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Organic Carbon Sorption and Decomposition in Selected Global Soils

Dataset ·

This data set reports the results of lab-scale experiments conducted to investigate the dynamics of organic carbon (C) decomposition from several soils from temperate, tropical, arctic, and sub-arctic environments. Results were used to test the newly developed soil microbe decomposition C model--Microbial-ENzyme-medicated Decomposition (MEND). We conducted a series of laboratory-scale experiments to better understand the microbial processing of organic C in response to diverse substrates and soil types, and to provide data to create an improved mechanistic model of cycling of organic C in soils. The interaction of diverse substrate types on a global suite of soils was determined in batch sorption experiments and the microbial decomposition of these compounds was determined by long-term incubation experiments. We used radiocarbon labeling approach in order to study the turnover of added substrate C through different C pools and to separately quantify the respiration of substrate C and native soil organic carbon.

Research Organization:
ORNLTESSFA (Oak Ridge National Lab's Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Scientific Focus Area (ORNL TES SFA))
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23). Climate and Environmental Sciences Division
DOE Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1389508
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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