<p> The vegetational colonization and development preceding the establishment of lichen-heath was examined on a Hudson Bay coastal raised-beach system. A continuous and directional developmental sequence of approximately 200 years was quantified on both a coastal intraridge sample sequence and on an inland interridge sample sequence. Increasing gradients of elevation, soil peat thickness and soil organic matter coincide with the vegetational development, however no appreciable changes in soil pH or concentrations of available nutrients were detected and it is concluded that these parameters have little influence on the development of lichen-heath at this site. Community composition over the ridge profile forms a second major vegetational gradient which appears to be affected primarily by environmental factors related to ridge morphology and orientation. The interactions of environmental factors in the development of lichen-heath are discussed.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The aim of this thesis was the experimental evaluation of thermogravimetry (TG) to assess the status of organic matter supply in agricultural soils. TG is an innovative analytical method for recording thermal mass losses (TML) during heating of soil samples from room temperature to 950 °C. The determination of TML in 10 °C temperature increments (TG indicators) is a central method of TG data evaluation. There is a very close correlation between selected temperature ranges and classically determined soil properties (organic carbon, total nitrogen and clay content). The regression parameters of these relationships can be used to estimate soil properties and to assess the quality of SOM.:List of Tables VI List of Figures VII List of Abbreviations VIII Summary 10 Zusammenfassung 13 Chapter One – Synthesis: Thermogravimetry – a promising technique to assess the status of organic matter supply in agricultural soils 16 1 Introduction 16 1.1 Soils and agriculture 16 1.2 The Importance of soil organic matter (SOM) 17 1.3 Current challenges in the assessment of SOM as an indicator of soil quality 18 1.4 Main objectives 20 2 Methodological Approach 22 2.1 General approach 22 2.2 Experimental areas and soil description 22 2.3 Application of thermogravimetric analysis (TG) 28 2.4 Experimental design 29 2.4.1 SOC content determination using TML (chapter two and chapter five) 29 2.4.2 Detectability of thermal stabilities of organic amendments in soil samples using TML (chapter two) 30 2.4.3 Comparison between biological and thermal stability of SOM (chapter two and chapter three) 30 2.4.4 Linking thermogravimetric data with soil properties, thermal stability of SOM and SOC fractions (chapter four and chapter five) 31 3 Results and Discussion 32 3.1 Thermogravimetric-based fingerprint predictions of soil properties and soil organic matter stability (chapter two and chapter three) 32 3.2 Linking thermogravimetric indicators with functional SOC fractions to assess SOM quality (chapter four and chapter five) 35 4. Research needs and perspectives 37 5. Conclusion 40 References 40 Chapter Two: Contribution of organic amendments to soil organic matter detected by thermogravimetry 51 Chapter Three: Detectability of degradable organic matter in agricultural soils by thermogravimetry 52 Chapter Four: Linking soil organic matter thermal stability with contents of clay, bound water, organic carbon and nitrogen 53 Chapter Five: Linking thermogravimetric data with soil organic carbon fractions 54 Appendix 55 List of publications 55 Acknowledgments 56

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The agricultural industry has an opportunity to shift to a more sustainable practice that helps restore vital topsoil, improve water quality, reduce environmental impact, and sequester atmospheric carbon into the vast soil carbon pool. However, to implement these practices at considerable scale, agricultural producers require access to resources and capital they rarely have and can be difficult to acquire. As a company, investing in regenerative agriculture in supply chains can lead to reduced Scope 3 emissions, more resilient supply chains, and better marketability as an investment fund, an employer, and a brand. Insetting regenerative agriculture can protect supply chains against climate risks and productivity loss, as well as serve as a more secure alternative to carbon credit offsets. Four successful companies, General Mills, Organic Valley, Nestlé, and Nespresso, have been shown to benefit from investing in regenerative agriculture as part of their evolution towards reaching net zero emissions. Based on their strategies, this paper has developed a recommended framework for programming investments for insetting regenerative agriculture. The recommendations rest on six pillars: 1) determining impact, 2) providing direct support to farmers, 3) place-specific strategies, 4) collaboration through partnerships, 5) scalable programming, and 6) educate consumers. Together, these represent a comprehensive approach to insetting that will provide long-term benefits to businesses, suppliers, and the planet.