Fast-decaying plant litter enhances soil carbon in temperate forests but not through microbial physiological traits

Matthew E. Craig; Kevin M. Geyer; Katilyn V. Beidler; Edward R. Brzostek; Serita D. Frey; A. Stuart Grandy; Chao Liang; Richard P. Phillips

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28715-9

Nature Communications (Mar 2022)

Fast-decaying plant litter enhances soil carbon in temperate forests but not through microbial physiological traits

Matthew E. Craig,
Kevin M. Geyer,
Katilyn V. Beidler,
Edward R. Brzostek,
Serita D. Frey,
A. Stuart Grandy,
Chao Liang,
Richard P. Phillips

Affiliations

Matthew E. Craig: Department of Biology, Indiana University
Kevin M. Geyer: Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire
Katilyn V. Beidler: Department of Biology, Indiana University
Edward R. Brzostek: Department of Biology, West Virginia University
Serita D. Frey: Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire
A. Stuart Grandy: Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire
Chao Liang: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Richard P. Phillips: Department of Biology, Indiana University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28715-9
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

Read online

Mineral-associated soil carbon buildup is poorly explained by microbial necromass production (a common hypothesis). During litter decomposition, these processes are decoupled by priming effects and alternate soil carbon formation pathways

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

About the journal