Abstract
Organic matter is one of the most reactive components in the soil due to its large amount and variety of chemical functional groups that can protonate and deprotonate, thus imparting additional charge to the soil. Soil organic matter (SOM) is also particularly reactive with organic molecules and contaminants. This chapter defines SOM and describes its properties. The role of SOM in the global carbon cycle and carbon sequestration and the transfer of carbon from different pools are discussed. The structure and composition of SOM with respect to specific compounds are examined as well as the differentiation between humic and nonhumic substances. Several models for the evolution of humic substances in the soil are presented, which describe the formation pathways (genesis) of SOM. Emphasis on organo-mineral associations is given, including examples utilizing high-resolution scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM). SOM surface functional groups and their charge characteristics are described.
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