Labile Soil Carbon as an Indicator of Soil Organic Matter Quality in the Province of Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

AbstractLabile carbon fractions such as particulate organic carbon (POC) and hot-water-extractable organic carbon (HWOC) are pools of soil carbon that undergo significant transformation and could therefore serve as an indicator of changes in the quality and quantity of soil organic carbon (SOC). They represent 1–5% of the total organic matter and comprise a heterogeneous mixture of materials. The aim of this study was to assess the labile carbon pool change in relation to soil type and management. The procedure involves labile carbon extraction by separation in water or liquids with adjusted density following the aspiration of organic matter from the surface of an aqueous suspension. Our data demonstrated that the land use systems had a predominant effect on the organic matter stabilisation. This study showed that non-arable land use systems were higher in labile carbon, mostly due to lower microbiological activity. In arable soils, management practices have a significant influence on both labile fractions. Preserving the soil organic carbon would require the retention of crop residue in combination with judicious fertilisation. Our result could contribute to a better understanding of SOC fractions’ relevance in the Province of Vojvodina related to the cropping management, and could help select cropping practices for better SOC preservation.KeywordsSoil organic carbonLabile carbonLand useSoil degradation