Evaluation of Loss On Ignition Method for Determining Organio Matter of South Georgia Soils

摘要

Soil organic matter is one measure of the overall health and vitality of the soil. It is crucial for and impacts plants, soil fauna, soil aggregates, cation exchange capacity, chemical remediation, and many other important factors. Its importance highlights the necessity of a reliable, efficient testing method that measures this parameter. Moreover, national interest pertaining to climate change has sparked an immediate interest in the sequestration of carbon in active carbon pools on earth. Researchpertaining to carbon in the soil relies on various methods for measuring or estimating carbon concentrations. The current standard is use of a CHN or CNS analyzer, but these methods are time-consuming and expensive. On the other hand, loss on ignition (LOI) using a muffle furnace is rapid, inexpensive, and in certain situations has been shown to be an accurate method for measuring organic matter concentrations in soils (Konen et al., 2002).