The effect of organic matter on the structure of soils of different land uses

In this study, the soil structure of two soils (Haplic Chernozem and Eutric Fluvisol) of different land uses (forest, meadow, urban and agro-ecosystem – consisted of four crop rotations) in Slovakia was compared. The soil aggregate stability was determined with a dependence on the chemical composition of plant residues. The quantity and quality of the organic matter was assessed through the parameters of the C and N in size fractions of dry-sieved and water-resistant aggregates. The soil structure of the forest ecosystem was evaluated as the best of all of forms of land use. Differences in the soil structure under the grass vegetation of a meadow (natural conditions) and urban ecosystem were also recorded. The agro-ecosystem was characterised by a higher portion (55.95%) of the most valuable (agronomically) water-resistant aggregate size fraction of 0.5–3 mm. Values of the carbon management index showed that the larger water-resistant aggregates were, the greater were the changes in the organic matter (r = −0.680, P < 0.05). In addition, a smaller content of dry-sieved aggregates of the 3–5 mm size fraction was observed with higher contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) (r = −0.728, P < 0.05) and labile carbon (CL) (r = −0.760, P < 0.05); there were also greater changes in the soil organic matter and vice versa, higher contents of SOC (r = 0.744, P < 0.05) and CL (r = 0.806, P < 0.05) greater contents of dry-sieved aggregates of size fraction 0.5–1 mm. The soil structure of agro-ecosystem was superior at a higher content of cellulose (r = −0.712, P < 0.05) in the plant residues. The higher content of cellulose and hemicellulose in the plant residue of a previous crop was reflected in a smaller CL content in the water-resistant aggregates (r = −0.984, P < 0.05). A correlation was observed between a high content of lignin in the plant residue and a smaller SOC content in the water-resistant aggregates (r = −0.967, P < 0.05). Lastly, a higher content of proteins in the plant residues (r = 0.744, P < 0.05) supported a greater content of dry-sieved aggregates of the 0.5–1 mm size fraction.