6533b855fe1ef96bd12b0456

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Influence of biotic and abiotic factors on soil organic matter dynamics assessed by the biogeochemical characterisation of soluble organic matter

subject

description

Soils are the greatest reservoir of C on the continents, and organic matter mineralisation bymicrobial activity represents the major part of the CO2 emitted by terrestrial ecosystems.In this work, we studied water-extractable organic matter (WEOM), which corresponds to themore reactive fraction of soil organic matter (SOM). Our objectives were (i) to identify therelationships of WEOM dynamics with bacterial communities, and with soil physico-chemicalparameters; (ii) to provide a precise chemical characterisation of WEOM.There is a strong link between SOM solubility and the structure of bacterial communities, andan erosion of their diversity has an impact on SOM and WEOM dynamics, and leads to adecrease in organic matter mineralisation. A study at the regional scale then allowed us to identifythat the SOM and clay contents control the quantities of WEOM and its aromaticity. TheWEOM characterisation at the molecular level revealed the presence of a large number ofubiquitous molecules in the WEOM. Based on these analyses, we were also able to describe theeffects of vegetation and soil physico-chemical properties on the chemical composition ofWEOM.