Some scientists include plant litter (surface residues) in their definition of soil organic matter, while others do not. Write two brief paragraphs, one justifying the inclusion of litter as soil...

Some scientists include plant litter (surface residues) in their definition of soil organic matter, while others do not. Write two brief paragraphs, one justifying the inclusion of litter as soil organic matter and one justifying its exclusion.

In this book and elsewhere, the terms soil organic carbon and soil organic matter are used to mean almost the same thing. How are these terms related, conceptually and quantitatively? Why is the term organic carbon generally more appropriate for quantitative scientific discussions?