Shifts in pore connectivity from precipitation versus groundwater rewetting increases soil carbon loss after drought

Smith, A. Peyton; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Benscoter, Brian W.; Tfaily, Malak M.; Hinkle, C. Ross; Liu, Chongxuan; Bailey, Vanessa L.

doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01320-x

Title: Shifts in pore connectivity from precipitation versus groundwater rewetting increases soil carbon loss after drought

Journal Article · Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 EST 2017 · Nature Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01320-x· OSTI ID:1414537

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Droughts and other extreme precipitation events are predicted to increase in intensity, duration and extent, with uncertain implications for terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration. Soil wetting from above (precipitation) results in a characteristically different pattern of pore-filling than wetting from below (groundwater), with larger, well-connected pores filling before finer pore spaces, unlike groundwater rise in which capillary forces saturate the finest pores first. Here we demonstrate that pore-scale wetting patterns interact with antecedent soil moisture conditions to alter pore-, core- and field-scale C dynamics. Drought legacy and wetting direction are perhaps more important determinants of short-term C mineralization than current soil moisture content in these soils. Our results highlight that microbial access to C is not solely limited by physical protection, but also by drought or wetting-induced shifts in hydrologic connectivity. We argue that models should treat soil moisture within a three-dimensional framework emphasizing hydrologic conduits for C and resource diffusion.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 1414537

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-121121; 48713; 49369; KP1702010

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Vol. 8, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing Group

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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