The role of biodegradation and photo-oxidation in the transformation of terrigenous organic matter

Microbial and photochemical decomposition are two major processes regulating organic matter (OM) transformation in the global carbon cycle. However, photo-oxidation is not as well understood as biodegradation in terms of its impact on OM alteration in terrigenous environments. We examined microbial and photochemical transformation of OM and lignin derived phenols in two plant litters (corn leaves and pine needles). Plant litter was incubated in the laboratory over 3 months and compositional changes to OM were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. We also examined the susceptibility of soil organic matter (SOM) to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Solid-state 13C NMR spectra showed that O-alkyl type structures (mainly from carbohydrates) decreased during biodegradation and the loss of small carbohydrates and aliphatic molecules was observed by solution-state 1H NMR spectra of water extractable OM from biodegraded litters. Photochemical products were detected in the aliphatic regions of NaOH extracts from both litter samples by solution-state 1H NMR. Photo-oxidation also increased the solubility of SOM, which was attributed to the enhanced oxidation of lignin derived phenols and photochemical degradation of macromolecular SOM species (as observed by diffusion edited 1H NMR). Overall, our data collectively suggests that while biodegradation predominates in litter decomposition, photo-oxidation alters litter OM chemistry and plays a role in destabilizing SOM in soils exposed to UV radiation.