Erosion,deposition, and the persistence of soil organic matter: mechanistic considerations and problems with terminology |
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| Authors: | Asmeret Asefaw Berhe Markus Kleber |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Natural Sciences, University of California Merced, , Atwater, CA, USA;2. Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, , Corvallis, OR, USA |
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| Abstract: | The effect of erosional detachment, transport, and deposition of topsoil on the stock of soil organic matter (SOM) and its association with soil minerals has been a focus of a growing number of studies. A particularly lively debate is currently centered on the questions of whether terrestrial sedimentation of previously eroded SOM may constitute a relevant sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), and how ‘stable’ such carbon (C) might be on multidecadal timescales. In this commentary, we illustrate how redistribution of eroded SOM within a landscape can create situations that are not adequately described by the jargon commonly used to characterize C turnover dynamics. We argue that more quantitative and scientifically rigorous categories are needed to describe soil C turnover and to promote the development of innovative, numerical models of C dynamics in landscapes characterized by significant mass movement. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | soil erosion SOM carbon soil organic matter persistence |
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