Organic Carbon Sequestration Across Soil Aggregates of Morphologically Different Soils
Keywords:
Calcisol, Cambisol, Chernozem, soil organic matter, soil structureAbstract
Soil organic matter (SOM) and its incorporation into soil aggregates play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, which is essential for sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation. This study focuses on the influence of different soil types on soil structure and the capacity of soil aggregates to retain carbon. The objectives were: (1) to compare soil structure across different soil types, (2) to quantify the content of SOM in size-fractions of aggregates, and (3) to identify relationships between SOM and individual size-fractions of aggregates. The research was conducted in a field at Dražovce near Nitra city (western Slovakia). Samples from the Ap and A horizons of four soil profiles were analyzed for aggregate size-distribution, carbon contents (C), and the carbon sequestration index (KSC). The results indicated that Cambisol exhibited the highest aggregate stability, while Chernozems showed the highest SOM content but the lowest KSC. Calcisol demonstrated the greatest sequestration potential. Aggregate stability was positively correlated with the content of labile carbon, particularly in medium-sized macroaggregates (1–5 mm). These findings highlight the complex interactions between aggregate size, structural stability, and their capacity to sequester carbon.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Vladimír Šimanský, Martin Juriga Juriga
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