MINERALIZATION PARAMETERS FROM ORGANIC MATERIALS ADDED TO SOIL AS A FUNCTION OF THEIR CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION

Carbon mineralization of different organic materials added to soil was monitored over a short time in a laboratory incubation experiment Sev eral kinetic models were evaluated for their suitability in describing the decomposition processes. A modified first-order model best descri bed carbon mineralization for each material. Parameters derived from s uch a model were tested as indexes for assessing the relationships bet ween the decomposition in soil of the organic materials and their chem ical compositions. The term 'initial potential rate of C mineralizatio n,' especially when normalized to total C added to soil, was found to be the most effective index for assessing the above-mentioned relation ship.