Journal
CATENA
Volume 74, Issue 3, Pages 205-211Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2008.03.003
Keywords
soil water repellency; FTIR spectroscopy; soil organic matter; thermal decomposition
Funding
- Natural Environment Research Council [NER/J/S/2002/00662] Funding Source: researchfish
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The heat generated during wildfires often leads to increases in soil water repellency. Above a Critical heating threshold, however, its destruction occurs, Although the temperature thresholds for repellency destruction are relatively well established, little is known about the specific changes in the soil organic matter that are responsible for repellency destruction. Here we report on the analysis of initially water repellent surface soil samples (Dystric Cambisol, 0-5 cm depth) by transmission Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis before and after destruction of its water repellency by heating to 225 degrees C in order to investigate heating-induced changes in soil organic matter (SOM) composition. Although assignment of absorption bands is made difficult by overlapping of some bands, it was possible to distinguish bands relevant for hydrophobicity of SOM in the soil before heat treatment. The most significant decrease in absorbance following water repellency destruction took place in the frequency area corresponding to stretching vibrations of aliphatic Structures within SOM. The results suggest that besides a general decrease of SOM content during heating, the loss of soil water repellence is primarily caused by the selective degradation of aliphatic structures. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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