Soil texture analysis revisited: Removal of organic matter matters more than ever
Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: Exact estimates of soil clay (<2 μm) and silt (2-20 μm) contents are crucial as these size fractions impact key soil functions, and as pedotransfer concepts based on clay and silt contents are becoming increasingly abundant. We examined the effect of removing soil organic matter (SOM) by H2O2 before soil dispersion and determination of clay and silt. Soil samples with gradients in SOM were retrieved from three long-term field experiments each with uniform soil mineralogy and texture. For soils with less than 2 g C 100 g-1 minerals, clay estimates were little affected by SOM. Above this threshold, underestimation of clay increased dramatically with increasing SOM content. Silt contents were systematically overestimated when SOM was not removed; no lower SOM threshold was found for silt, but the overestimation was more pronounced for finer textured soils. When exact estimates of soil particles <20 μm are needed, SOM should always be removed before soil dispersion.
Source: PLoS ONE
Institutions: Aarhus University, Rothamsted Research
Language: English
Topic: Soil and Unsaturated Flow
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Awards: The Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments including Sample Archive and e-RA database, G1615041336, G2230264414, G3186568856, G5156946499, The Rothamsted Long - Term Experiments - National Capability, Soil resource interactions, Distributed Infrastructure for EXPErimentation in Ecosystem Research, G6489183225
OpenAlex ID: W2620008399