Chemie und Biochemie des Humuskörpers unserer Böden

Progress in the chemistry and biochemistry of soil humic substances and their routes of formation has developed sufficiently to allow a coherent review of its various general aspects. Actual adsorption phenomena as well as the classical functions (such as nutrient supply, ion exchange, structure stabilization, and N-reservoir) of organic matter are outlined briefly and in a general sense. More specifically, the role and fate of nitrogen during the degradation, cryptic turnover, and the synthesis of ultimate, stable humic compounds are stressed. Based on recent results of analytic- and model-synthetic experiments, essential traits of humification (such as polymerization, condensation, and nucleophilic addition) are reviewed.