Spatial and temporal patterns of water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC) of surface mineral soil in a cool temperate forest ecosystem

Takuo Hishi, Muneto Hirobe, Ryunosuke Tateno, Hiroshi Takeda

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC) drives the C and N cycles in forest ecosystems via microbial activity. However, few studies have considered both then spatial and temporal patterns of WEOC in forest soils. We investigated the spatial and temporal variation in WEOC along a topographic sequence in a cool temperate deciduous forest. The concentrations of WEOC, carbohydrates, total phenols, and other organics were 126±51, 40±15, 1.5±0.5 and 85±43 mg Ckg dry soil-1, respectively. Carbohydrates and phenols accounted for 33±11 and 1.5±1.0% of WEOC, respectively. The effect of season on the WEOC concentration was stronger than that of slope position the growing season, although most of the soil properties varied markedly with slope position. The concentration of carbohydrates in WEOC showed similar seasonal patterns across slope positions. The carbohydrate concentration peaked in May and August. The results suggest that carbohydrates are controlled by the recent production of C, rather than by organic C that has accumulated in soil.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1731-1737
Number of pages7
JournalSoil Biology and Biochemistry
Volume36
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2004
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Microbiology
  • Soil Science

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