How does organic matter in soil affect the carbon cycle and practices that influence the amount of organic matter?
@ RK, Organic matter in soil may have approximately 60% carbon, therefore, they have the determinant soil global carbon cycle. When soil is tilled, it is aerated, as the decomposition of organic matter and the liberation of carbon are aerobic process, the oxygen speeds up the action of soil microbes, which feed on organic matter that way it influence the amount of organic matter.
Soil holds the largest portion of active carbon on earth. Plants take carbon from the air and convert it to plant tissue, some of which returns to the soil as plant residue. Carbon is critical to soil function and productivity, and a main component of and contributor to healthy soil conditions. Because soil organic matter contains around 60% carbon, it is the defining factor in soil's influence on the global carbon cycle. With around 1 500 billion tonnes of carbon found in the organic matter in soil worldwide, soils are the second largest active store of carbon after the oceans (40 000 billion tonnes). The primary way that carbon is stored in the soil is as soil organic matter (SOM). SOM is a complex mixture of carbon compounds, consisting of decomposing plant and animal tissue, microbes and carbon associated with soil minerals. Soil organic matter significantly improves the soil's capacity to store and supply essential nutrients, and to retain toxic elements. It allows the soil to cope with changes in soil acidity, and helps soil minerals to decompose faster. Organic matter is primarily made up of carbon (58%), with the remaining mass consisting of water and other nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium. Carbon is the largest and easiest component of organic matter to measure and as a result SOC is typically measured and reported in a standard soil test. Tillage, crop rotation and manuring practices all can have profound effects on the amount of soil organic matter. The amount of organic matter in a soil is the result of all the additions and losses of organic materials that have occurred over the years.Reducing tillage, retention of crop residue in the field, increasing root biomass production, incorporation of some crop residue for irrigated continuous corn, and manure use are addressed as practices for increasing SOM.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Statistics
- Survey