We analyzed climatic and textural controls of soil organic C and N for soils of the U.S. Great Plains. We used a model of soil organic matter (SOM) quantity and composition to simulate steady‐state organic matter levels for 24 grassland locations in the Great Plains. The model was able to simulate the effects of climatic gradients on SOM and productivity. Soil texture was also a major control over organic matter dynamics. The model adequately predicted aboveground plant production and soil C and N levels across soil textures (sandy, medium, and fine); however, the model tended to overestimate soil C and N levels for fine textured soil by 10 to 15%. The impact of grazing on the system was simulated and showed that steady‐state soil C and N levels were sensitive to the grazing intensity, with soil C and N levels decreasing with increased grazing rates. Regional trends in SOM can be predicted using four site‐specific variables, temperature, moisture, soil texture, and plant lignin content. Nitrogen inputs must also be known. Grazing intensity during soil development is also a significant control over steady‐state levels of SOM, and since few data are available on presettlement grazing, some uncertainty is inherent in the model predictions.

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Soil organic C content, a major source of system stability in agroecosystems, is controlled by many factors that have complex interactions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the major controls over soil organic carbon content, and to predict regional patterns of carbon in range and cultivated soils. We obtained pedon and climate data for 500 rangeland and 300 cultivated soils in the U.S. Central Plains Grasslands, and statistically analyzed relationships between C and soil texture and climate. Regression models of the regional soils database indicated that organic C increased with precipitation and clay content, and decreased with temperature. Analysis of cultivated and rangeland soils indicated that C losses due to cultivation increased with precipitation, and that relative organic C losses are lowest in clay soils. Application of the regression models to a regional climate database showed potential soil organic matter losses to be highest in the northeastern section of the Central Plains Grasslands, decreasing generally from east to west. These statistical data analyses can be combined with more mechanistic models to evaluate controls of soil organic matter formation and turnover, and the implications for regional management.

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