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Diverse Mycorrhizal Associations Enhance Terrestrial C Storage in a Global Model

Journal Article · · Global Biogeochemical Cycles
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GB005973· OSTI ID:1511936
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7]
  1. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab., Princeton, NJ (United States)
  3. West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States)
  4. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  5. NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab., Princeton, NJ (United States); Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
  6. Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)
  7. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Univ. of Maryland, Frostburg, MD (United States)
Accurate projections of the terrestrial carbon (C) sink are critical to understanding the future global C cycle and setting CO2 emission reduction goals. Current earth system models (ESMs) and dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) with coupled carbon-nitrogen cycles project that future terrestrial C sequestration will be limited by nitrogen (N) availability, but the magnitude of N limitation remains a critical uncertainty. Plants use multiple symbiotic nutrient acquisition strategies to mitigate N limitation, but current DGVMs omit these mechanisms. Fully coupling N-acquiring plant-microbe symbioses to soil organic matter (SOM) cycling within a DGVM for the first time, we demonstrate that increases in N acquisition via SOM decomposition and atmospheric N2 fixation could support long-term enhancement of terrestrial C sequestration at global scales under elevated CO2. The model reproduced elevated CO2 responses from two experiments (Duke and Oak Ridge) representing contrasting N acquisition strategies. N release from enhanced SOM decomposition supported vegetation growth at Duke, while inorganic N depletion limited growth at Oak Ridge. Global simulations reproduced spatial patterns of N-acquiring symbioses from a novel niche-based map of mycorrhizal fungi. Under a 100-ppm increase in CO2 concentrations, shifts in N acquisition pathways facilitated 200 Pg C of terrestrial C sequestration over 100 years compared to 50 Pg C for a scenario with static N acquisition pathways. Our results imply that N acquisition strategies are important determinants of terrestrial C sequestration potential under elevated CO2 and that nitrogen-enabled DGVMs that omit symbiotic N acquisition may underestimate future terrestrial C uptake.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; SC0016188
OSTI ID:
1511936
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1507473
Journal Information:
Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Journal Name: Global Biogeochemical Cycles Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 33; ISSN 0886-6236
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Soil Microbial Responses to 28 Years of Nutrient Fertilization in a Subarctic Heath journal November 2019
Changing perspectives on terrestrial nitrogen cycling: The importance of weathering and evolved resource‐use traits for understanding ecosystem responses to global change journal June 2019
Plant roots stimulate the decomposition of complex, but not simple, soil carbon journal April 2020
Patterns of nitrogen‐fixing tree abundance in forests across Asia and America journal May 2019
Mycorrhizal types differ in ecophysiology and alter plant nutrition and soil processes journal May 2019
Constraining Carbon and Nutrient Flows in Soil With Ecological Stoichiometry journal October 2019
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Constraining carbon and nutrient flows in soil with ecological stoichiometry text January 2019