Humus definition

These definitions were essentially the same as those put forward by Berzelius. Mulder considered, however, that, besides humus substances, products from the decomposition of organic residues, such as leucine, butyric acid, valeric acid, and formic and ethanoic acids, could exist in soil. These observations are of interest because of the information that has emerged in the past half-century about growth inhibitors and stimulators from low-molecular-weight extracts from SOM and composts. 

Various separation methods have been used to isolate, fractionate, and characterize humic materials. Originally it was fractionation, based on solubility differences of humic components in diluted alkalis and acids, which laid the ground work for the first classifications of humic substances (HS) in the 19th century (Mulder, 1861 Sprengel, 1837) and provided for operational definition of HS (Kononova, 1966). And now, alkali extraction is the method of choice for isolating HS from solid humus-containing substrates like soil, peat, coal, and so on (Swift, 1996), while hydrophobic resins (e.g., Amberlite XAD resins) are typically used to extract HS dissolved in natural waters (Aiken, 1985). Initial research on HS began with the used simple separation methods to prove, examine, and define characteristics of components of humic matter (Oden, 1919).Today, however, advances in HS research require ever more sophisticated techniques of separation combined with structural analysis (Orlov, 1990 Stevenson, 1994). 

SOM is composed of a continuum of organic resources from fresh plant residues to stabilized organic matter (OM) or humus (Stevenson, 1994). Although this definition of SOM includes intact plant litter, in this review we will often distinguish between decomposition of litter on the soil surface and decomposition/stabilization of OM within the mineral soil. Within the mineral soil, SOM is often divided into four categories the light fraction, microbial biomass (discussed above), dissolved organic matter (DOM), and stable humic substances. 

The classic definitions of soil humic and fulvic acids are based on solubility (Schnitzer and Khan, 1972). Thus, humic acid is the alkali-soluble material in soil, which is precipitated at pH 1. The material which remains soluble in the extract at pH 1 is fulvic acid. A more recent definition for aquatic humic substances is given by Thurman and Malcolm (1981). Here the material which adsorbs on an XAD column from an acid aqueous solution is defined as aquatic humus. That part of the adsorbed material which is soluble in acid and base is fulvic acid the portion insoluble in acid is humic acid. Another definition of an aquatic humic substance is based on adsorption by DEAE-cellulose columns (Miles etal., 1983). 

The region occurs in the northern part of Tropical Rain Green Forest ecosystem zone and is predominantly characterized by Acric Ferrasols. Biogeochemical cycling is very intensive (mean Cb is equal to 0.2) but there are definite differences between hilly plains and low mountains up to 4(X)-500 m a.s.l. (above sea level) and middle elevation mountains (up to 1000 m a.s.l.) where the humus biogeochemical barrier is present in the profiles of Podzolized Ferrasols. 

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