THE MANGANESE CYCLE IN SOIL: I. ISOTOPIC-EXCHANGE REACTIONS OF MN-54 IN AN ALKALINE SOIL
The manganese cycle in an alkaline soil was investigated by means of isotopic-exchange studies. Mn-54 was added to the solution in equilibrium with the soil and the rate of disappearance of the Mn-54 from solution was determined. The forms of soil manganese in equilibrium with solution manganese were studied by extracting the soil with buffered pyrophosphate and/or ZnSO4 solution after equilibration with Mn-54.The rate studies indicated that there are five or more first-order exchange reactions between soil and solution manganese. These reactions were characterized by a quantity and specific rate constant. Extraction of the soil following equilibration with Mn-54 indicated that a portion of the pyrophosphate extractable and all of the ZnSO4 extractable manganese was in equilibrium with the solution manganese. These two extractants removed all the soil manganese that had reached equilibrium with the Mn-54 in solution. It was indicated that the pyrophosphate extractable manganese existed in layered surfaces probably of a concretionary nature.