Articles | Volume 10, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-275-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-275-2024
SOIL Letters
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15 Apr 2024
SOIL Letters | Highlight paper |  | 15 Apr 2024

The six rights of how and when to test for soil C saturation

Johan Six, Sebastian Doetterl, Moritz Laub, Claude R. Müller, and Marijn Van de Broek

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Cited articles

Amelung, W. and Zech, W.: Minimisation of organic matter disruption during particle-size fractionation of grassland epipedons, Geoderma, 92, 73–85, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(99)00023-3, 1999. 
Beare, M. H., McNeill, S. J., Curtin, D., Parfitt, R. L., Jones, H. S., Dodd, M. B., and Sharp, J.: Estimating the organic carbon stabilisation capacity and saturation deficit of soils: a New Zealand case study, Biogeochemistry, 120, 71–87, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-014-9982-1, 2014. 
Begill, N., Don, A., and Poeplau, C.: No detectable upper limit of mineral-associated organic carbon in temperate agricultural soils, Glob. Change Biol., 29, 4662–4669, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16804, 2023. 
Cotrufo, M. F., Ranalli, M. G., Haddix, M. L., Six, J., and Lugato, E.: Soil carbon storage informed by particulate and mineral-associated organic matter, Nat. Geosci., 12, 989–994, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0484-6, 2019. 
Feng, W., Plante, A. F., and Six, J.: Improving estimates of maximal organic carbon stabilization by fine soil particles, Biogeochemistry, 112, 81–93, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9679-7, 2013. 
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Executive editor
This manuscript is published as SOIL Letters publication as it provides a timely and important contribution, formulating six fundamental principles for the robust study of soil carbon saturation. This is an important topic in research on soil carbon and its role in climate change mitigation which should be of interest to the wider geoscience community.
Short summary
Soil C saturation has been tested in several recent studies and led to a debate about its existence. We argue that, to test C saturation, one should pay attention to six fundamental principles: the right measures, the right units, the right dispersive energy and application, the right soil type, the right clay type, and the right saturation level. Once we take care of those six rights across studies, we find support for a maximum of C stabilized by minerals and thus soil C saturation.