Defining soil quality in Mediterranean forest system note I: Organic matter turnover

C-mineralisation potentials, humification parameters and isoelectric focusi ng of humic matter were determined on four soil with different forest cover s obtained from the Tenuta Presidenziale of Castelporziano on the Tirrenic coast near Rome. The study demonstrates there are notably differences in ca rbon mineralisation kinetics in relation to the quality of litter, which ca n directly influence the structure of soil humic substances, as emerged fro m the isoelectric focusing profiles.