Fate of plant-originated C contribution of switchgrass to soils with contrasting pore size distributions

This proposal requests analysis of a set of samples from a 13C and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) labeling experiment. The goal of the experiment is to assess the fate of the C assimilated by the plants from CO2 during subsequent decomposition of plant residues. We hypothesize that the pore characteristics of the soil, in which the plants grow and then decompose, will have a significant effect on the localization and fate of plant-originated C.