Rapid loss of complex polymers and pyrogenic carbon in subsoils under whole-soil warming

Zosso, Cyrill U.; Ofiti, Nicholas O. E.; Torn, Margaret S.; Wiesenberg, Guido L. B.; Schmidt, Michael W. I.

doi:10.1038/s41561-023-01142-1

Rapid loss of complex polymers and pyrogenic carbon in subsoils under whole-soil warming

Journal Article · Thu Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Nature Geoscience

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01142-1· OSTI ID:2228874

^[1]; ^[1]; ^[2]; ^[1]; ^[1]

Univ. of Zurich (Switzerland)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

Subsoils contain more than half of soil organic carbon (SOC) and are expected to experience rapid warming in the coming decades. Yet our understanding of the stability of this vast carbon pool under global warming is uncertain. In particular, the fate of complex molecular structures (polymers) remains debated. Here we show that 4.5 years of whole-soil warming (+4 °C) resulted in less polymeric SOC (sum of specific polymers contributing to SOC) in the warmed subsoil (20–90 cm) relative to control, with no detectable change in topsoil. Warming stimulated the subsoil loss of lignin phenols (–17 ± 0%) derived from woody plant biomass, hydrolysable lipids cutin and suberin, derived from leaf and woody plant biomass (–28 ± 3%), and pyrogenic carbon (–37 ± 8%) produced during incomplete combustion. Given that these compounds have been proposed for long-term carbon sequestration, it is notable that they were rapidly lost in warmed soils. We conclude that complex polymeric carbon in subsoil is vulnerable to decomposition and propose that molecular structure alone may not protect compounds from degradation under future warming.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 2228874

Journal Information:: Nature Geoscience, Journal Name: Nature Geoscience Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 16; ISSN 1752-0894

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (44)

Analysis of Lipids and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Indicators of Past and Present (Micro)Biological Activity Wiesenberg, Guido L. B.; Gocke, Martina I. Springer Protocols Handbooks https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2015_157	book	January 2015
A meta-analysis of the response of soil respiration, net nitrogen mineralization, and aboveground plant growth to experimental ecosystem warming Rustad, L.; Campbell, J.; Marion, G. Oecologia, Vol. 126, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s004420000544	journal	February 2001
Can cutin and suberin biomarkers be used to trace shoot and root-derived organic matter? A molecular and isotopic approach Mendez-Millan, Mercedes; Dignac, Marie-France; Rumpel, Cornelia Biogeochemistry, Vol. 106, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9407-8	journal	February 2010
Soil warming and nitrogen deposition alter soil organic matter composition at the molecular-level Pisani, Oliva; Frey, Serita D.; Simpson, André J. Biogeochemistry, Vol. 123, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-015-0073-8	journal	February 2015
Biogeochemical evolution of soil organic matter composition after a decade of warming and nitrogen addition vandenEnden, Lori; Anthony, Mark A.; Frey, Serita D. Biogeochemistry, Vol. 156, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-021-00837-0	journal	August 2021
Deep soil organic matter—a key but poorly understood component of terrestrial C cycle Rumpel, Cornelia; Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid Plant and Soil, Vol. 338, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0391-5	journal	May 2010
Distribution of cutin and suberin biomarkers under forest trees with different root systems Spielvogel, Sandra; Prietzel, Jörg; Leide, Jana Plant and Soil, Vol. 381, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2103-z	journal	April 2014
The diagenetic behavior of cutin acids in buried conifer needles and sediments from a coastal marine environment Goñi, Miguel A.; Hedges, John I. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 54, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90124-4	journal	November 1990
Strengthening the soil organic carbon pool by increasing contributions from recalcitrant aliphatic bio(macro)molecules Lorenz, Klaus; Lal, Rattan; Preston, Caroline M. Geoderma, Vol. 142, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2007.07.013	journal	November 2007
Turnover rates of hydrolysable aliphatic lipids in Duke Forest soils determined by compound specific 13C isotopic analysis Feng, Xiaojuan; Xu, Yunping; Jaffé, Rudolf Organic Geochemistry, Vol. 41, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2010.02.013	journal	June 2010
Soil organic carbon response to global environmental change depends on its distribution between mineral-associated and particulate organic matter: A meta-analysis Rocci, Katherine S.; Lavallee, Jocelyn M.; Stewart, Catherine E. Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 793 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148569	journal	November 2021
Fate of lignins in soils: A review Thevenot, Mathieu; Dignac, Marie-France; Rumpel, Cornelia Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 42, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.03.017	journal	August 2010
Soil microbes and their response to experimental warming over time: A meta-analysis of field studies Romero-Olivares, A. L.; Allison, S. D.; Treseder, K. K. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 107 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.12.026	journal	April 2017
Changes in substrate availability drive carbon cycle response to chronic warming Pold, Grace; Grandy, A. Stuart; Melillo, Jerry M. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 110 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2017.03.002	journal	July 2017
Warming promotes loss of subsoil carbon through accelerated degradation of plant-derived organic matter Ofiti, Nicholas O. E.; Zosso, Cyrill U.; Soong, Jennifer L. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 156 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108185	journal	May 2021
Characterization of lignin by gas capillary chromatography of cupric oxide oxidation products Hedges, John I.; Ertel, John R. Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 54, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00239a007	journal	February 1982
Alkaline CuO Oxidation with a Microwave Digestion System: Lignin Analyses of Geochemical Samples Goñi, Miguel A.; Montgomery, Shelagh Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 72, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1021/ac991316w	journal	May 2000
CMIP5 Models Predict Rapid and Deep Soil Warming Over the 21st Century Soong, Jennifer L.; Phillips, Claire L.; Ledna, Catherine Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol. 125, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JG005266	journal	February 2020
Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate change Davidson, Eric A.; Janssens, Ivan A. Nature, Vol. 440, Issue 7081 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04514	journal	March 2006
Stability of organic carbon in deep soil layers controlled by fresh carbon supply Fontaine, Sébastien; Barot, Sébastien; Barré, Pierre Nature, Vol. 450, Issue 7167 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06275	journal	November 2007
Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property Schmidt, Michael W. I.; Torn, Margaret S.; Abiven, Samuel Nature, Vol. 478, Issue 7367 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10386	journal	October 2011
Managing uncertainty in soil carbon feedbacks to climate change Bradford, Mark A.; Wieder, William R.; Bonan, Gordon B. Nature Climate Change, Vol. 6, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3071	journal	July 2016
Increased cuticular carbon sequestration and lignin oxidation in response to soil warming Feng, Xiaojuan; Simpson, André J.; Wilson, Kevin P. Nature Geoscience, Vol. 1, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo361	journal	November 2008
Heat-proof carbon compound Prescott, Cindy Nature Geoscience, Vol. 1, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo371	journal	December 2008
Temperature effects on carbon storage are controlled by soil stabilisation capacities Hartley, Iain P.; Hill, Tim C.; Chadburn, Sarah E. Nature Communications, Vol. 12, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27101-1	journal	November 2021
A meta-analysis of 1,119 manipulative experiments on terrestrial carbon-cycling responses to global change Song, Jian; Wan, Shiqiang; Piao, Shilong Nature Ecology & Evolution, Vol. 3, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0958-3	journal	August 2019
Molecular trade-offs in soil organic carbon composition at continental scale Hall, Steven J.; Ye, Chenglong; Weintraub, Samantha R. Nature Geoscience, Vol. 13, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-020-0634-x	journal	September 2020
Biochar in climate change mitigation Lehmann, Johannes; Cowie, Annette; Masiello, Caroline A. Nature Geoscience, Vol. 14, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00852-8	journal	December 2021
Stronger warming effects on microbial abundances in colder regions Chen, Ji; Luo, Yiqi; Xia, Jianyang Scientific Reports, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18032	journal	December 2015
Climate warming alters subsoil but not topsoil carbon dynamics in alpine grassland Jia, Juan; Cao, Zhenjiao; Liu, Chengzhu Global Change Biology, Vol. 25, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14823	journal	October 2019
Conceptualizing soil organic matter into particulate and mineral‐associated forms to address global change in the 21st century Lavallee, Jocelyn M.; Soong, Jennifer L.; Cotrufo, M. Francesca Global Change Biology, Vol. 26, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14859	journal	November 2019
Soil carbon loss with warming: New evidence from carbon‐degrading enzymes Chen, Ji; Elsgaard, Lars; Groenigen, Kees Jan Global Change Biology, Vol. 26, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14986	journal	April 2020
Biochar stability in soil: meta-analysis of decomposition and priming effects Wang, Jinyang; Xiong, Zhengqin; Kuzyakov, Yakov GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 8, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12266	journal	June 2015
A method for experimental heating of intact soil profiles for application to climate change experiments: EXPERIMENTAL HEATING OF INTACT SOIL PROFILES Hanson, Paul J.; Childs, Kenneth W.; Wullschleger, Stan D. Global Change Biology, Vol. 17, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02221.x	journal	January 2011
Labile compounds in plant litter reduce the sensitivity of decomposition to warming and altered precipitation Suseela, Vidya; Tharayil, Nishanth; Xing, Baoshan New Phytologist, Vol. 200, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12376	journal	July 2013
Five years of whole-soil warming led to loss of subsoil carbon stocks and increased CO ₂ efflux Soong, Jennifer L.; Castanha, Cristina; Hicks Pries, Caitlin E. Science Advances, Vol. 7, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd1343	journal	May 2021
Biopolyester Membranes of Plants: Cutin and Suberin Kolattukudy, P. E. Science, Vol. 208, Issue 4447 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.208.4447.990	journal	May 1980
The whole-soil carbon flux in response to warming Hicks Pries, Caitlin E.; Castanha, C.; Porras, R. C. Science, Vol. 355, Issue 6332 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aal1319	journal	March 2017
Importance of suberin biopolymer in plant function, contributions to soil organic carbon and in the production of bio-derived energy and materials Harman-Ware, Anne E.; Sparks, Samuel; Addison, Bennett Biotechnology for Biofuels, Vol. 14, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-021-01892-3	journal	March 2021
Über die Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit bei der Inversion von Rohrzucker durch Säuren Arrhenius, Svante Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie, Vol. 4U, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1515/zpch-1889-0416	journal	January 1889
The Vertical Distribution of soil Organic Carbon and its Relation to Climate and Vegetation Jobbágy, Esteban G.; Jackson, Robert B. Ecological Applications, Vol. 10, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[0423:TVDOSO]2.0.CO;2	journal	April 2000
Responses of ecosystem carbon cycle to experimental warming: a meta-analysis Lu, Meng; Zhou, Xuhui; Yang, Qiang Ecology, Vol. 94, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1890/12-0279.1	journal	March 2013
Pyrogenic Carbon Lacks Long-Term Persistence in Temperate Arable Soils Lutfalla, Suzanne; Abiven, Samuel; Barré, Pierre Frontiers in Earth Science, Vol. 5 https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2017.00096	journal	November 2017
Characterization, Quantification and Compound-specific Isotopic Analysis of Pyrogenic Carbon Using Benzene Polycarboxylic Acids (BPCA) Wiedemeier, Daniel B.; Lang, Susan Q.; Gierga, Merle Journal of Visualized Experiments, Issue 111 https://doi.org/10.3791/53922	journal	January 2016

Similar Records

Benzene polycarboxylic acids, lignin and hydrolysable lipids data from the whole-soil warming experiment at Blodgett Forest, CA, 2018, from: "Rapid loss of complex polymers and pyrogenic carbon in subsoils under whole soil warming"

Dataset · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2022 · OSTI ID:1915661

Whole-soil warming decreases abundance and modifies the community structure of microorganisms in the subsoil but not in surface soil

Journal Article · Mon Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Soil · OSTI ID:1811584

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
carbon cycle
projection and prediction

Rapid loss of complex polymers and pyrogenic carbon in subsoils under whole-soil warming

Citation Formats

References (44)

Similar Records

Related Subjects