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Charcoal does not change the decomposition rate of mixed litters in a mineral cambisol: a controlled conditions study

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Abstract

It has been recently shown that the presence of charcoal might promote humus decomposition in the soil. We investigated the decomposition rate of charcoal and litters of different biochemical quality mixed together in a soil incubation under controlled conditions. Despite the large range of organic substrate quality used in this study, we did not find any difference in the decomposition between the average of two individual substrates decomposing separately and the same substrates mixed together. We concluded that charcoal does not always promote other organic matter decomposition and that its particular effect might depend on various factors, for example, soil properties.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Bruno Kägi, Michael Hilf, Ivan Woodhatch and Pascal Hentgarner for the technical assistance; Michael W.I. Schmidt for the discussions while preparing the experimentation; and the “reading group” for the comments on the manuscript. The authors also acknowledge the inputs of the anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Soil Science and Biogeography, Physical Geography, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Samuel Abiven & Romano Andreoli

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  1. Samuel Abiven
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  2. Romano Andreoli
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Correspondence to Samuel Abiven.

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Authors’ contribution

Samuel Abiven designed the experimental setup, took part in the experiment installation and monitoring, analysed the data and wrote the manuscript. Romano Andreoli prepared the experimental design and analysed most of the samples.

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Abiven, S., Andreoli, R. Charcoal does not change the decomposition rate of mixed litters in a mineral cambisol: a controlled conditions study. Biol Fertil Soils 47, 111–114 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0489-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0489-1

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