Ultrahigh Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Indicator Species Analysis to Identify Marker Components of Soil- and Plant Biomass-Derived Organic Matter Fractions

The chemical properties of organic matter affect important soil processes such as speciation, solubilization, and transport of plant nutrients and metals. This work uses ultrahigh resolution electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to determine the molecular composition of three organic matter fractions of soils and aqueous extracts of crop biomass. Comparison of the van Krevelen plots allowed tracking the changes in organic matter with increasing humification. Aqueous plant biomass extracts contain a diverse mixture of lipids, proteins, and lignins. Soil aqueous extracts were marked by increases in lignin and carbohydrate components and decrease in the protein component as compared to the plant extract. Refractory humic acid fractions were marked by decrease in the lignin component and increases in the lipid and condensed aromatic components. The multivariate indicator species analysis was used to identify marker components of the four organic matter types investigated. The plant extract group had 772 marker components compared to 237 for soil aqueous extract, 92 for mobile humic acid, and 418 for calcium humic acid. This study demonstrates that ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry and multivariate methods can be used to identify marker components to gain a molecular-scale description and understanding of C dynamics.