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

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

166 Scopus citations

Abstract

Conceptual and empirical advances in soil biogeochemistry have challenged long-held assumptions about the role of soil micro-organisms in soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics; yet, rigorous tests of emerging concepts remain sparse. Recent hypotheses suggest that microbial necromass production links plant inputs to SOC accumulation, with high-quality (i.e., rapidly decomposing) plant litter promoting microbial carbon use efficiency, growth, and turnover leading to more mineral stabilization of necromass. We test this hypothesis experimentally and with observations across six eastern US forests, using stable isotopes to measure microbial traits and SOC dynamics. Here we show, in both studies, that microbial growth, efficiency, and turnover are negatively (not positively) related to mineral-associated SOC. In the experiment, stimulation of microbial growth by high-quality litter enhances SOC decomposition, offsetting the positive effect of litter quality on SOC stabilization. We suggest that microbial necromass production is not the primary driver of SOC persistence in temperate forests. Factors such as microbial necromass origin, alternative SOC formation pathways, priming effects, and soil abiotic properties can strongly decouple microbial growth, efficiency, and turnover from mineral-associated SOC.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1229
JournalNature Communications
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2022

Funding

This work was supported by a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DEB-1701652; M.E.C. and R.P.P.), the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research (DOE-BER), Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Program (DESC0016188; E.R.B. and R.P.P.), an Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve (IURTP) Student Grant (M.E.C.), the Smithsonian Center for Tropical Forest Science—ForestGEO, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Terrestrial Ecosystem Science, Science Focus Area, funded by DOE-BER (M.E.C.), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31930070; C.L.). We thank Elizabeth Huenupi and members of the Phillips, Brzostek, and Frey labs (Corben Andrews, Kelly Fox, Peyton Joachim, Naomi Reibold, Madison Barney, Rachel Zeunik, Mark Sheehan, Kara Allen, Joe Carrara, Nanette Raczka, and others) for assistance in the field and lab. We also thank Peter Sauer, Erica Elswick, Ryan Mushinski, and Brent Lemkuhl for assistance with sample analyses; Ron Turco for facilitating soil collection; individuals affiliated with the ForestGEO network for facilitating site access (Bill McShea, Dave Orwig, Sean McMahon, Michael Chitwood, Jonathan Myers, and Amy Wolf); and Adrienne Keller and Steve Kannenberg for feedback on earlier presentations of this work. LDW is part of the IURTP. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. DOE under contract DE-AC05-100800OR22725. This work was supported by a National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DEB-1701652; M.E.C. and R.P.P.), the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research (DOE-BER), Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Program (DESC0016188; E.R.B. and R.P.P.), an Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve (IURTP) Student Grant (M.E.C.), the Smithsonian Center for Tropical Forest Science?ForestGEO, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Terrestrial Ecosystem Science, Science Focus Area, funded by DOE-BER (M.E.C.), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31930070; C.L.). We thank Elizabeth Huenupi and members of the Phillips, Brzostek, and Frey labs (Corben Andrews, Kelly Fox, Peyton Joachim, Naomi Reibold, Madison Barney, Rachel Zeunik, Mark Sheehan, Kara Allen, Joe Carrara, Nanette Raczka, and others) for assistance in the field and lab. We also thank Peter Sauer, Erica Elswick, Ryan Mushinski, and Brent Lemkuhl for assistance with sample analyses; Ron Turco for facilitating soil collection; individuals affiliated with the ForestGEO network for facilitating site access (Bill McShea, Dave Orwig, Sean McMahon, Michael Chitwood, Jonathan Myers, and Amy Wolf); and Adrienne Keller and Steve Kannenberg for feedback on earlier presentations of this work. LDW is part of the IURTP. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. DOE under contract DE-AC05-100800OR22725.

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