Plant, microbial and ecosystem carbon use efficiencies interact to stabilize microbial growth as a fraction of gross primary production

Sinsabaugh, Robert L.; Moorhead, Daryl L.; Xu, Xiaofeng; Litvak, Marcy E.

doi:10.1111/nph.14485

Title: Plant, microbial and ecosystem carbon use efficiencies interact to stabilize microbial growth as a fraction of gross primary production

Journal Article · 24 February 2017 · New Phytologist

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14485 · OSTI ID:1401073

Sinsabaugh, Robert L. ^[1]; Moorhead, Daryl L. ^[2]; Xu, Xiaofeng ^[3]; Litvak, Marcy E. ^[1]

Biology Department University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
Department of Environmental Sciences University of Toledo Toledo OH 43606 USA
Biology Department San Diego State University San Diego CA 92182 USA

Summary The carbon use efficiency of plants ( CUE _a ) and microorganisms ( CUE _h ) determines rates of biomass turnover and soil carbon sequestration. We evaluated the hypothesis that CUE _a and CUE _h counterbalance at a large scale, stabilizing microbial growth (μ) as a fraction of gross primary production ( GPP ). Collating data from published studies, we correlated annual CUE _a , estimated from satellite imagery, with locally determined soil CUE _h for 100 globally distributed sites. Ecosystem CUE _e , the ratio of net ecosystem production ( NEP ) to GPP , was estimated for each site using published models. At the ecosystem scale, CUE _a and CUE _h were inversely related. At the global scale, the apparent temperature sensitivity of CUE _h with respect to mean annual temperature ( MAT ) was similar for organic and mineral soils (0.029°C ⁻¹ ). CUE _a and CUE _e were inversely related to MAT , with apparent sensitivities of −0.009 and −0.032°C ⁻¹ , respectively. These trends constrain the ratio μ : GPP (= (CUE _a × CUE _h )/(1 − CUE _e )) with respect to MAT by counterbalancing the apparent temperature sensitivities of the component processes. At the ecosystem scale, the counterbalance is effected by modulating soil organic matter stocks. The results suggest that a μ : GPP value of c . 0.13 is a homeostatic steady state for ecosystem carbon fluxes at a large scale.

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

OSTI ID:: 1401073

Journal Information:: New Phytologist, Journal Name: New Phytologist Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 214; ISSN 0028-646X

Publisher:: Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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