Relationship between soil organic matter and micropores in a long-term experiment at Ultuna, Sweden

Abstract

Our study showed that long-term addition of organic matter to a fine textured soil (36.5% clay, 41% silt, 22.5% sand) resulted in an increase of both macro- and microporosity in the top soil layer. In terms of changes of the absolute pore volume, macropores were of main importance. However, in relative terms, the increase of microporosity was comparable to that of macroporosity (75% and 90%). Changes in porosity upon different organic matter levels had a marginal effect on the water storage capacity. Micropores with diameters in the range of 1-30 mu m were highly significantly correlated to soil organic matter characteristics showing that there is a non-uniform distribution in relation to pores. Mechanisms leading to disproportionally high concentrations of soil organic matter in relation to micropores are discussed.

Keywords

microporosity; biopores; soil organic matter; microbial biomass; occupation of surface area with microbes; animal manure; green manure; straw; sawdust; sewage sludge; peat

Published in

Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
1999, volume: 162, number: 5, pages: 493-498
Publisher: WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH

SLU Authors

• Kirchmann, Holger

  • Department of Soil Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Soil Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1522-2624(199910)162:5493::AID-JPLN493>3.0.CO;2-S

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/44216