Transformation of <i>n</i>-alkanes from plant to soil: a review
<p>Despite the importance of soil organic matter (SOM) in the global carbon cycle, there remain many open questions regarding its formation and preservation. The study of individual organic compound classes that make up SOM, such as lipid biomarkers including <span class="inline-formul...
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Langue: | EN |
| Publié: |
Copernicus Publications
2021
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| Accès en ligne: | https://doaj.org/article/28c012e4d2ed4f6ab6f24eb74b64cec8 |
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| Résumé: | <p>Despite the importance of soil organic matter (SOM) in
the global carbon cycle, there remain many open questions regarding its
formation and preservation. The study of individual organic compound classes
that make up SOM, such as lipid biomarkers including <span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkanes, can provide
insight into the cycling of bulk SOM. While studies of lipid biomarkers,
particularly <span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkanes, have increased in number in the past few decades,
only a limited number have focused on the transformation of these compounds
following deposition in soil archives. We performed a systematic review to
consolidate the available information on plant-derived <span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkanes and their
transformation from plant to soil. Our major findings were (1) a nearly
ubiquitous trend of decreased total concentration of <span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkanes either with
time in litterbag experiments or with depth in open plant–soil systems and (2) preferential degradation of odd-chain length and shorter chain length <span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkanes represented by a decrease in either carbon preference index (CPI) or odd-over-even predominance (OEP) with depth, indicating degradation of
the <span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkane signal or a shift in vegetation composition over time. The
review also highlighted a lack of data transparency and standardization
across studies of lipid biomarkers, making analysis and synthesis of
published data time-consuming and difficult. We recommend that the community
move towards more uniform and systematic reporting of biomarker data.
Furthermore, as the number of studies examining the complete
leaf–litter–soil continuum is very limited as well as unevenly distributed over geographical regions, climate zones, and soil types, future data collection should focus on underrepresented areas as well as quantifying the
transformation of <span class="inline-formula"><i>n</i></span>-alkanes through the complete continuum from plant to soil.</p> |
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