Labile soil organic matter pools under a mixed grass/lucerne pasture and adjacent native bush in Western Australia
A. J. Macdonald A E , D. V. Murphy B , N. Mahieu C and I. R. P. Fillery DA Soil Science Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ, UK.
B School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, UK.
D Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation, PO Box Wembley, WA 6193, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: andy.macdonald@bbsrc.ac.uk
Australian Journal of Soil Research 45(5) 333-343 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR06133
Submitted: 27 August 2006 Accepted: 14 June 2007 Published: 16 August 2007
Abstract
Total C and N were measured in whole soils (0–0.15, 0.15–0.35, and 0.35–0.65 m), light organic matter fractions (<1 g/cm3 (LF 1.0) and 1.0–1.7 g/cm3 (LF 1.7)) in surface soils, and in leaf litter collected from a mixed grass/lucerne pasture and adjacent native bush at Moora, Western Australia. The C content of the plant material and light fractions was characterised by 13C cross-polarisation/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (13C CP/MAS NMR) spectroscopy. Water-extractable organic C (WEOC) and N (WEON) were measured in soil, and dissolved organic C (DOC) and N (DON) were measured in soil solutions. In addition, both NO3-N and NH4-N (SMN) were measured in soil solutions and water extracts.
Total soil C (0–0.65 m) did not differ significantly between land uses, but there was clear evidence of N enrichment under the pasture system, which contained significantly (P < 0.05) more total N in the surface soil (0–0.15 m) compared with that under native bush. The significantly (P < 0.05) smaller C/N ratios of the surface soil, plant litter, and light fractions (LF 1.0 and 1.7) under the pasture provided further evidence of N enrichment. The 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra for plant material and light fractions did not differ greatly between landuses, but in both cases the O-alkyl : alkyl carbon ratio declined with increasing density. The decomposition and subsequent mineralisation of the relatively N-rich organic matter fractions in the pasture system may have contributed to the significantly (P < 0.05) greater DOC, DON, and SMN concentration measured in soil solutions under pasture compared with those under native bush.
Additional keywords: 13C CP/MAS NMR, dissolved organic matter, extractable organic matter, light fraction.
Acknowledgments
The work of A. Macdonald was supported in part by a fellowship from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development under the Co-operative research programme on Biological Resources Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems. D. V. Murphy was supported by an Australian Grains Research and Development Corporation Research Fellowship. Rothamsted Research receives grant-aided support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom. Additional support was provided by the UK Natural Environmental Research Council. We thank Nui Milton for assistance with the analytical work.
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