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Organic sulfur forms in mineral top soils of the Marsh in Schleswig‐Holstein, Northern Germany
Author(s) -
Mansfeldt Tim,
Blume HansPeter
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2624(200206)165:3<255::aid-jpln255>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - environmental chemistry , organic matter , soil water , sulfur , salt marsh , total organic carbon , sulfate , chemistry , marsh , anoxic waters , environmental science , geology , ecology , soil science , oceanography , organic chemistry , wetland , biology
Little is known about the nature of organic sulfur (S) in soils of the Marsh in Schleswig‐Holstein, Northern Germany. In addition to total and inorganic S, we determined two organic S fractions (ester sulfate‐sulfur and carbon‐bonded sulfur) in 14 aerated mineral top horizons of two salt marshes and ten dyked polder soils of different age. All soils developed from marine sediments. Total S concen‐trations ranged from 153 to 950 mg kg —1 . Organic S was the main S constituent (range from 53 to 99% with a median of 97%). Higher inorganic S levels were found only in the salt marshes due to soluble sulfate (15 to 47%). The younger marsh soils (salt marshes and soils of a polder dyked in 1978) had unique high S contents of 0.9 to 2.4% in their organic matter, whereas the S contents of the organic matter in older marsh soils were at only 0.6%. This S‐rich organic matter is a heritage of a former anoxic marine environment. In most horizons the carbon‐bonded S was the dominant sulfur form. However, both carbon‐bonded S and ester sulfate‐S did not relate to soil age. This limits the benefit of the wet chemical fractionation procedure used for studying the fate of organic S in marsh soils.