Soils
1. Clay soil (Vertisol)
The Vertisol (37% clay, 30% fine sand) was sampled at 0-10 cm in the region of Toowoomba (Queensland, Australia) at a depth of 0-10 cm (1,2). The Vertisol commonly contains large amounts of charred organic carbon (30 % of the organic carbon present), and is in the mm size range.
2. Sandy soil (Chernozem)
The Haplic Chernozem (19% clay, 53% fine sand) was sampled in the region of Hildesheim-Braunschweig at Harsum (northern Germany) at 20-60 cm depth, to minimise anthropogenic influence from ploughing and bomb 14C. German Chernozems developed some 10,000 years ago from loess and are much younger soils than those developed in Australia. Chernozems contain large amounts of charred organic carbon (almost 50 % of the organic carbon present), according to the UV-oxidation NMR method, and this soil was characterized in some detail (soil number 6 in (3)).
Ordering information
The soil material is temporarily not available.
References
1) Schmidt, M.W.I., Skjemstad, J.O., Czimczik, C.I., Glaser, B. Prentice, K.M., Gelinas, Y., Kuhlbusch, T.A.J. 2001.Comparative analysis of black carbon in soils. Global Biogeochemical Cycles15, 163-167.
2) Skjemstad, J.O., Taylor, J.A., Smernik, R. 1999. Estimation of charcoal (char) in soils. Communication in Soil science and Plant analysis 30 (15 & 16), 2283-2298.
3) Schmidt, M.W.I., Skjemstad, J.O., Gehrt, E., Kögel-Knabner, I. 1999. Charred organic carbon in German chernozemic soils. European Journal of Soil Science 50 (2), 351-365.