Advancing soil C characterization using HRMS and NMR
EMSL Project ID
48698
Abstract
Soil organic matter consists of diverse and complex mixture of hundreds to thousands biological and metabolic products that are poorly characterized using current techniques. We seek to develop a high through put, high-resolution mass spectrometry technique for the assignment of molecular formula to soil organic molecules. By establishing the identity of the majority of these compounds in highly related samples we will be able to discern signatures of biological activity and follow the flow and transformation of carbon through the terrestrial ecosystem. This insight will enable soil ecologist and climate scientist to determine the mechanisms by which soil organic molecules are stabilized belowground and what is the impact of climate, land use, cropping on the “health” of the soil. The goal of this project is to develop adaptable EMSL capability for characterizing soil C by sampling representative organic molecules from intact and fractionated soils preserving as much chemical identity as possible.
Project Details
Start Date
2014-10-01
End Date
2015-12-31
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members