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Complexity of Soil Organic Matter: AMS 14C Analysis of Soil Lipid Fractions and Individual Compounds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Janet Rethemeyer ,
Christiane Kramer ,
Gerd Gleixner ,
Guido L B Wiesenberg ,
Lorenz Schwark ,
Nils Andersen ,
Marie-J Nadeau  and
Pieter M Grootes
Janet Rethemeyer*
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research, University of Kiel, Germany.
Christiane Kramer
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.
Gerd Gleixner
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.
Guido L B Wiesenberg
Affiliation:
Geological Institute, University of Cologne, Germany.
Lorenz Schwark
Affiliation:
Geological Institute, University of Cologne, Germany.
Nils Andersen
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research, University of Kiel, Germany.
Marie-J Nadeau
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research, University of Kiel, Germany.
Pieter M Grootes
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research, University of Kiel, Germany.
*
Corresponding author. Email: jrethemeyer@leibniz.uni-kiel.de.
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Abstract

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Radiocarbon measurements of different lipid fractions and individual compounds, isolated from soil samples collected on 2 different agricultural long-term study sites, located in the rural area of Rotthalmünster (Germany) and in the city of Halle/Saale (Germany), were analyzed to obtain information about sources and the stability of soil organic matter (SOM). Different lipid compound classes were isolated by automated solvent extraction and subsequent medium-pressure liquid chromatography. Generally, 14C contents of lipid compound classes from topsoil samples of maize plots at Rotthalmünster are close to the modern atmospheric 14C content. Lower 14C values of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons isolated from neutral lipids suggest a contribution of old carbon to these fractions. In contrast, 14C values of bulk soil (52 pMC) as well as isolated lipid classes from Halle are highly depleted. This can be attributed to a significant contribution of fossil carbon at this site. Extremely low 14C contents of aromatic (7 pMC) and aliphatic hydrocarbons (19 pMC) reflect the admixture of fossil hydrocarbons at the Halle site. Individual phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), which are used as a proxy for viable microbial biomass, were isolated by preparative capillary gas chromatography (PCGC) from topsoils at Rotthalmünster and Halle. PLFA 14C values are close to atmospheric 14C values and, thus, indicate a clear microbial preference for relatively young SOM. At Rotthalmünster, the 14C concentration of short-chain unsaturated PLFAs is not significantly different from that of the atmosphere, while the saturated PLFAs show a contribution of sub-recent SOM extending over the last decades. At Halle, up to 14% fossil carbon is incorporated in PLFAs n-C17:0 and cy-C18:0, which suggests the use of fossil carbon by soil microorganisms. Moreover, it can be concluded that the 14C age of soil carbon is not indicative of its stability.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 46 , Issue 1: Proceedings of the 18th International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 1 of 2), Conference Editors: Nancy Beavan Athfield, Rodger J Sparks , 2004 , pp. 465 - 473
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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