Soil organic matter (SOM) represents a major pool of carbon within the biosphere, roughly twice than in atmospheric CO2. SOM models embody our best understanding of soil carbon dynamics and are needed to predict how global environmental change will influence soil carbon stocks. These models are also required for evaluating the likely effectiveness of different mitigation options. The first important step towards systematically evaluating the suitability of SOM models for these purposes is to test their simulations against real data. Since changes in SOM occur slowly, long-term datasets are required. This volume brings together leading SOM model developers and experimentalists to test SOM models using long-term datasets from diverse ecosystems, land uses and climatic zones within the temperate region.

InhaltsangabePlenary Papers.- Why Evaluate Soil Organic Matter Models?.- The Contribution of the Soil Organic Matter Network (SOMNET) to GCTE.- Why Site Networks?.- The North American Site Network.- The Australian Site Network.- Long-term Data Sets from Germany and Eastern Europe.- Establishing a European GCTE Soil Organic Matter Network (SOMNET).- Interpretation Difficulties with Long-Term Experiments.- Review and Classification of Ten Soil Organic Matter (SOM) Models.- Ecosystem Model Comparisons: Science or Fantasy World?.- Matching Measurable Soil Organic Matter Fractions with Conceptual Pools in Simulation Models of Carbon Turnover: Revision of Model Structure.- Modeling the Measurable or Measuring the Modelable: A Hierarchical Approach to Isolating Meaningful Soil Organic Matter Fractionations.- Quantitative Methods to Evaluate and Compare Soil Organic Matter (SOM) Models.- Soil Organic Matter Models and Global Estimates of Soil Organic Carbon.- Soil Organic Matter Models.- The Soil Submodel of the ITE (Edinburgh) Forest and Hurley Pasture Models.- SOMM - a Model of Soil Organic Matter and Nitrogen Dynamics in Terrestrial Ecosystems.- RothC-26.3 - A Model For the Turnover of Carbon in Soil.- Modelling Approaches of Soil Organic Matter Turnover Within the CANDY System.- Organic Matter Dynamics Simulated with the 'Verberne'-Model.- The DNDC Model.- Description of the Model NCSOIL.- Simulating Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics with the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere System Model DAISY.- The CENTURY Model.- Long-Term Experiments with Soil Organic Matter Measurements.- Soil Organic Matter Dynamics in Sanborn Field (North America).- The Askov Long-Term Experiments on Animal Manure and Mineral Fertilizers.- The Tamworth Legume/Cereal Rotation.- Long-Term Fertilization Trials in Hungary.- Essai Permanent Plots, Gembloux.- The Waite Permanent Rotation Trial.- Woodslee Tile Runoff Experiment: Fertilization Effects on Soil Organic Matter.- Effect of Farm Yard Manure and Fertilizer Nitrogen in Pearl Millet-Wheat Cropping Sequence.- The Breton Classical Plots.- Long-Term Field Experiment Praha- Ruzyn?, Czech Republic.- The Static Experiment Bad Lauchstädt, Germany.- The Park Grass Experiment, 1856-1995.- Geescroft Wilderness, 1883-1995.- Long-Term Residue Management Experiment: Pendleton, Oregon, USA.- Carbon Changes During the Growth of Loblolly Pine on Formerly Cultivated Soil: The Calhoun Experimental Forest, USA.- Soil Organic Matter Dynamics in the North American Corn Belt: The Arlington Plots.- Soil Evolution Under Dry Meadows in a Boreal Climate: The Moscow Dry-Meadow Experimental Site.