PNNL

Abstract

The terrestrial biosphere is dominated by sloping landscapes [Staub and Rosenzweig, 1986] where biogeochemical cycling of essential elements is controlled by interaction of geomorphic, pedogenic, and ecological processes that shape them. Recent studies have highlighted the important role of soil erosion in dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) [Berhe et al., 2007, 2008; Boix-Fayos et al., 2009; Harden et al.,1999; Smith et al., 2001; Stallard, 1998a; Van Oost et al., 2007]. However, most process level studies of SOM cycling are dominantly located on nonsloping sites that experience minimal soil erosion and deposition and thus they fail to capture the influence of topography on SOM dynamics.