Abstract
As soil organic carbon is central to the functioning of all soils, we require a more fundamental understanding of the climatic and management factors which influence its storage and persistence. The interest in carbon storage and sequestration has focused attention on changes in soil organic carbon across different regions, climates and management systems. The major components of soil organic carbon have different physical and chemical properties. A greater understanding of the quantities and composition of these different components is required to gain an insight into the relative contributions soil organic carbon can make to soil productivity. Whilst the texture and structure of the soil has an overriding influence on the capacity to store soil carbon, management options more often influence the actual soil organic carbon content. This chapter addresses the function of soil organic carbon in farming systems, including the role of specific fractions in key soil processes.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
See Glossary.
- 2.
This chapter uses the Australian Soil Classification see http://www.clw.csiro.au/aclep/asc_re_on_line/soilhome.htm.
References
Anderson DW, Paul EA (1984) Organo-mineral complexes and their study by radiocarbon dating. Soil Sci Soc Am J 48:298–301
Baldock JA, Smernik RJ (2002) Chemical composition and bioavailability of thermally altered Pinus resinosa red pine, wood. Org Geochem 33:1093–1109
Blair N, Faulkner RD, Till AR, Crocker GJ (2006) Long-term management impacts on soil C, N and physical fertility: part III: Tamworth crop rotation experiment. Soil Tillage Res 91:48–56
Chan KY, Heenan DP (2005) The effects of stubble burning and tillage on soil carbon sequestration and crop productivity in southeastern Australia. Soil Use Manage 21:427–431
Cookson WR, Abaye DA, Marschner P, Murphy DV, Stockdale EA, Keith WT (2005) The contribution of soil organic matter fractions to carbon and nitrogen mineralization and microbial community size and structure. Soil Biol Biochem 37:1726–1737
Grayston SJ, Campbell CD, Bardgett RD, Mawdsley JL, Clegg CD, Ritz K, Griffiths BS, Rodwell JS, Edwards SJ, Davies WJ, Elstone DJ, Millarda P (2004) Assessing shifts in microbial community structure across a range of grasslands of differing management intensity using CLPP, PLFA and community DNA techniques. Appl Soil Ecol 25:63–84
Haynes RJ (2005) Labile organic matter fractions as central components of the quality of agricultural soils: an overview. Adv Agron 85:221–268
Hoyle FC, Murphy DV (2006) Seasonal changes in microbial function and diversity associated with stubble retention versus burning. Aust J Soil Res 44:407–423
Ingram JSI, Fernandes ECM (2001) Managing carbon sequestration in soils: concepts and terminology. Agric Ecosyst Environ 87:111–117
Jones DL, Hodge A, Kuzyakov Y (2004) Plant and mycorrhizal regulation of rhizodeposition. New Phytol 163(3):459–480
Jones DL, Healey JR, Willet VB, Farrar JF, Hodge A (2005) Dissolved organic nitrogen uptake by plants – an important N uptake pathway? Soil Biol Biochem 37(3):413–423
Kay B, Angers DA (1999) Soil structure. In: Sumner ME (ed) Handbook of soil science. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp A-229–A-276
Krull ES, Skjemstad JO, Baldock JA (2004) Functions of soil organic matter and the effect on soil properties. GRDC report, Project CSO 00029
Lieth H (1975) Modelling the primary productivity of the world. In: Lieth H, Whittaker RH (eds.) Primary productivity of the biosphere. Springer, Berlin, pp 237–263
Macdonald AJ, Murphy DV, Mahieu N, Fillery IRP (2007) Labile soil organic matter pools under a mixed grass/lucerne pasture and adjacent native bush in Western Australia. Aust J Soil Res 45:333–343
McLauchlan KK, Hobbie SE (2004) Comparison of labile soil organic matter fractionation techniques. Soil Sci Soc Am J 68:1616–1625
Shen SM, Hart PBS, Powlson DS, Jenkinson DS (1989) The nitrogen cycle in the Broadbalk wheat experiment: 15N-labelled fertilizer residues in the soil and in the soil microbial biomass. Soil Biol Biochem 21:529–533
Skjemstad JO, Clarke P, Taylor JA, Oades JM, Mcclure SG (1996) The chemistry and nature of protected carbon in soil. Aust J Soil Res 34:251–271
Skjemstad JO, Taylor JA, Janik LJ, Marvanek P (1999) Soil organic carbon dynamics under long-term sugarcane monoculture. Aust J Soil Res 37:151–164
Skjemstad JO, Dalal RC, Janik LJ, McGowan JA (2001) Changes in chemical nature of soil organic carbon in Vertisols under wheat in south-eastern Queensland. Aust J Soil Res 39:343–359
Sohi SP, Mahieu N, Arah JRM, Powlson DS, Madari B, Gaunt JL (2001) A procedure for isolating soil organic matter fractions suitable for modelling. Soil Sci Soc Am J 65:1121–1128
Sollins P, Spycher G, Glassman CA (1984) Net nitrogen mineralization from light-fraction and heavy fraction forest soil organic matter. Soil Biol Biochem 16:31–37
Spain AV, Isbell RF, Probert ME (1983) Soil organic matter. In: Soils – an Australian viewpoint, CSIRO/Academic Press, Melbourne/London, pp 551–563
Stine MA, Weil RR (2002) The relationship between soil quality and crop productivity across three tillage systems in south central Honduras. Am J Altern Agric 17:2–8
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hoyle, F.C., Baldock, J.A., Murphy, D.V. (2011). Soil Organic Carbon – Role in Rainfed Farming Systems. In: Tow, P., Cooper, I., Partridge, I., Birch, C. (eds) Rainfed Farming Systems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9132-2_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9132-2_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-9131-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-9132-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)