Calcium promotes persistent soil organic matter by altering microbial transformation of plant litter

Shabtai, Itamar A.; Wilhelm, Roland C.; Schweizer, Steffen A.; Höschen, Carmen; Buckley, Daniel H.; Lehmann, Johannes

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-42291-6

Title: Calcium promotes persistent soil organic matter by altering microbial transformation of plant litter

Journal Article · 19 October 2023 · Nature Communications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42291-6 · OSTI ID:2202989

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Abstract Calcium (Ca) can contribute to soil organic carbon (SOC) persistence by mediating physico-chemical interactions between organic compounds and minerals. Yet, Ca is also crucial for microbial adhesion, potentially affecting colonization of plant and mineral surfaces. The importance of Ca as a mediator of microbe-mineral-organic matter interactions and resulting SOC transformation has been largely overlooked. We incubated ⁴⁴ Ca labeled soils with ¹³ C ¹⁵ N labeled leaf litter to study how Ca affects microbial transformation of litter and formation of mineral associated organic matter. Here we show that Ca additions promote hyphae-forming bacteria, which often specialize in colonizing surfaces, and increase incorporation of litter into microbial biomass and carbon use efficiency by approximately 45% each. Ca additions reduce cumulative CO ₂ production by 4%, while promoting associations between minerals and microbial byproducts of plant litter. These findings expand the role of Ca in SOC persistence from solely a driver of physico-chemical reactions to a mediator of coupled abiotic-biotic cycling of SOC.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: NONE; SC0016364

OSTI ID:: 2202989

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 Kingdom

Language:: English

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