R L and Paul E A 1982 Carbon flow, photosynthesis and NZ fixation in mycorrhizal and nodulated faba beans Vicia faba. Soil Biol. Biochem. 14, 407–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ladd J N, Oades J M and Amato M 1981 Microbial biomass formed from ’4C, 15N-labelled plant material decomposing in soils in the field. Soil Biol. Biochem. 13, 119–126.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lal R and Kang B T 1982 Management of organic matter in soils of the tropics and subtropics. In Non-Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation and Organic Matter in the Tropics. Symposia Papers 1. Transactions of the 12th International Congress of Soil Science, New Delhi, India, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Lathwell D J and Bouldin D R 1981 Soil organic matter and soil nitrogen behaviours in cropped soils. Trop. Agric. (Trinidad) 58, 341–348.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Lynch J M and Panting L M 1980 Cultivation and the soil biomass. Soil Biol. Biochem. 12,29–33.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Malik K A and Haider K 1982 Decomposition of 14C-labelled melanoid fungal residues in a marginally sodic soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 14,457–460.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Marshman N A and Marshall K C 1981 Bacterial growth on proteins in the presence of clay minerals. Soil Biol. Biochem. 13, 127–134.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Martin J P, Zunino H, Peirano P, Caiozzi M and Haider K 1982 Decomposition of 14C-labelled lignins, model humic acid polymers, and fungal melanins in allophanic soils. Soil Biol. Biochem. 14, 289–293.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Marumoto T, Anderson J P E and Domsch K H 1982a Decomposition of 14C- and 15N-labelled microbial cells in soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 14, 461–467.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Marumoto T, Anderson J P E and Domsch K H 1982b Mineralization of nutrients from soil microbial biomass. Soil Biol. Biochem. 14, 469–475.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. McGill W B, Hunt H W, Woodmansee R G and Reuss J O 1981 Phoenix — A model of the dynamics of carbon and nitrogen in grassland soils. In Terrestrial Nitrogen Cycles. Processes, Ecosystem Strategies and Management Impacts. Eds. F E Clark and T Rosswall. Ecol. Bull. (Stockholm) 33, 237–247.

    Google Scholar 

  30. McGill W B and Paul E A 1976 Fractionation of soil and 15N turnover to separate the organic and clay interactions of immobilized N. Can. J. Soil Sci. 56, 203–212.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Melillo J M 1981 Nitrogen cycling in terrestrial forests. In Terrestrial Nitrogen Cycles. Processes, Ecosystem Strategies and Management Impacts. Eds. F E Clark and T Rosswall. Ecol. Bull. (Stockholm) 33, 427–442.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Molina JAW, Clapp C E, Shaffer M J, Chichester F W and Larson W E 1983 NCSOIL, a model of nitrogen and carbon transformations in soil: description, calibration, and behavior. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 47, 85–91.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Myers R J K, Campbell C A and Weier K L 1982 Quantitative relationship between net nitrogen mineralization and moisture content of soils. Can. J. Soil Sci. 62, 111–124.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Parton W J, Persson J and Anderson D W 1982 Simulation of soil organic matter changes in Swedish soils. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Ecological Modeling (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Paul E A and Juma N G 1981 Mineralization and immobilization of soil nitrogen by microorganisms. In Terrestrial Nitrogen Cycles. Processes, Ecosystems Strategies and Management Impacts. Eds. F E Clark and T Rosswall. Ecol. Bull. (Stockholm) 33, 179–204.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Payne W J and Wiebe W J 1978 Growth yield and efficiency in chemosynthetic microorganisms. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 32, 155–184.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Powers R 1982 Soil nitrogen mineralization under field conditions. Agron. Abstr. 1982, 270.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Powlson D S and Jenkinson D S 1981 A comparison of the organic matter, biomass, adenosine triphosphate and mineralizable nitrogen contents of ploughed and direct-drilled soils. J. Agric. Sci. Camb. 97, 713–721.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Reinertsen S A, Elliott L F, Cochran V L and Campbell G S 1983 The role of available carbon and nitrogen in determining the rate of wheat straw decomposition. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J (submitted).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Richter J, Nuske A, Habenicht W and Bauer J 1982 Optimized N-mineralization parameters of loess soils from incubation experiments. Plant and Soil 68, 379–388.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Rosswall T 1982 Microbiological regulation of the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. Plant and Soil 67, 15–34.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Ruggiero P, Interesse F S, Cassidei L and Sciacovelli O 1981 ‘H NMR and i.e. spectroscopic investigations on soil organic fractions obtained by gel chromatography. Soil Biol. Biochem. 13,361–366.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Sanchez P A 1982 Nitrogen in shifting cultivation systems in Latin America. Plant and Soil 67, 91–104.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Shields J A and Paul E A 1973 Decomposition of 14C-labelled plant material in soil under field conditions. Can. J. Soil Sci. 53, 279–306.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Sollins P, Spycher G and Glassman C 1983 Nitrogen dynamics of light-and heavy-fraction forest soil organic matter. Soil Biol. Biochem. (submitted).

    Google Scholar 

  46. Sorensen L H 1981 Carbon—nitrogen relationships during the humification of cellulose in soils containing different amounts of clay. Soil Biol. Biochem. 13, 313–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Sparling G P, Cheshire M V and Mundie C M 1982 Effect of barley plants on the decomposition of 14C-labelled soil organic matter. J. Soil Sci. 33, 89–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Spycher G and Young J L 1979 Water dispersable soil organic-mineral particles: 2. Inorganic amorphous and crystalline phases in density fractions of clay-sized particles. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 43, 328–332.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Stanford G and Smith S J 1972 Nitrogen mineralization potentials of soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 36, 465–472.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Stevenson F J 1982 Nitrogen in agricultural soils. Agronomy 22, Amer. Soc. Agron. Inc., Madison, Wisconsin.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Stewart J W B and McKercher R B 1981 Phosphorus cycle. In Experimental Microbial Ecology, Chapter 14. Eds. R G Burns and J H Slater. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  52. Tisdall J M and Oades J M 1982 Organic matter and water-stable aggregates in soils. J. Soil Sci. 33, 141–163.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Van Veen J A and Paul E A 1981 Organic carbon dynamics in grassland soils. 1. Background information and computer simulation. Can. J. Soil Sci. 61, 185–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Vogt K A, Grier C C, Meier C E and Edmonds R L 1982 Mycorrhizal role in net primary production and nutrient cycling in Abies amabilis ecosystems in western Washington U.S.A. Ecology 63, 370–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Voroney R P 1983 The dynamics of soil organic matter in field soils. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Saskatchewan.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Voroney R P and Paul E A 1983 Determination of Kc and Kn in situ for calibration of the chloroform fumigation incubation method. Soil Biol. Biochem. (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  57. Williams M R and Goh K M 1982 Changes in the molecular weight distribution of soil organic matter during humification. N.Z. J. Sci. 25, 335–340.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Zunino H, Borie F, Aguilera S, Martin J P and Haider K 1982 Decomposition of 14C-labelled glucose, plant and microbial products and phenols in volcanic ash-derived soils of Chile. Soil Biol. Biochem. 14, 37–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant and Soil Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    E. A. Paul

Authors
  1. E. A. Paul
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland

    J. Tinsley  & J. F. Darbyshire  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1984 Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Paul, E.A. (1984). Dynamics of organic matter in soils. In: Tinsley, J., Darbyshire, J.F. (eds) Biological Processes and Soil Fertility. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6101-2_24

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6101-2_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-6103-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-6101-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation