The dynamics of organic matter in rock fragments in soil investigated by <sup>14</sup>C dating and measurements of <sup>13</sup>C
- Agnelli, A.
- Trumbore, S.
- Corti, G.
- Ugolini, F.
DOIAbstract
Rock fragments in soil can contain significant amounts of organic carbon. We investigated the nature and dynamics of organic matter in rock fragments in the upper horizons of a forest soil derived from sandstone and compared them with the fine earth fraction (<2 mm). The organic C content and its distribution among humic, humin and non-humic fractions, as well as the isotopic signatures (&UDelta;(14) C and δC-13) of organic carbon and Of CO2 produced during incubation of samples, all show that altered rock fragments contain a dynamic component of the carbon cycle. Rock fragments, especially the highly altered ones, contributed 4.5% to the total organic C content in the soil. The bulk organic matter in both fine earth and highly altere...
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