Mineral reactivity determines root effects on soil organic carbon

Liang, Guopeng; Stark, John; Waring, Bonnie Grace

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-40768-y

Title: Mineral reactivity determines root effects on soil organic carbon

Journal Article · 15 August 2023 · Nature Communications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40768-y · OSTI ID:2007001

^[1]; Stark, John ^[2];

^[3]

Utah State University, Logan, UT (United States); University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN (United States); Utah State University
Utah State University, Logan, UT (United States)
Utah State University, Logan, UT (United States); Imperial College London (United Kingdom)

Modern conceptual models of soil organic carbon (SOC) cycling focus heavily on the microbe-mineral interactions that regulate C stabilization. However, the formation of ‘stable’ (i.e. slowly cycling) soil organic matter, which consists mainly of microbial residues associated with mineral surfaces, is inextricably linked to C loss through microbial respiration. Therefore, what is the net impact of microbial metabolism on the total quantity of C held in the soil? To address this question, we constructed artificial root-soil systems to identify controls on C cycling across the plant-microbe-mineral continuum, simultaneously quantifying the formation of mineral-associated C and SOC losses to respiration. Here we show that root exudates and minerals interacted to regulate these processes: while roots stimulated respiratory C losses and depleted mineral-associated C pools in low-activity clays, root exudates triggered formation of stable C in high-activity clays. Moreover, we observed a positive correlation between the formation of mineral-associated C and respiration. This suggests that the growth of slow-cycling C pools comes at the expense of C loss from the system.

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Research Organization:: Utah State University, Logan, UT (United States)

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

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0020108

OSTI ID:: 2007001

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 14; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
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roots
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Title: Mineral reactivity determines root effects on soil organic carbon

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