Soil Carbon Stocks Not Linked to Aboveground Litter Input and Chemistry of Old-Growth Forest and Adjacent Prairie

McFarlane, Karis J.; Mambelli, Stefania; Porras, Rachel C.; Wiedemeier, Daniel B.; Schmidt, Michael W. I.; Dawson, Todd E.; Torn, Margaret S.

doi:10.1017/rdc.2024.5

Title: Soil Carbon Stocks Not Linked to Aboveground Litter Input and Chemistry of Old-Growth Forest and Adjacent Prairie

Journal Article · 12 February 2024 · Radiocarbon

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/rdc.2024.5 · OSTI ID:2325287

^[1]; Mambelli, Stefania ^[2]; Porras, Rachel C. ^[3]; Wiedemeier, Daniel B. ^[4]; Schmidt, Michael W. I. ^[4]; Dawson, Todd E. ^[2]; Torn, Margaret S. ^[3]

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

The long-standing assumption that aboveground plant litter inputs have a substantial influence on soil organic carbon storage (SOC) and dynamics has been challenged by a new paradigm for SOC formation and persistence. We tested the importance of plant litter chemistry on SOC storage, distribution, composition, and age by comparing two highly contrasting ecosystems: an old-growth coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forest, with highly aromatic litter, and an adjacent coastal prairie, with more easily decomposed litter. We hypothesized that if plant litter chemistry was the primary driver, redwood would store more and older SOC that was less microbially processed than prairie. Total soil carbon stocks to 110 cm depth were higher in prairie (35 kg C m^—2) than redwood (28 kg C m^—2). Radiocarbon values indicated shorter SOC residence times in redwood than prairie throughout the profile. Higher amounts of pyrogenic carbon and a higher degree of microbial processing of SOC appear to be instrumental for soil carbon storage and persistence in prairie, while differences in fine-root carbon inputs likely contribute to younger SOC in redwood. We conclude that at these sites fire residues, root inputs, and soil properties influence soil carbon dynamics to a greater degree than the properties of aboveground litter.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

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

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344; AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 2325287

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2332966

Report Number(s):: LLNL--JRNL-843128; 1065672

Journal Information:: Radiocarbon, Journal Name: Radiocarbon Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 66; ISSN 0033-8222

Publisher:: Cambridge University PressCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (74)

Carbon transformations during decomposition of different components of plant leaves in soil Webster, E. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 32, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(99)00153-4	journal	March 2000
Leaf-litter accretion and decomposition in interior and coastal old-growth redwood stands Pillers, Michael D.; Stuart, John D. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 23, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1139/x93-073	journal	March 1993
Black carbon in soils and sediments: Analysis, distribution, implications, and current challenges Schmidt, Michael W. I.; Noack, Angela G. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 14, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1029/1999GB001208	journal	September 2000
Rates of litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems: global patterns and controlling factors Zhang, Deqiang; Hui, Dafeng; Luo, Yiqi Journal of Plant Ecology, Vol. 1, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtn002	journal	March 2008
Empirical evidence that soil carbon formation from plant inputs is positively related to microbial growth Bradford, Mark A.; Keiser, Ashley D.; Davies, Christian A. Biogeochemistry, Vol. 113, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-012-9822-0	journal	January 2013
Role of large-scale soil structure in organic carbon turnover: Evidence from California grassland soils Ewing, Stephanie A.; Sanderman, Jonathan; Baisden, W. Troy Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 111, Issue G3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JG000174	journal	January 2006
A micro‐pipette method for water dispersible clay Burt, R.; Reinsch, T. G.; Miller, W. P. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, Vol. 24, Issue 19-20 https://doi.org/10.1080/00103629309368975	journal	December 1993
Comparison of soil organic matter dynamics at five temperate deciduous forests with physical fractionation and radiocarbon measurements McFarlane, Karis J.; Torn, Margaret S.; Hanson, Paul J. Biogeochemistry, Vol. 112, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-012-9740-1	journal	May 2012
A Forest for the Trees: Forest Management and the Yurok Environment, 1850 to 1994 Huntsinger, Lynn; McCaffrey, Sarah American Indian Culture and Research Journal, Vol. 19, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.17953/aicr.19.4.cv0758kh373323h1	journal	January 1995
Deep in the Sierra Nevada critical zone: saprock represents a large terrestrial organic carbon stock Moreland, Kimber; Tian, Zhiyuan; Berhe, Asmeret Asefaw Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 16, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3bfe	journal	December 2021
Controls on black carbon storage in soils: BLACK CARBON IN SOILS Czimczik, Claudia I.; Masiello, Caroline A. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 21, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GB002798	journal	July 2007
Improved assessment of pyrogenic carbon quantity and quality in environmental samples by high-performance liquid chromatography Wiedemeier, Daniel B.; Hilf, Michael D.; Smittenberg, Rienk H. Journal of Chromatography A, Vol. 1304 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2013.06.012	journal	August 2013
Soil carbon pools and world life zones Post, Wilfred M.; Emanuel, William R.; Zinke, Paul J. Nature, Vol. 298, Issue 5870 https://doi.org/10.1038/298156a0	journal	July 1982
Microbial physiology and necromass regulate agricultural soil carbon accumulation Kallenbach, C. M.; Grandy, A. S.; Frey, S. D. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 91 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.09.005	journal	December 2015
The role of polyphenols in terrestrial ecosystem nutrient cycling Hättenschwiler, Stephan; Vitousek, Peter M. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Vol. 15, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(00)01861-9	journal	June 2000
Black (pyrogenic) carbon: a synthesis of current knowledge and uncertainties with special consideration of boreal regions Preston, C. M.; Schmidt, M. W. I. Biogeosciences, Vol. 3, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-3-397-2006	journal	January 2006
Temporal changes in the leaf monoterpenes of Sequoia sempervirens Hall, George D.; Langenheim, Jean H. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, Vol. 14, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(86)90086-4	journal	January 1986
Direct evidence for microbial-derived soil organic matter formation and its ecophysiological controls Kallenbach, Cynthia M.; Frey, Serita D.; Grandy, A. Stuart Nature Communications, Vol. 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13630	journal	November 2016
Discussion Reporting of ¹⁴ C Data Stuiver, Minze; Polach, Henry A. Radiocarbon, Vol. 19, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033822200003672	journal	January 1977
Cycling and composition of organic matter in terrestrial and marine ecosystems Baldock, J. A.; Masiello, C. A.; Gélinas, Y. Marine Chemistry, Vol. 92, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2004.06.016	journal	December 2004
Decomposition of Wheat Straw and Stabilization of Microbial Products Voroney, R. P.; Paul, E. A.; Anderson, D. W. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 69, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.4141/cjss89-007	journal	February 1989
Increasing wood production through old age in tall trees Sillett, Stephen C.; Van Pelt, Robert; Koch, George W. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 259, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.12.003	journal	February 2010
Effects of litter types, microsite and root diameters on litter decomposition in Pinus sylvestris plantations of northern China Wang, Wei; Zhang, Xinyue; Tao, Na Plant and Soil, Vol. 374, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1902-y	journal	September 2013
13C and 15N NMR spectroscopy as a tool in soil organic matter studies Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid Geoderma, Vol. 80, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(97)00055-4	journal	November 1997
Environmental and stoichiometric controls on microbial carbon-use efficiency in soils: Research review Manzoni, Stefano; Taylor, Philip; Richter, Andreas New Phytologist, Vol. 196, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04225.x	journal	July 2012
Trunk Reiteration Promotes Epiphytes and Water Storage in an Old-Growth Redwood Forest Canopy Sillett, Stephen C.; Pelt, Robert Van Ecological Monographs, Vol. 77, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1890/06-0994.1	journal	August 2007
Plant- or microbial-derived? A review on the molecular composition of stabilized soil organic matter Angst, Gerrit; Mueller, Kevin E.; Nierop, Klaas G. J. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 156 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108189	journal	May 2021
Soil Organic Matter Stability in Intensively Managed Ponderosa Pine Stands in California McFarlane, Karis J.; Schoenholtz, Stephen H.; Powers, Robert F. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 74, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2009.0062	journal	May 2010
The Role of Carbon-Based Plant Secondary Metabolites in Decomposition in Terrestrial Ecosystems Horner, John D.; Gosz, James R.; Cates, Rex G. The American Naturalist, Vol. 132, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1086/284894	journal	December 1988
Fate of microbial biomass-derived amino acids in soil and their contribution to soil organic matter Miltner, Anja; Kindler, Reimo; Knicker, Heike Organic Geochemistry, Vol. 40, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2009.06.008	journal	September 2009
Comparison of gas with liquid chromatography for the determination of benzenepolycarboxylic acids as molecular tracers of black carbon Schneider, Maximilian P. W.; Smittenberg, Rienk H.; Dittmar, Thorsten Organic Geochemistry, Vol. 42, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2011.01.003	journal	March 2011
Soil organic matter dynamics: a biological perspective derived from the use of compound-specific isotopes studies Gleixner, Gerd Ecological Research, Vol. 28, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-012-1022-9	journal	February 2013
The interaction of soil biota and soil structure under global change Young, Iain. M.; Blanchart, Eric.; Chenu, Claire Global Change Biology, Vol. 4, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2486.1998.00194.x	journal	October 1998
Divergent controls on carbon concentration and persistence between forests and grasslands of the conterminous US Heckman, K. A.; Nave, L. E.; Bowman, M. Biogeochemistry https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-020-00725-z	journal	November 2020
The contentious nature of soil organic matter Lehmann, Johannes; Kleber, Markus Nature, Vol. 528, Issue 7580 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature16069	journal	November 2015
Linking litter production, quality and decomposition to vegetation succession following agricultural abandonment Zhang, Kerong; Cheng, Xiaoli; Dang, Haishan Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 57 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.08.005	journal	February 2013
The Nature of Non-Proanthocyanidin Units in ‘Condensed Tannins’ from Conifer Wood and Bark Hergert, Herbert L. Plant Polyphenols https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3476-1_21	book	January 1992
Preservation of fire-derived carbon compounds and sorptive stabilisation promote the accumulation of organic matter in black soils of the Southern Alps Eckmeier, E.; Egli, M.; Schmidt, M. W. I. Geoderma, Vol. 159, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.07.006	journal	October 2010
Importance of substrate quality and clay content on microbial extracellular polymeric substances production and aggregate stability in soils Olagoke, Folasade K.; Bettermann, Antje; Nguyen, Phuong Thi Bich Biology and Fertility of Soils, Vol. 58, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-022-01632-1	journal	March 2022
The Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization (MEMS) framework integrates plant litter decomposition with soil organic matter stabilization: do labile plant inputs form stable soil organic matter? Cotrufo, M. Francesca; Wallenstein, Matthew D.; Boot, Claudia M. Global Change Biology, Vol. 19, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12113	journal	February 2013
Belowground Litter Contributions to Nitrogen Cycling at a Northern Grassland–Forest Boundary Steinaker, Diego F.; Wilson, Scott D. Ecology, Vol. 86, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1890/04-0893	journal	October 2005
Effect of land use on organic matter composition in density fractions of contrasting soils: A comparative study using 13C NMR and DRIFT spectroscopy Yeasmin, Sabina; Singh, Balwant; Smernik, Ronald J. Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 726 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138395	journal	July 2020
Assessing the extent of decomposition of natural organic materials using solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy Baldock, J. A.; Oades, J. M.; Nelson, P. N. Soil Research, Vol. 35, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1071/S97004	journal	January 1997
Mineral control of soil organic carbon storage and turnover Torn, Margaret S.; Trumbore, Susan E.; Chadwick, Oliver A. Nature, Vol. 389, Issue 6647 https://doi.org/10.1038/38260	journal	September 1997
Litterfall and Decomposition in Relation to Soil Carbon Pools Along a Secondary Forest Chronosequence in Puerto Rico Ostertag, Rebecca; Marín-Spiotta, Erika; Silver, Whendee L. Ecosystems, Vol. 11, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-008-9152-1	journal	May 2008
Chemistry of Carbon Decomposition Processes in Forests as Revealed by Solid-State Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Baldock, J. A.; Preston, C. M. Carbon Forms and Functions in Forest Soils https://doi.org/10.2136/1995.carbonforms.c6	book	January 1995
A cross-dated fire history from coast redwood near Redwood National Park, California Brown, Peter M.; Swetnam, Thomas W. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 24, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1139/x94-004	journal	January 1994
Centennial black carbon turnover observed in a Russian steppe soil Hammes, K.; Torn, M. S.; Lapenas, A. G. Biogeosciences, Vol. 5, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-5-1339-2008	journal	January 2008
Performance of catalytically condensed carbon for use in accelerator mass spectrometry Vogel, J. S.; Southon, J. R.; Nelson, D. E. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Vol. 5, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583X(84)90529-9	journal	November 1984
Nutrients and defoliation increase soil carbon inputs in grassland Ziter, Carly; MacDougall, Andrew S. Ecology, Vol. 94, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1890/11-2070.1	journal	January 2013
Estimating the molecular composition of a diverse range of natural organic materials from solid-state 13C NMR and elemental analyses Nelson, Paul N.; Baldock, Jeffrey A. Biogeochemistry, Vol. 72, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-004-0076-3	journal	January 2005
Analytical approaches for characterizing soil organic matter Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid Organic Geochemistry, Vol. 31, Issue 7-8 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0146-6380(00)00042-5	journal	July 2000
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
Chemistry of the genus sequoia—VI Anderson, Arthur B.; Riffer, Richard; Wong, Addie Phytochemistry, Vol. 7, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86661-3	journal	October 1968
Root litter decomposition slows with soil depth Hicks Pries, Caitlin E.; Sulman, Benjamin N.; West, Corinna Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 125 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.07.002	journal	October 2018
Mineralogical controls on soil black carbon preservation: HAWAII BLACK CARBON Cusack, Daniela F.; Chadwick, Oliver A.; Hockaday, William C. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 26, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GB004109	journal	May 2012
Evaluating litter decomposition in earth system models with long-term litterbag experiments: an example using the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4) Bonan, Gordon B.; Hartman, Melannie D.; Parton, William J. Global Change Biology, Vol. 19, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12031	journal	October 2012
Plant species effect on the decomposition and chemical changes of leaf litter in grassland and pine and oak forest soils Osono, Takashi; Azuma, Jun-ichi; Hirose, Dai Plant and Soil, Vol. 376, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1993-5	journal	December 2013
Pyrogenic carbon in native grassland soils along a climosequence in North America Glaser, Bruno; Amelung, Wulf Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 17, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GB002019	journal	June 2003
Controls on long-term root and leaf litter decomposition in neotropical forests Cusack, Daniela F.; Chou, Wendy W.; Yang, Wendy H. Global Change Biology, Vol. 15, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01781.x	journal	May 2009
Fine Roots vs. Needles: A Comparison of 13C and 15N Dynamics in a Ponderosa Pine Forest Soil Bird, Jeffrey A.; Torn, Margaret S. Biogeochemistry, Vol. 79, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-005-5632-y	journal	July 2006
Relationships among forest soil C isotopic composition, partitioning, and turnover times Garten Jr., Charles T. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 36, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1139/x06-115	journal	September 2006
Biomass, production and woody detritus in an old coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forest T. Busing, Richard; Fujimori, Takao Plant Ecology, Vol. 177, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-005-2322-8	journal	April 2005
Solid-state CP/MAS 13C NMR analysis of bacterial and fungal cultures isolated from a soil incubated fith glucose Baldock, Ja; Oades, Jm; Vassallo, Am Soil Research, Vol. 28, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR9900213	journal	January 1990
Litter decomposition: what controls it and how can we alter it to sequester more carbon in forest soils? Prescott, Cindy E. Biogeochemistry, Vol. 101, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9439-0	journal	April 2010
Polyphenols as Regulators of Plant-litter-soil Interactions in Northern California's Pygmy Forest: A Positive Feedback? Northup, Robert R.; Dahlgren, Randy A.; McColl, John G. Biogeochemistry, Vol. 42, Issue 1/2, p. 189-220 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005991908504	journal	August 1998
Quantifying the effects of switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) on deep organic C stocks using natural abundance ¹⁴ C in three marginal soils Slessarev, Eric W.; Nuccio, Erin E.; McFarlane, Karis J. GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 12, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12729	journal	August 2020
Relations of mineral-soil C and N to climate and texture: regional differences within the conterminous USA Homann, Peter S.; Kapchinske, Jason S.; Boyce, Andrew Biogeochemistry, Vol. 85, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-007-9139-6	journal	July 2007
Root Dynamics and Spatial Pattern in Prairie and Forest Partel, Meelis; Wilson, Scott D. Ecology, Vol. 83, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2307/3071934	journal	May 2002
A micro‐pipette method for soil mechanical analysis Miller, W. P.; Miller, D. M. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, Vol. 18, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1080/00103628709367799	journal	January 1987
Combining Biomarker with Stable Isotope Analyses for Assessing the Transformation and Turnover of Soil Organic Matter Amelung, W.; Brodowski, S.; Sandhage-Hofmann, A. Advances in Agronomy, p. 155-250 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(08)00606-8	book	January 2008
Simultaneous Inference in General Parametric Models Hothorn, Torsten; Bretz, Frank; Westfall, Peter Biometrical Journal, Vol. 50, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/bimj.200810425	journal	June 2008
Mechanisms linking plant community properties to soil aggregate stability in an experimental grassland plant diversity gradient Pérès, G.; Cluzeau, D.; Menasseri, S. Plant and Soil, Vol. 373, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1791-0	journal	June 2013
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

Similar Records

Plant litter traits control microbial decomposition and drive soil carbon stabilization

Journal Article · 2022 · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · OSTI ID:1894471

Ridgeway, Joanna; Morrissey, Ember; Brzostek, Edward

Temporal changes in C and N stocks of restored prairie : implications for C sequestration strategies.

Journal Article · 2008 · Ecol. Appl. · OSTI ID:937398

Matamala, R; Jastrow, J D; Miller, R M; +2 more

Temporal changes in C and N stocks of restored prairie: implications for C sequestration strategies

Journal Article · 2008 · Ecological Applications · OSTI ID:939650

Matamala, Roser; Jastrow, Julie D; Miller, Raymond M; +1 more

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
13C-NMR spectroscopy
density fractionation
grassland
radiocarbon
soil carbon
soil organic matter

Title: Soil Carbon Stocks Not Linked to Aboveground Litter Input and Chemistry of Old-Growth Forest and Adjacent Prairie

Citation Formats

References (74)

Similar Records

Related Subjects