Understanding Char and Terra Preta Soil Chemistry from Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometric Analysis.

Rapid characterization of soil organic matter by pyrolysis mass spectrometry (py-MS) coupled with multivariate data analysis techniques can provide an effective method to distinguish the changes in soils due to ecological and management practices.  This paper will describe application of this analytical approach to the characterization of chars, agricultural soils, and terra preta soils with the goal of understanding the chemical constituents which differentiate them.