Improving predictions of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics by multi-compartment models requires validation of turnover times of different SOC pools. Techniques such as laboratory incubation and isotope analysis have been adopted to estimate C turnover times, yet no studies have systematically compared these techniques and assessed the uncertainties associated with them. Here, we tested whether...

Structural features of porous materials such as soil define the majority of its physical properties, including water infiltration and redistribution, multi-phase flow (e.g. simultaneous water/air flow, or gas exchange between biologically active soil root zone and atmosphere) and solute transport. To characterize soil microstructure, conventional soil science uses such metrics as pore size and ...

Please cite this article in press as: Laudone, G.M. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.08.026 A model of the void space of soil is presented, and used for the a priori biophysical simulation of denitrification. The model comprises a single critical percolation channel through a 5 cm stack of four unit cells of a dual-porous void structure. Together, the microand macro-porous structures closely replicat...

We developed a fast-response multi-chamber system for measuring soil-surface CO2 efflux (Fc). The chambers (90 x 90 x 50 cm, L x W x H) had lids that opened and closed automatically, and were connected in parallel to a single CO2 analyzer equipped with a 16-channel gas sampler. Between measurements the chamber lids were raised to allow precipitation and leaf litter to reach the enclosed soil su...

Both fungal and bacterial processes occur in the formation of soil organic matter (Waksman, 1938), which is itself composed, at least in part, of living micro-organisms and those parts of their remains which are resistant to chemical and enzymic decomposition. A knowledge of the composition of micro-organisms should, therefore, help to shed some light on the constitution of soil organic matter....