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  4. ACRES TO ANGSTROMS: CROSS-SCALE STUDIES OF SOIL ORGANIC-MATTER MINERAL INTERACTIONS

ACRES TO ANGSTROMS: CROSS-SCALE STUDIES OF SOIL ORGANIC-MATTER MINERAL INTERACTIONS

File(s)
Schmidt_cornellgrad_0058F_11090.pdf (7.39 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/X457198X
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/59786
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Schmidt, Michael Paul
Abstract

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) adsorption on minerals plays an important role in many functions of soils, including the retention of carbon by soils. These interactions exist across scales in the environment, with implications from field to molecular levels. Work spanning these scales is presented, highlighting DOM dynamics in agricultural soils under different management as well as laboratory based studies of model biomolecule-mineral interactions. Field level studies show the amount and characteristics of DOM differ greatly between surface and subsoils. Observed depth trends in DOM are influenced by tillage, with tilled soils exhibiting two discreet distributions in DOM characteristics. A punctuated change from sorptive partitioning of surface DOM inputs to source driven DOM dynamics in subsoils is observed in tilled systems with no-till soils showing a gradual transition between the two. Molecular-level studies of protein (bovine serum albumin (BSA)) and nucleic acid (deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)) interaction with the common soil minerals montmorillonite and goethite demonstrate the interplay between biomolecular characteristics and the kinetic, equilibrium and conformational aspects of adsorption. Furthermore, studies were conducted with both BSA and DNA in solution together. Under these conditions, assembly of BSA and DNA in solution is shown to impact the mechanism and quantity of biomolecule adsorption on goethite. These results enhance our understanding of organic matter interaction with soils at two distinct scales, both through probing DOM transformation in agricultural soils and mechanistic studies of biomolecule adsorption on minerals.

Date Issued
2018-08-30
Keywords
Chemistry
•
Soil sciences
•
Biogeochemistry
Committee Chair
Martinez, Carmen Enid
Committee Member
Lehmann, C. Johannes
Aristilde, Ludmilla
Degree Discipline
Soil and Crop Sciences
Degree Name
Ph. D., Soil and Crop Sciences
Degree Level
Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Type
dissertation or thesis

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