FIGURE 3.

The concentrations of plant biomarkers (per gram organic carbon in soil fractions) in fPOM, oPOM, and MAOM; (a) long‐chain fatty acids (>C₂₄ alkanes, >C₂₂ n‐alkanoic acids and alkanols); (b) Cutin, (C₁₄–C₁₈ hydroxyalkanoic acids, C₁₆‐di‐hydroxyalkanoic acids, ω‐hydroxy‐ and ω‐hydroxy‐epoxy alkanoic acids [C₁₆–C₁₈]); (c) suberin, (α,ω‐dicarboxylic acids (C₁₆–C₂₄; saturated and substituted) and ω‐hydroxyalkanoic acids [C₂₀–C₃₀; saturated and substituted]); (d) VSC lignin representing the sum of syringyl, vanillyl, and cinnamyl monomers of lignin and (e) total plant‐derived biomarkers (sum of LFA, cutin, suberin, lignin). Error bars are ±1 SE of the mean (n = 4) with lowercase letters above bars indicating significant differences between CC treatments in specific fraction at p < .05. Different uppercase letter above bars indicates significant differences among soil fractions across all CC treatments at p < .05. CC, cover crop; fPOM, free particulate organic matter; FT, functional type; FT × SF, interaction effect of functional type and soil fraction; MAOM, mineral‐associated organic matter; oPOM, occluded particulate organic matter; SOC, soil organic carbon; SF, soil fraction.