Analytical methods comparison for soil organic carbon determination in Andean Forest of Sangay National Park-Ecuador

A study comparing two methods for determining soil organic carbon (SOC) in the Andean eyebrow forest of Sangay National Park, Ecuador, found that while both the ignition loss (LOI) and DUMAS combustion methods yield similar SOC measurements (R² = 0.99), the DUMAS method offers greater precision with reduced time and labor requirements. The research involved analyzing soil samples from five plots at four depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, >30 cm) across three conglomerates in the southwestern zone of Sangay National Park. Though the correlation between methods was low, DUMAS demonstrated a slightly higher variability (3.38%), likely due to sample volume and equipment precision. These findings suggest that DUMAS combustion is a robust alternative for SOC determination, balancing accuracy with operational efficiency.

Cargua Catagña, F. E., Rodríguez Llerena, M. V., Damián Carrión, D. A., Recalde Moreno, C. G., & Santillán Lima, G. P. (2017). Analytical methods comparison for soil organic carbon determination in Andean Forest of Sangay National Park-Ecuador. Acta Agronómica, 66(3), 408–413. https://doi.org/10.15446/acag.v66n3.52467