Where does carbon go during decomposition and decomposition of organic matter contribute to the development of soil acidity?
The decomposition of soil organic matter converts the complex carbon-based material largely into carbon dioxide which is largely lost to the atmosphere.
The decomposition of soil organic matter converts the complex carbon-based material largely into carbon dioxide which is largely lost to the atmosphere. hydroxyl groups contribute to rhizosphere increase in pH.
In constrast if cationic ammonium is absorped the release of a hydrogen will acidify the rhizospere.
In acid environments the use of nitrates will have a liming effect and ammonium or urea as well as sulfur will have an acidifying effect.
Frank Stevenson a mentor of mine and expert in soil organic matter suggested that the issue with soil organic matter is not its importance but its loss to the atmospshere is very limiting.
The ability of conversing more organic matter is found in clay cation organic matter complex.
Much of the clay and organic matter can be lost in a sandy soil but when the clay and organic matter are complexed they are more resistant to decay.
The clay and organic matter are largely anionic in overall charge and if not complexed they are easily lost to the water system and this does permit their key roles in production systems and the environment.
Multiple charged cations are able to flocculate the soluble clay and organic matter into a precipate masss and this benefits the materials to be conserved in the soil substrate.
In acid soils in particuliar the liming of the soil will promote an greatly improved soil system and the better physical chemical and biological operating of the system.
About one third of soils are overly acidic and one third are nearly optimal and another one third are alkaline or sodic in their nature.
In both alkaline and acidic soils adjusting the pH is effective in realizing gains. In both bases Calcium materials are important.
When the animals die, they decompose, and their remains become sediment, trapping the stored carbon in layers that eventually turn into rock or minerals. Some of this sediment might form fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, which release carbon back into the atmosphere when the fuel is burned. When these organisms die, the carbon remains locked in their bodies. Decomposers are able to break down this material and release carbon back into the atmosphere and the cycle can begin again. Without decomposers, the carbon would remain locked in dead organisms and could only be released through combustion. At the end of the food chain, decomposers break down these molecules and return carbon and nitrogen to the soil and air. “Cover crops” like clover, beans and peas, planted after the main crop is harvested, help soils take in carbon year-round, and can be plowed under the ground as “green manure” that adds more carbon to the soil. Farmers can also do less intensive tilling.Soils play a key role in the carbon cycle by soaking up carbon from dead plant matter. Plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and this is passed to the ground when dead roots and leaves decompose. Plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis and use it to build their roots, stems or leaves. Carbon is mainly transferred into the soil through the release of organic compounds into the soil by plant roots or through the decay of plant material or soil organisms when they die. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants assimilate carbon and return some of it to the atmosphere through respiration. The carbon that remains as plant tissue is then consumed by animals or added to the soil as litter when plants die and decompose. Decaying organic matter produces H+ which is responsible for acidity. The carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by decaying organic matter reacts with water in the soil to form a weak acid called carbonic acid. This is the same acid that develops when CO2 in the atmosphere reacts with rain to form acid rain naturally. As soil organisms decompose organic matter, nutrients are converted into simpler, inorganic (mineral) forms that plants can easily use. This process, called mineralization, provides much of the nitrogen that plants need by converting it from organic forms. In general, pH values in the topsoil are lower because topsoil is rich in organic matter and the decomposition of organic matter will lead to the production of more organic acids, thus lowering pH of topsoil. Natural processes tend to acidify soils. Base-forming cations are leached from soils, carbonic acid is formed from carbon dioxide, plant roots excrete organic acids, and decomposition produces acidic products.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Agricultural Science
- Horticulture