Differences in chemical composition of soil organic matter in natural ecosystems from different climatic regions – A pyrolysis-GC/MS study KU Leuven
Soil organic matter (SOM) is a key factor in ecosystem dynamics. A better understanding of the global relationship between environmental characteristics, ecosystems and SOM chemistry is vital in order to assess its specific influence on carbon cycles. This study compared the composition of extracted SOM in 18 topsoil samples taken under tundra, taiga, steppe, temperate forest and tropical forest using pyrolysis-GC/MS. Results indicate that SOM ...