Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microbial Response to Charcoal Amendments of Highly Weathered Soils and Amazonian Dark Earths in Central Amazonia — Preliminary Results

  • Chapter
Amazonian Dark Earths: Explorations in Space and Time

Abstract

The abundance of charcoal and highly aromatic humic substances in Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE) suggests that residues of incomplete combustion of organic material (black carbon, pyrogenic carbon, charcoal) are a key factor for the persistence of soil organic matter (SOM) in ADE soils which contain up to 70 times more black carbon than the surrounding soils (Glaser et al. 2001). 13C-NMR studies showed that the only chemical structures that appear to survive decomposition processes are mostly due to finely divided charcoal (Skjemstad 2001). Generally, in highly weathered tropical soils, SOM and especially charcoal play a key role in maintaining soil fertility (Glaser et al. 2001, 2002).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Anderson JPE, Domsch KH (1978) A physiological method for the quantitative measurement of microbial biomass in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 10:125–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck T, Bengel A (1992) Die mikrobielle Biomasse in Böden, Teil II. Schule und Beratung (SuB) 2: III-1–III-5

    Google Scholar 

  • Braida WJ, Pignatello JJ, Lu YF, Rovikovitch PI, Neimark AV, Xing BS (2003) Sorption hysteresis of benzene in charcoal particles. Environ Sci Technol 37(2):409–417

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fageria NK (ed) (1998) Manejo da Calagem e Adubacao do Arroz. Tecnologia para o arroz de terras altas. Embrapa Arroz e Feijao, Santo Antonio de Goias, 67–79 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1990) Soil map of the world. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer Z, Bienkowski P (1999) Some remarks about the effect of smoke from charcoal kilns on soil degradation. Environ Monit Assess 58(3):349–358

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Förster B, Farias M (2000) Microbial respiration and biomass. In: Beck L (ed) Soil fauna and litter decomposition in primary and secondary forests and a mixed culture system in Amazonia. Final report of project SHIFT ENV 52 (BMBF no 0339675). Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Karlsruhe, pp 59–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser B, Balashov E, Haumaier L, Guggenberger G, Zech W (2000) Black carbon in density fractions of anthropogenic soils of the Brazilian Amazon region. Organic Geochem 31:669–678

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glaser B, Haumaier L, Guggenberger G, Zech W (2001) The “terra preta” phenomenon: a model for sustainable agriculture in the humid tropics. Naturwissenschaften 88:37–41

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glaser B, Lehmann J, Zech W (2002) Amelioration physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal — a review. Biol Fertil Soils 35:219–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldammer JG (1993) Historical biogeography of fire: tropical and subtropical. In: Goldammer JG (ed) Fire in the environment: the ecological atmospheric, and climatic importance of vegetation fires. Wiley, New York, pp 297–314

    Google Scholar 

  • Goudriaan J (1995) Global carbon and carbon sequestration. In: Beran M A (ed) Carbonsequestration in the biosphere: processes and prospects. NATO ASI Series I: Global environmental change, vol 33. Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 3–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimura R, Nishio M (1989) Contribution of soil microorganisms to utilization of insoluble soil phosphorus by plants in grasslands. In: Proc 3rd Grassland Ecology Conf, Czechoslovakia, pp 10–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhlbusch TAJ. Crutzen PJ (1995) Toward a global estimate of black carbon in residues of vegetation fires representing a sink of atmospheric CO2 and a source of O2. Global Biogeochem Cycles 9: 491–501

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhlbusch TAJ, Andreae MO, Cachier H, Goldammer JG, Lacaux J-P, Shea R, Cruzen PJ (1996) Black carbon formation by savanna fires: Measurements and implications for the global carbon cycle. J Geophys Res 101(D 19):23651–23665

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J, da Silva Jr, Pereira J, Rondon M, da Silva Cravo M, Greenwood J, Nehls T, Steiner C, Glaser B (2002) Slash and char — a feasible alternative for soil fertility management in the central Amazon? In: Proc 17th World Congr of Soil Science, Bangkok, Thailand, International Union of Soil Science, Pap 449, pp 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J, da Silva Jr, Pereira J, Steiner C, Nehls T, Zech W, Glaser B (2003) Nutrient availability and leaching in an archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of the central Amazon basin: fertilizers, manure and charcoal amendments. Plant Soil 249:343–357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mehlich A (1984) Mehlich-3 soil test extractant: a modification of Mehlich-2 extractant. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 15:1409–1416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nishio M (1996) Microbial fertilizers in Japan. FFTC-Extension Bulletins 1–12. National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Ibaraki, Japan

    Google Scholar 

  • Pietikainen J, Kiikkila O, Fritze H (2000) Charcoal as a habitat for microbes and its effect on the microbial community of the underlying humus. Oikos 89(2):231–242

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saito M, Marumoto T (2002) Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: the status quo in Japan and the future prospects. Plant Soil 244(1–2):273–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt MWI, Noack AG (2000) Black carbon in soils and sediments: analysis, distribution, implications and current challenges. Global Biogeochem Cycles 14:777–793

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Skjemstad J (2001) Charcoal and other resistant materials. In: Kirschbaum MUF, Mueller R (eds) Proc Net Ecosystem Exchange Worksh, Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting, Canberra, Australia, pp 116–119

    Google Scholar 

  • 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(2):251–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stenström J, Stenberg B, Johanson M (1998) Kinetics of substrate-induced respiration (SIR): theory. Ambio 27(1):35–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Trumbore SE, Chadwick OA, Amundson R (1996) Rapid exchange between soil carbon and atmospheric carbon dioxide driven by temperature change. Science 272:393–396

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uvarov AV (2000) Effects of smoke emissions from a charcoal kiln on the functioning of forest soil systems: a microcosm study. Environ Monitor Assess 60(3):337–357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verburg PSJ, van Dam D, Marinissen JCY, Westerhof R, van Breemen N (1995) The role of decomposition in C sequestration in ecosystems. In: Beran M A (ed) Carbonsequestration in the biosphere: processes and prospects. NATO ASI Series I: Global environmental change, vol 33. Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 3–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Wardle DA, Zackrisson O, Nilsson MC (1998) The charcoal effect in Boreal forests: mechanisms and ecological consequences. Oecologia 115:419–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Soil Science, University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Christoph Steiner & Wolfgang Zech

  2. Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental, 69011-970, Manaus, Brazil

    Wenceslau G. Teixeira

  3. Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA

    Johannes Lehmann

Authors
  1. Christoph Steiner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wenceslau G. Teixeira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Johannes Lehmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wolfgang Zech
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Soil Science and Soil Geography, University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Bruno Glaser

  2. Department of Geography, Southern Illinois University, 62026, Edwardsville, IL, USA

    William I. Woods

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Steiner, C., Teixeira, W.G., Lehmann, J., Zech, W. (2004). Microbial Response to Charcoal Amendments of Highly Weathered Soils and Amazonian Dark Earths in Central Amazonia — Preliminary Results. In: Glaser, B., Woods, W.I. (eds) Amazonian Dark Earths: Explorations in Space and Time. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05683-7_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05683-7_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-05640-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-05683-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation