The light organic matter fraction is known as an early indicator of changes in soil organic matter (SOM) as a result of different soil use and management. Several solutions are used in its separation, but little is known about the effect of these solutions on the quantity and quality of the extracted fraction, as well as the possible interferences of the separation solution on the quantification of organic carbon (C) content. Twenty soils with variable clay contents and under different […]

Through the densimetric fractionation it is possible to study the physical protection of soil organic matter (SOM). High density solutions of sodium iodide (NaI) or sodium polytungstate (SPT) have been indistinctively used for this purpose. This study aimed to assess: (a) the capacity of these two solutions at a density of 1.8 g cm-3 (NaI-1.8 and SPT-1.8) and of SPT at densities of 2.0 (SPT-2.0) and 2.2 g cm-3 (SPT-2.2) to increase C recovery in the free light fraction (FLF) and occluded light fraction […]

Sodium iodide (NaI) and sodium polytungstate (SPT) solutions are being indistinctively used in density fractionation procedures of soil organic matter (SOM). This study aimed to evaluate these two solutions, adjusted to a density of 1.8 kg L-1 (NaI-1.8 and SPT-1.8), and particularly of SPT adjusted to densities of 2.0 (SPT-2.0) and 2.2 kg L-1 (SPT-2.2), with regard to their capacity of recovering the light fraction (LF) of SOM. A 20 g soil sample of the 0-5 cm layer of an Acrisol (PVd) and of a Ferralsol […]