This ped is my peel: Visual separation and near infrared spectra allow determination of the origins of soil macroaggregates

摘要

Macroaggregation is a highly dynamic attribute of soils that is claimed to have a significant impact on their ability to store C and conserve nutrients. A major obstacle to the description and modelling of macroaggregate dynamics, and of the associated processes, is an almost complete ignorance of the reaL origin of the different types of aggregates found in soils, their turnover times and positions in the soil matrix. We present here a general methodological approach in which the origin of aggregates separated according to visual criteria could be determined by comparing their specific organic matter signatures assessed by Near Infrared Spectrometry (NIRS) to signatures of biogenic structures produced by soil ecosystem engineers (invertebrates and roots) living in the same soil.