247-9 Soil Organic Matter In Forest Soils Subjected to Prescribed Burning and Thinning Treatments.



Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Hall C, Street Level

Thilini D. Ranatunga, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL and Kamala Bhat, Chemistry/Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL
Biomass burning during forest management practices is suggested to produce structurally modified organic carbon compounds. However, little information is available on structural changes in soil organic matter fractions in such systems. Objective of this study is to investigate the heat-induced chemical changes in soil organic matter fractions utilizing an operationally defined soil organic matter fractionation scheme. Organic matter was fractionated based on an alkaline extraction method. Soil for this study was obtained from the Bankhead National Forest, Alabama, a Southern Appalachian pine forest ecosystem subjected to prescribed logging and burning treatments. Changes in soil organic matter fractions, including humic acid, fulvic acid, and humin were investigated.
See more from this Division: S02 Soil Chemistry
See more from this Session: General Soil Chemistry: II