New book chapter: Role of Carbonates in the Physical Stabilization of Soil Organic Matter in Agricultural Mediterranean Soils

Pleased to announce the recent publication of:

Virto, I., Anton, R., Apesteguia, M., Plante, A.F., 2018. Role of carbonates in the physical stabilization of soil organic matter in agricultural Mediterranean soils. available here.

This is Chapter 9 (pages 121-136) in the book Soil Management and Climate Change: Effects on Organic Carbon, Nitrogen Dynamics, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions edited by Maria Ángeles Muñoz and Raúl Zornoza and published by Academic Press (ISBN: 978-0-12-812128-3). The book provides a state of the art overview of recent findings and future research challenges regarding physical, chemical and biological processes controlling soil carbon, nitrogen dynamic and greenhouse gas emissions from soils.

Our chapter focuses on the role of carbonates as indirect agents of the physical stabilization of organic C through their impact on soil structure. We describe a series of studies conducted in northern Spain to examine the particularities of carbonate-rich soil horizons in terms of structure development and stabilization. Through a series of studies, we propose a set of hypotheses to explain the relationship between soil mineralogy, soil architecture, and organic matter protection in carbonate-rich soils.

PhD fellowship opportunities available

The Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Laboratory in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science of the University of Pennsylvania invites applicants for competitive Ph.D. fellowships in one of two research areas: Soil carbon biogeochemistry: Projects seek to quantify and characterize the recalcitrant pools of pyrogenic and geogenic carbon in soils. We’ll examine chemical transformations and dissolution as mechanisms controlling their fate in the critical zone. Urban biogeochemistry: New and evolving research projects to study the biogeochemical functioning of urban ecosystems with emphasis on cycling and storage of carbon and nutrients. Positions are ideal for candidates who have completed an MSc in soil science, geosciences, environmental chemistry, ecosystem science or related fields, but outstanding BSc graduates in such programs will be considered. For further information, please contact Dr. Alain Plante by email (aplante@sas.upenn.edu) or consult the department website (www.sas.upenn.edu/earth). Applications can be submitted directly online (https://www.applyweb.com/upenng/) before December 15.

Recently published: 14C mean residence time and its relationship with thermal stability and molecular composition of soil organic matter: A case study of deciduous and coniferous forest types

Recently published: 14C mean residence time and its relationship with thermal stability and molecular composition of soil organic matter: A case study of deciduous and coniferous forest types

Happy to announce the recent publication of:

Ohno T, KA Heckman, AF Plante, IJ Fernandez, TB Parr. 2017. 14C mean residence time and its relationship with thermal stability and molecular composition of soil organic matter: A case study of deciduous and coniferous forest types. Geoderma doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.08.023 This collaborative project with Stom Ohno and colleagues from the University of Maine investigated the influence of forest type and soil depth on SOM stability, and found that the mean residence time of soil organic matter was greater for a deciduous forest soil compared with a coniferous forest soil, and speculated that extractable metal (oxy)hydroxide minerals were C-saturated in coniferous, but not deciduous soils.

 

Just published: Iron-mediated mineralogical control of organic matter accumulation in tropical soils

Happy to announce the publication of:

Coward, E.K., Thompson, A.T., and A.F. Plante (2017) Iron-mediated mineralogical control of organic matter accumulation in tropical soils Geoderma doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.07.026. This project was part of Elizabeth Coward’s PhD dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania. She used inorganic selective dissolution experiments for direct quantification of Fe-bound C. Results suggest that low-molecular weight complexations dominate Fe-C associations in Luquillo soils, and mass balance analyses suggest Fe-associated pool of C is limited (< 50% total C). The predominance of Fe-C associations as the principal stabilization may thus be overestimated in these soils.

 

Madison and the SSA

Madison and the SSA

In our our ongoing video series, “What are you doing today?“, undergraduate research assistant Madison Bell-Rosof explains why measure the specific surface area of soil samples.