Filter, inoculum and time effects on measurements of biodegradable water soluble organic carbon in soil

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry 2002-05, Vol.34 (5), p.737-739
• Main Authors: Schnabel, R.R., Dell, C.J., Shaffer, J.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biodegradable organic carbon; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon measurement; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Filtration methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Organic matter; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Soil organic carbon; Soil science; Water soluble carbon
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/S0038-0717(01)00223-1

The biodegradation of organic carbon drives biogeochemical cycles. Incubations of water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) are popular tests for determining the amount of readily biodegradable organic carbon. However, tests differ in length of incubation, filtration prior to incubation, and method of incubation. We compared the fraction of biodegradable water soluble organic carbon (BWSOC) in soil by varying these factors. With all combinations, WSOC decreased to a minimum during the first 6 days then consistently increased at the later stages of the incubation. The mean BWSOC content of the soils ranged from 0.13 to 3.54, and depended on the length of the incubation and the combination of filters used before and after incubation. Similar amounts of BWSOC were measured during aerobic and anaerobic incubations.