Stability-energy relationships and their application to aggregation studies

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop a method to describe aggregate stability-energy relationships using ultrasonic dispersion and to examine the role played by carbohydrate in soil aggregation. Aggregate size fractions (ASF) from three soils were sonified, and dispersed clay and solubilized carbohydrate measured at energy levels ranging from 0 to 1000 kJ L−1. Study soils included an Orthic Black, Orthic Dark Gray, and Orthic Gray Luvisol, representing the change from a prairie ecosystem to an aspen-forest ecosystem. Ultrasonic dispersion of aggregated clay resulted in characteristic "stability curves" for each ASF which obeyed a first-order decay curve and provided two parameters describing the release of clay from soil aggregates with increasing levels of applied energy: the "stability constant" k and the E1/2 value, which are analogous to a first-order rate constant and half-life, respectively. E1/2 values ranged from 51 to 502 kJ L−1.These values were smallest for the Ae horizon of the Orthic Gray Luvisol and greatest for the macroaggregates of the Ahe horizon of the Orthic Dark Gray. Carbohydrates solubilized upon aggregate destruction generally constituted a minor proportion (10%) of the total ASF carbohydrate, indicating that most of the carbohydrate was strongly adsorbed to surfaces. The development of a stability-energy relationship for aggregates provides a means to study the role of binding agents, such as carbohydrate, in the aggregation process. Key words: Aggregates, ultrasonic dispersion, clay, carbohydrate