Soil organic carbon (SOC) can be defined as the fraction of soil carbon composed of plants, animals and microbial deposits at various stages of decomposition. Soil organic carbon is a significant carbon pool in the environment. Carbon is dynamic in the environment and readily changes oxidation states as it transitions through living, atmospheric, and soil systems.  Increases of atmospheric carbon dioxide have raised concerns regarding global warming. A potential method to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide is to sequester it as SOC.  Restoration of farmland to prairie conditions in the Midwestern U.S.A. is ongoing by both private agencies and state governments. The restoration of land to near-native conditions should increase SOC content by sequestering atmospheric carbon. Soils of native prairies, restored prairie and analogous conventionally farmed lands were extensively sampled.  The samples were analyzed for SOC content and humic acid (HA) content.  The HA was spectroscopically analyzed to determine structural characteristics.  The SOC analysis indicated more carbon is retained in the native prairies and restored prairies than analogous conventionally tilled soils.  Differences in SOC between prairie restorations and conventionally tilled soils were not always significant.  The HA content of the native prairies was significantly greater than the prairie restorations and the conventionally tilled soils.  The HA from native prairies, prairie restorations and the controls showed similar functional moieties in the 13C-NMR and IR spectra. The major differences observed in the 13C-NMR and IR spectra was peak intensity but not peak position.  These results indicate that prairie restoration may be beneficial in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide by allowing the soil to act as a carbon sink.

Characterization of soil carbon in native prairies and prairie restorations

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.