Linking Soil Organic Matter Composition To Physical And Geochemical Properties In Soil; Understanding Implications For Organic Matter Transport
Bowman, Margaret M 1 ; SanClements, Michael 2
1 Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder ENVS, INSTAAR
2 National Ecological Observatory Network
Soils collected from 16 of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) sites were extracted with cold and hot water sequentially and analyzed for molecular composition at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) using a FT-ICR-MS. The molecular composition of the cold water and hot water compounds will be compared to determine if there are any extraction specific compounds. The relative composition of O:C and H:C will be compared to the soil physical properties (moisture, temperature, texture), chemical properties (pH, salinity), and geospatial information (soil order, vegetation class, and climate regime) to further our understanding of the influence of proximal and distal controls on soil organic matter (SOM) composition and stability. Using a linear model we can determine which soil properties contribute to the SOM composition in soils across a diverse set of ecosystems. This work represents preliminary findings from one aspect of a large collaborative effort aimed at testing the current evolving paradigm of SOM stability. Furthermore, this work will contribute to our understanding of the movement of dissolved organic matter (DOM) across the terrestrial-aquatic interface and provide a framework for factors controlling DOM composition.