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Variation in amounts of carbon and nitrogen associated with particle size fractions of soils from the Palace Leas meadow hay plots
Author(s) -
SHIEL R. S.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 0022-4588
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1986.tb00026.x
Subject(s) - soil water , hay , organic matter , nitrogen , total organic carbon , particle size , fraction (chemistry) , chemistry , carbon fibers , soil carbon , grassland , soil organic matter , soil science , mineralogy , environmental chemistry , agronomy , environmental science , chromatography , organic chemistry , mathematics , composite number , biology , algorithm
SUMMARY An increase in carbon (C) content of one of the more acid Palace Leas meadow hay plots (pH 4.0) is shown to occur in the >63 pm size fraction, while there is a reduction in organic matter associated with clay size fraction relative to a less acid plot (pH 5.8). Total nitrogen (N) content also is higher on the more acid plot, but the increase is smaller than for carbon, and leads to a wider overall C:N ratio in the acid plot. The lower N accumulation in the more acid plot is due to the relative increase in coarse (> 2 mm) organic matter, with a high C:N ratio. The technique used for separation of the particle size fractions does not involve removal of coarse organic matter (> 2 mm) or drying of the soil. In the grassland soils studied, coarse organic matter is a significant component (up to 13%) of total C, yet this fraction is frequently removed before analysis. By not drying the soil, separation into particle size fractions is facilitated.