Study of Humification of Soil Organic Matter in a Lowland Area

Abstract

The drainage process of organic soils can significantly alter the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) because, among other things, it promotes oxygenation of speeding through microbial activity. Spectroscopic techniques such as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) have been used in the study of humification of organic matter without the need for fractionating samples chemically or physically. The use of these techniques allows obtaining information free of the effects caused by fractioning. In this work, the EPR and LIF techniques were used to study the degree of humification of SOM from non-fractioned soil samples, collected in a lowland area at three levels and with different historical usage.