No isotopic evidence for a differential mineralization of old soil organic matter in sandy, nutrient-poor, tropical soils under eucalypts and acacias

Abstract

An increase in soil N availability by Acacia mangium in pure or mixed-species stands may reduce soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization compared to eucalypt stands. We measured the isotope composition (δ13C) of coarse particulate organic matter (cPOM, 4–0.25 mm), of fine POM (fPOM, 0.25–0.05 mm) and of the remaining organo-mineral fraction (OMF, <0.05 mm), and of the forest floor in plantations established on a tropical C4-grass savannah. In contrast to our hypothesis, the presence of acacia either alone or in mixture did not impact δ13C of the most stable SOM fractions derived from the previous savannah vegetation, which suggests similar rates of native SOM mineralization under acacia and eucalypt trees.