Microaggregate stability and storage of organic carbon is affected by clay content in arable Luvisols

As soil microaggregates (<250 μm, SMA) usually withstand long-term tillage, we hypothesized that i) elevated clay contents in arable soil support aggregation already at microaggregate level, leading to ii) increasing organic carbon (SOC) enrichment in smaller SMA size fractions. To test these hypotheses we sampled the topsoil (5–20 cm) of Luvisols with a long history of agricultural management at the Scheyern experiment station (Germany) in...