Mineralization rate of eroded organic C in Andosols of the Canary Islands.
The aim of this paper is to determine the biological dynamism of the organic C forms bonded to soil particles mobilized by water erosion in Andosols of the Canary Islands, to evaluate their susceptibility towards mineralization processes and the role of sediments as sources or sinks of atmospheric CO(2) in these soils. The study was carried out in Tenerife (Canary Islands) on three 200 m(2) experimental plots of the RESEL Programme on silic Andosols under forest, 3 years after being subjected to clear-cutting. Eroded sediments were collected for analysis from five significant winter rainfall episodes. For each event, samples of surface (0-5 cm) soil in situ were also collected. CO(2)-C was measured by incubation in all the samples, as well as microbial biomass-linked C. The results obtained show an enrichment in the eroded sediments of microbial biomass (7.5+/-1.6 g kg(-1) vs. 3.8+/-1.5 g kg(-1)) and of potentially mineralizable C (1419 mg CO(2)-C kg(-1) vs. 386 mg CO(2)-C kg(-1)). In addition, there was twice as much mineralization of C compounds in eroded sediments as in the soil surface horizon.
Mora
Juan Luis
JL
Departamento de Edafología y Geología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n 38204 La Laguna, Tenerife, I. Canarias, Spain.
Guerra
José Asterio
JA
Armas
Cecilia María
CM
Rodríguez-Rodríguez
Antonio
A
Arbelo
Carmen Dolores
CD
Notario
Jesús Santiago
JS
D001266:Atlantic Islands; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology; D011891:Rain; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014872:Water Movements
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon