SOIL ORGANIC MATTER-TEMPERATURE RELATIONSHIP IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES

Abstract

The average organic matter content of the surface soil in 18 counties of the Piedmont Plateau and Atlantic Coastal Plain, taking into consideration the relative areas of different types within a county, was found to increase exponentially with decreasing temp. For a fall of 10[degree] C. in annual temp. the average organic matter content in soil increased 2-3 times. The C/N ratios obtained by comparing the organic C content of the eastern soils with the N content of the midwestern soils under like temp. conditions, varied only from 10.6 to 11.0, indicating that the organic matter-temp. curve which applies in the east differs from the N-temp. curve in the midwest only by a constant.