4.7 Article

Labile and Stable Fractions of Organic Carbon in a Soil Catena (the Central Forest Nature Reserve, Russia)

Journal

FORESTS
Volume 14, Issue 7, Pages -

Publisher

MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/f14071367

Keywords

decomposition processes; total organic carbon; plant litter; forest soils; carbon cycling; boreal ecosystems

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In a mixed coniferous-deciduous forest, the effect of site-specific soil-forming factors on plant debris and SOC properties was investigated in a soil catena with Retisols and Stagnosols. It was found that SOC mostly accumulated in the forest litter and histic horizons of Stagnosols at the footslope positions. The location of the soil in the catena affects the partition and characteristics of SOC in umbric and albic soil horizons.
The composition of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important soil quality indicator. We investigated the effect of site-specific soil-forming factors on plant debris and SOC properties along a soil catena with Retisols and Stagnosols in a mixed coniferous-deciduous forest. We examined sites at the summit and middle slope positions with relatively well-aerated soils and sites at footslope positions with waterlogged soils. The concentrations of labile and stable pools of SOC were determined using the method of three-stage chemodestruction. The degree of litter decomposition was calculated, and ash content was determined in the folic and histic soil horizons. The results of our study showed that SOC mostly accumulated in the forest litter and histic horizons of Stagnosols at the footslope positions. The forest litter, folic, and histic horizons were dominated by labile carbon. Equal concentrations of labile and stable carbon were typical of the mineral horizons. The location of the soil in the catena affects the partition and characteristics of SOC in umbric and albic soil horizons. SOC was found to be more stable in the soils at the footslope positions compared to the soils in other locations, because of the lower decomposition of plant remains. Larger stocks of organic carbon, including labile carbon, were restricted to the footslope catena positions.

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