HR: 08:30h
AN: B51E-02 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Chemical Nature and Turnover of Carbon Associated with Diagnostic Aggregate Fractions
AU: * Six, J
EM: jwsix@ucdavis.edu
AF: University of California, Department of Plant Sciences, Davis, CA 95616 United States
AB: Recently, many studies have shown the importance of aggregation in controlling soil organic C dynamics and storage. Nevertheless, very few studies have characterized the chemical nature of aggregated associated C fractions to elucidate the origin and degree of microbial alteration of these C fractions. Here, I summarize several studies employing biomarker analyses for plant-derived lignin, bacterial-derived muramic acid, and fungal-derived glucosamine to aggregate associated C fractions. A comparison of different particulate organic matter (POM) fractions indicated that fine POM occluded within microaggregates-within-macroaggregates (mM) had the greatest amino sugar content, greatest ratio of glucosamine over muramic acid, and lowest phenolic CuO oxidation products. The latter result suggest that the fine POM is the most degraded POM fraction, which was confirmed by C isotope analyses. However, side chain oxidation of lignin compounds of fine POM was intermediate, suggesting an average microbial alteration of lignin. These results suggest a significant microbial contribution, especially fungal, to this relative older C fraction protected within the mM. Carbon and isotopic analyses of the mM confirmed that this structural unit within the soil protects C from fast decomposition and facilitates the long-term stabilization of C in undisturbed soil. Furthermore, amino sugar analyses indicated that microbial-derived C is stabilized in the mM, due primarily to a greater fungal-mediated improvement of soil structural stability and concurrent deposition of fungal-derived C. In conclusion, the characterizing the chemical nature and turnover of aggregate associated C fractions elucidated that the mM fraction plays an important role in the long term stabilization of C and seems to be an ideal indicator or diagnostic fraction for C sequestration potential in soils.
DE: 1615 Biogeochemical processes (4805)
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting