No detectable upper limit of mineral‐associated organic carbon in temperate agricultural soils

Abstract Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a promising climate change mitigation option. In this context, the formation of the relatively long‐lived mineral‐associated organic carbon (MAOC) is key. To date, soils are considered to be limited in their ability to accumulate MAOC, mainly by the amount of clay and silt particles present. Using the comprehensive German Agricultural Soil Inventory, we selected 189 samples with a wide range of SOC (5–118 g kg −1 ) and clay contents (30–770 g kg −1 ) to test whether there is a detectable upper limit of MAOC content. We found that the proportion of MAOC was surprisingly stable for soils under cropland and grassland use across the whole range of bulk SOC…

• BF
  Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft
• H2
  Horizon 2020 Framework Programme