Biogeosciences
Biogeosciences
BG
Articles | Volume 17, issue 12
Articles | Volume 17, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3099-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3099-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 17, issue 12
Research article
 | 
18 Jun 2020
Research article |  | 18 Jun 2020

Relevance of aboveground litter for soil organic matter formation – a soil profile perspective

Patrick Liebmann, Patrick Wordell-Dietrich, Karsten Kalbitz, Robert Mikutta, Fabian Kalks, Axel Don, Susanne K. Woche, Leena R. Dsilva, and Georg Guggenberger

Viewed

Total article views: 5,843 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
3,925 1,807 111 5,843 434 90 160
  • HTML: 3,925
  • PDF: 1,807
  • XML: 111
  • Total: 5,843
  • Supplement: 434
  • BibTeX: 90
  • EndNote: 160
Views and downloads (calculated since 02 Jan 2020)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 02 Jan 2020)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 5,843 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 5,362 with geography defined and 481 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 06 Nov 2025
Download
Short summary
We studied the contribution of litter-derived carbon (C) in the formation of subsoil organic matter (OM). Soil core sampling, 13C field labeling, density fractionation, and water extractions were used to track its contribution to different functional OM fractions down to the deep subsoil. We show that while migrating down the soil profile, OM undergoes a sequence of repeated sorption, microbial processing, and desorption. However, the contribution of litter-derived C to subsoil OM is small.
Read more
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint