Free light fraction carbon and nitrogen, a physically uncomplexed soil organic matter distribution within subtropical grass and leucaena–grass pastures
K. A. Conrad A , R. C. Dalal
A C , D. E. Allen A B , R. Fujinuma A and Neal W. Menzies A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
B Department of Environment and Science, Dutton Park, Brisbane, Qld 4102, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: r.dalal@uq.edu.au
Soil Research 56(8) 820-828 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR18162
Submitted: 8 June 2018 Accepted: 26 September 2018 Published: 1 November 2018
Abstract
Quantifying the size and turnover of physically uncomplexed soil organic matter (SOM) is crucial for the understanding of nutrient cycling and storage of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the C and nitrogen (N) dynamics of SOM fractions in leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala)–grass pastures remains unclear. We assessed the potential of leucaena to sequester labile, free light fraction (fLF) C and N in soil by estimating the origin, quantity and vertical distribution of physically unprotected SOM. The soil from a chronosequence of seasonally grazed leucaena stands (0–40 years) was sampled to a depth of 0.2 m and soil and fLF were analysed for organic C, N and δ13C and δ15N. On average, the fLF formed 20% of SOC and 14% of total N stocks in the upper 0.1 m of soil from leucaena rows and showed a peak of fLF-C and fLF-N stocks in the 22-year-stand. The fLF δ13C and fLF δ15N values indicated that leucaena produced 37% of fLF-C and 28% of fLF-N in the upper 0.1 m of soil from leucaena rows. Irrespective of pasture type or soil depth, the majority of fLF-C originated from the accompanying C4 pasture-grass species. This study suggests that fLF-C and fLF-N, the labile SOM, can form a significant portion of total SOM, especially in leucaena–grass pastures.
Additional keywords: δ13C values, labile fraction, legume–grass pastures, Leucaena leucocephala, soil organic carbon, total soil nitrogen.
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