Long-term pattern and magnitude of soil carbon feedback to the climate system in a warming world
Abstract
In a 26-year soil warming experiment in a mid-latitude hardwood forest, we documented changes in soil carbon cycling to investigate the potential consequences for the climate system. We found that soil warming results in a four-phase pattern of soil organic matter decay and carbon dioxide fluxes to the atmosphere, with phases of substantial soil carbon loss alternating with phases of no detectable loss. Several factors combine to affect the timing, magnitude, and thermal acclimation of soil carbon loss. These include depletion of microbially accessible carbon pools, reductions in microbial biomass, a shift in microbial carbon use efficiency, and changes in microbial community composition. Our results support projections of a long-term, self-reinforcing carbon feedback from mid-latitude forests to the climate system as the world warms.
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1438093
- Grant/Contract Number:
- award307557; DOE-DE-SC0070740; award307558; DOE DE-SC0016590
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Science
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Science Journal Volume: 358 Journal Issue: 6359; Journal ID: ISSN 0036-8075
- Publisher:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Melillo, J. M., Frey, S. D., DeAngelis, K. M., Werner, W. J., Bernard, M. J., Bowles, F. P., Pold, G., Knorr, M. A., and Grandy, A. S. Long-term pattern and magnitude of soil carbon feedback to the climate system in a warming world. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1126/science.aan2874.
Melillo, J. M., Frey, S. D., DeAngelis, K. M., Werner, W. J., Bernard, M. J., Bowles, F. P., Pold, G., Knorr, M. A., & Grandy, A. S. Long-term pattern and magnitude of soil carbon feedback to the climate system in a warming world. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan2874
Melillo, J. M., Frey, S. D., DeAngelis, K. M., Werner, W. J., Bernard, M. J., Bowles, F. P., Pold, G., Knorr, M. A., and Grandy, A. S. Thu .
"Long-term pattern and magnitude of soil carbon feedback to the climate system in a warming world". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan2874.
@article{osti_1438093,
title = {Long-term pattern and magnitude of soil carbon feedback to the climate system in a warming world},
author = {Melillo, J. M. and Frey, S. D. and DeAngelis, K. M. and Werner, W. J. and Bernard, M. J. and Bowles, F. P. and Pold, G. and Knorr, M. A. and Grandy, A. S.},
abstractNote = {In a 26-year soil warming experiment in a mid-latitude hardwood forest, we documented changes in soil carbon cycling to investigate the potential consequences for the climate system. We found that soil warming results in a four-phase pattern of soil organic matter decay and carbon dioxide fluxes to the atmosphere, with phases of substantial soil carbon loss alternating with phases of no detectable loss. Several factors combine to affect the timing, magnitude, and thermal acclimation of soil carbon loss. These include depletion of microbially accessible carbon pools, reductions in microbial biomass, a shift in microbial carbon use efficiency, and changes in microbial community composition. Our results support projections of a long-term, self-reinforcing carbon feedback from mid-latitude forests to the climate system as the world warms.},
doi = {10.1126/science.aan2874},
journal = {Science},
number = 6359,
volume = 358,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 05 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Thu Oct 05 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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