Table 3 Proportional aggregate weight (g kg−1) of sand-free aggregate-size fractions acquired from wet sieving as affected by soil cover and mean weight diameter (MWD). Aggregate-size fraction divided as macroaggregates with large size (> 2 mm, LM) and small size (2 mm—250 μm, sM), microaggregates (250 μm—53 μm, m), and silt and clay (< 53 μm, s + c).
Soil layer | Soil cover | Aggregate-size fraction (g kg−1 soil)—Sandfree | MWD (mm) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LM | sM | m | s + c | |||
0–10 cm | Bare soil (control) | 67g | 495a | 309abcde | 129bcd | 0.94hi |
Trifolium michelianum | 57g | 423bc | 346a | 173a | 0.82i | |
Medicago polymorpha | 89fg | 462ab | 317abcd | 133abcd | 1.02ghi | |
Medicago lupulina | 148ef | 464ab | 275def | 114cd | 1.30defg | |
Medicago truncatula | 66g | 477ab | 327abc | 130abcd | 0.92hi | |
Lotus corniculatus | 461a | 313de | 163g | 63e | 2.68a | |
Festuca arundinacea | 251bc | 339de | 263ef | 148abcd | 1.67bc | |
Festuca ovina | 241bcd | 347de | 280cdef | 132abcd | 1.63bcd | |
Festuca rubra commutata | 163def | 348de | 331ab | 158ab | 1.26efg | |
Poa pratensis | 210cde | 369cd | 277def | 144abcd | 1.51cde | |
Lolium perenne | 219cde | 298e | 327abc | 156abc | 1.48cdef | |
Dichondra repens | 211cde | 357cde | 289bcde | 143abcd | 1.50cde | |
Trifolium subterraneum | 122fg | 439ab | 298bcde | 141abcd | 1.15fgh | |
Sagina subulata | 215cde | 366cd | 283cde | 137abcd | 1.53cde | |
Glecoma hederacea | 316b | 343de | 234f | 107d | 2.00b | |
Hieracium pilosella | 255bc | 367cd | 262ef | 116bcd | 1.73bc | |
P-value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | |
10–20 cm | Bare soil (control) | 35e | 508a | 327ab | 130c | 0.80bc |
Trifolium michelianum | 36e | 446abcde | 338a | 180ab | 0.74c | |
Medicago polymorpha | 57cde | 459abcde | 331a | 153abc | 0.86bc | |
Medicago lupulina | 54cde | 431abcde | 343a | 172abc | 0.81bc | |
Medicago truncatula | 58cde | 440abcde | 353a | 149abc | 0.84bc | |
Lotus corniculatus | 319a | 309f | 230b | 143bc | 1.98a | |
Festuca arundinacea | 109bcd | 402bcde | 325ab | 164abc | 1.05bc | |
Festuca ovina | 99bcde | 423abcde | 318ab | 160abc | 1.02bc | |
Festuca rubra commutata | 65cde | 385def | 360a | 190a | 0.82bc | |
Poa pratensis | 94bcde | 491ab | 264ab | 151abc | 1.07bc | |
Lolium perenne | 136b | 376ef | 333a | 156abc | 1.16b | |
Dichondra repens | 104bcde | 396cdef | 323ab | 177ab | 1.02bc | |
Trifolium subterraneum | 48de | 475abc | 330a | 147abc | 0.83bc | |
Sagina subulata | 66cde | 468abcd | 308ab | 159abc | 0.91bc | |
Glecoma hederacea | 119bc | 389cdef | 326ab | 166abc | 1.09bc | |
Hieracium pilosella | 67cde | 442abcde | 345a | 147abc | 0.89bc | |
P-value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | 0.003 | 0.003 | < 0.001 | |
