Articles | Volume 7, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-785-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-785-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Review article
| 
25 Nov 2021
Review article |
| 25 Nov 2021
| 25 Nov 2021
Transformation of n-alkanes from plant to soil: a review
Carrie L. Thomas
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich,
Switzerland
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of
Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1098XH, the Netherlands
Boris Jansen
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of
Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1098XH, the Netherlands
E. Emiel van Loon
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of
Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1098XH, the Netherlands
Guido L. B. Wiesenberg
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich,
Switzerland
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Latest update: 13 Jul 2025
Short summary
Plant organs, such as leaves, contain a variety of chemicals that are eventually deposited into soil and can be useful for studying organic carbon cycling. We performed a systematic review of available data of one type of plant-derived chemical, n-alkanes, to determine patterns of degradation or preservation from the source plant to the soil. We found that while there was degradation in the amount of n-alkanes from plant to soil, some aspects of the chemical signature were preserved.
Plant organs, such as leaves, contain a variety of chemicals that are eventually deposited into...
