Architecture of soil microaggregates

Advanced methodologies to explore properties and functions

verfasst von: Wulf Amelung, Ni Tang, Nina Siebers, Michaela Aehnelt, Karin Eusterhues, Vincent J.M.N.L. Felde, Georg Guggenberger, Klaus Kaiser, Ingrid Kögel-Knabner, Erwin Klumpp, Claudia Knief, Jens Kruse, Eva Lehndorff, Robert Mikutta, Stephan Peth, Nadja Ray, Alexander Prechtel, Thomas Ritschel, Steffen A. Schweizer, Susanne K. Woche, Bei Wu, Kai U. Totsche
Abstract: The functions of soils are intimately linked to their three-dimensional pore space and the associated biogeochemical interfaces, mirrored in the complex structure that developed during pedogenesis. Under stress overload, soil disintegrates into smaller compound structures, conventionally named aggregates. Microaggregates (<250 µm) are recognized as the most stable soil structural units. They are built of mineral, organic, and biotic materials, provide habitats for a vast diversity of microorganisms, and are closely involved in the cycling of matter and energy. However, exploring the architecture of soil microaggregates and their linkage to soil functions remains a challenging but demanding scientific endeavor. With the advent of complementary spectromicroscopic and tomographic techniques, we can now assess and visualize the size, composition, and porosity of microaggregates and the spatial arrangement of their interior building units. Their combinations with advanced experimental pedology, multi-isotope labeling experiments, and computational approaches pave the way to investigate microaggregate turnover and stability, explore their role in element cycling, and unravel the intricate linkage between structure and function. However, spectromicroscopic techniques operate at different scales and resolutions, and have specific requirements for sample preparation and microaggregate isolation; hence, special attention must be paid to both the separation of microaggregates in a reproducible manner and the synopsis of the geography of information that originates from the diverse complementary instrumental techniques. The latter calls for further development of strategies for synlocation and synscaling beyond the present state of correlative analysis. Here, we present examples of recent scientific progress and review both options and challenges of the joint application of cutting-edge techniques to achieve a sophisticated picture of the properties and functions of soil microaggregates.
Organisationseinheit(en): Institut für Bodenkunde
Externe Organisation(en): Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Forschungszentrum Jülich
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Technische Universität München (TUM)
Universität Bayreuth
Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)
Typ: Übersichtsarbeit
Journal: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
Band: 187
Seiten: 17-50
Anzahl der Seiten: 34
ISSN: 1436-8730
Publikationsdatum: 08.02.2024
Publikationsstatus: Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Bodenkunde, Pflanzenkunde
Elektronische Version(en): https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202300149 (Zugang: Offen)

BibTeX

@article{b246905295fa4acfac017d9fe8f1ca2c,
title = "Architecture of soil microaggregates: Advanced methodologies to explore properties and functions",
abstract = "The functions of soils are intimately linked to their three-dimensional pore space and the associated biogeochemical interfaces, mirrored in the complex structure that developed during pedogenesis. Under stress overload, soil disintegrates into smaller compound structures, conventionally named aggregates. Microaggregates (<250 µm) are recognized as the most stable soil structural units. They are built of mineral, organic, and biotic materials, provide habitats for a vast diversity of microorganisms, and are closely involved in the cycling of matter and energy. However, exploring the architecture of soil microaggregates and their linkage to soil functions remains a challenging but demanding scientific endeavor. With the advent of complementary spectromicroscopic and tomographic techniques, we can now assess and visualize the size, composition, and porosity of microaggregates and the spatial arrangement of their interior building units. Their combinations with advanced experimental pedology, multi-isotope labeling experiments, and computational approaches pave the way to investigate microaggregate turnover and stability, explore their role in element cycling, and unravel the intricate linkage between structure and function. However, spectromicroscopic techniques operate at different scales and resolutions, and have specific requirements for sample preparation and microaggregate isolation; hence, special attention must be paid to both the separation of microaggregates in a reproducible manner and the synopsis of the geography of information that originates from the diverse complementary instrumental techniques. The latter calls for further development of strategies for synlocation and synscaling beyond the present state of correlative analysis. Here, we present examples of recent scientific progress and review both options and challenges of the joint application of cutting-edge techniques to achieve a sophisticated picture of the properties and functions of soil microaggregates.",
keywords = "aggregate dispersion and fractionation, in silico soil aggregates, microbial biogeography of aggregates, soil interfaces, spectromicroscopy",
author = "Wulf Amelung and Ni Tang and Nina Siebers and Michaela Aehnelt and Karin Eusterhues and Felde, {Vincent J.M.N.L.} and Georg Guggenberger and Klaus Kaiser and Ingrid K{\"o}gel-Knabner and Erwin Klumpp and Claudia Knief and Jens Kruse and Eva Lehndorff and Robert Mikutta and Stephan Peth and Nadja Ray and Alexander Prechtel and Thomas Ritschel and Schweizer, {Steffen A.} and Woche, {Susanne K.} and Bei Wu and Totsche, {Kai U.}",
note = "Funding information: This work was supported by , ( 251268514), particularly subprojects , To and To . W. Amelung additionally acknowledges support from the under , , - . The µ-XANES research described in this paper was performed at the Canadian Light Source, a national research facility of the University of Saskatchewan, which is supported by the (), the (), the (), the (), the , and the . Authors thank for helping performing the experiments at the SXRMB-Beamline, for performing epi-fluorescence microscope measurements, and for performing NanoSIMS measurements. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft research unit RU 2179 MADSoil project number Am 134/25-2 184/23-2 184/24-2 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Germany's Excellence Strategy EXC-2070-390732324–PhenoRob the cluster of excellence PhenoRob robotics and phenotyping for sustianable crop production Canada Foundation for Innovation CFI Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council NSERC National Research Council NRC Canadian Institutes of Health Research CIHR Government of Saskatchewan University of Saskatchewan J. Hu Tongyan Yao Carmen H{\"o}schen",
year = "2024",
month = feb,
day = "8",
doi = "10.1002/jpln.202300149",
language = "English",
volume = "187",
pages = "17--50",
journal = "Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science",
issn = "1436-8730",
publisher = "Wiley-VCH Verlag",
number = "1",
}