Relationships between particle-size distribution and organic carbon in French arable topsoils

• Published in: Soil use and management Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 48 - 51
• Main Authors: Arrouays, D., Saby, N., Walter, C., Lemercier, B., Schvartz, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.03.2006; CAB International; Wiley
• Subjects: Agricultural sciences; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Arable soils; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; France; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Life Sciences; organic carbon; Organic matter; particle-size; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Soil science; Soil study; Structure, texture, density, mechanical behavior. Heat and gas exchanges; France; Europe; Western Europe; Organic carbon; Organic matter; Top soil; Cultivated soil; Property of soil; Organic geochemistry; Agricultural soil; Physical properties; Temperate zone; Carbon sequestration; Texture; Arable soils; Carbon cycle; Factual data; Biogeochemistry; Particle size distribution; Storage; Carbon content; Database; particle-size; Soil science; Chemical composition; France; Specific relation; PARTICLE SIZE; BASE DE DONNEE; UTILISATION DES SOLS; ARABLE SOIL; DATABASE; GRANULOMETRIE; CARBONE ORGANIQUE; TERRE VEGETALE; ORGANIC CARBON; RELATION SOL-ATMOSPHERE
• ISSN: 0266-0032; 1475-2743
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-2743.2006.00020.x

A database including results from 102 000 soil analyses was built for arable topsoil in France. We show a strong effect of soil particle‐size distribution on present organic carbon (OC) stocks in these soils. By using the upper decile values by textural classes as a proxy of the maximal carbon storage potential, we show that it might be more efficient to encourage practices favouring carbon accumulation in soils already having high OC stocks than to try to increase OC stocks in soils where present stocks are low.