Dissolved carbon flow to particulate organic carbon enhances soil carbon sequestration

Bibliographic Details
Title: Dissolved carbon flow to particulate organic carbon enhances soil carbon sequestration
Authors: Q. Si, K. Chen, B. Wei, Y. Zhang, X. Sun, J. Liang
Source: SOIL, Vol 10, Pp 441-450 (2024)
Publisher Information: Copernicus Publications, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Environmental sciences
LCC:Geology
Subject Terms: Environmental sciences, GE1-350, Geology, QE1-996.5
More Details: Particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), which are two primary components of the soil carbon (C) reservoir, have different physical and chemical properties as well as biochemical turnover rates. Microbial necromass entombment is a primary mechanism for MAOC formation from fast-decaying plant substrates, whereas POC is typically considered the product of structural litter via physical fragmentation. However, emerging evidence shows that microbial by-products derived from labile C substrates can enter the POC pool. To date, it is still unclear to what extent dissolved C can enter the POC pool and how it affects the subsequent long-term soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. Our study here, through a 13C-labeling experiment in 10 soils from 5 grassland sites as well as a modeling analysis, showed that up to 12.29 % of isotope-labeled glucose C (i.e., dissolved C) was detected in the POC pool. In addition, the glucose-derived POC was correlated with 13C-MBC (microbial biomass carbon) and the fraction of clay and silt, suggesting that the flow of dissolved C to POC is dependent on interactions between soil physical and microbial processes. The modeling analysis showed that ignoring the C flow from MBC to POC significantly underestimated soil C sequestration by up to 53.52 % across the 10 soils. The results emphasize that the soil mineral-regulated microbial process, besides the plant structural residues, is a significant contributor to POC, acting as a vital component in SOC dynamics.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2199-3971
2199-398X
Relation: https://soil.copernicus.org/articles/10/441/2024/soil-10-441-2024.pdf; https://doaj.org/toc/2199-3971; https://doaj.org/toc/2199-398X
DOI: 10.5194/soil-10-441-2024
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/f81180655d934527a3fd3e8cd211630a
Accession Number: edsdoj.f81180655d934527a3fd3e8cd211630a
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:21993971
2199398X
DOI:10.5194/soil-10-441-2024
Published in:SOIL
Language:English