The mechanisms of stabilization of organic matter (OM) have been studied in Brazilian tropical and subtropical soils; however, few studies have evaluated the influence of the methodological part of the use of the solutions in the results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of two salt solutions (1.8 kg dm-3 sodium iodide - NaI, and 2.0 kg dm-3 sodium polytungstate - SPT) in separation of densimetric soil organic matter (SOM) fractions in two soils (Acrisol from southern Brazil - 220 g kg-1 clay, and Ferralsol from the Cerrado [Brazilian tropical savanna] - 630 g kg-1 clay) and the impact of this efficiency in interpreting results such as the magnitude and importance of the mechanism of physical protection by occlusion in aggregates in organic matter accumulation in Brazilian soils. Soil samples taken from the 0.00-0.05, 0.05-0.10, and 0.10-0.20 m layers underwent density fractionation, and the free light fraction (FLF), occluded light fraction (OLF), and heavy fraction (HF) of OM were obtained. The use of 2.0 kg dm-3 SPT increased the content of organic carbon (C) in the FLF and in the OLF of both soils in comparison to 1.8 kg dm-3 NaI, and the effect was more pronounced in the OLF. Use of the NT system increased the SOM content in the 0-0.05 m layer compared to CT in the Acrisol. The mechanism of physical protection of SOM by occlusion in aggregates was effective in increasing soil C stocks, accounting for ⅓ of C accumulation in the 0.00-0.05 m layer of the Acrisol. For the Ferralsol, there were no differences between the stock of total organic carbon (TOC) in NT and CT, but the soil in NT showed an accumulation of approximately ⅔ of the C stock as OLF in the topsoil. Physical protection by occlusion in aggregates is a significant mechanism in C stabilization and sequestration in tropical and subtropical soils, but its importance may be masked by the low efficiency of the NaI solution in studies of densimetric fractionation of SOM.
densimetric fractionation; soil organic carbon dynamic; soil management
