Terrestrial carbon pools: preliminary data from the Corn Belt and Great Plains regions

Abstract

Soil organic matter is recognized as an important component of soil quality (Granatstein & Bezdicek, 1992; Arshad & Coen, 1992). In mineral soils, many properties associated with soil quality, including nutrient mineralization, aggregate stability, trafficability, and favorable water relations are related to the soil organic matter content. Past considerations of soil organic matter and how it is affected by management practices have largely reflected theimportance of organic matter to soil fertility and crop production. More recently, interest in soil organic matter and its relationship to agricultural management has developed with respect to its role in the worldwide C budget and worldwide climate change, another important quality of soil.