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Elevated moisture stimulates carbon loss from mineral soils by releasing protected organic matter

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  • Wenjuan Huang

    (Iowa State University)

  • Steven J. Hall

    (Iowa State University)

Abstract

Moisture response functions for soil microbial carbon (C) mineralization remain a critical uncertainty for predicting ecosystem-climate feedbacks. Theory and models posit that C mineralization declines under elevated moisture and associated anaerobic conditions, leading to soil C accumulation. Yet, iron (Fe) reduction potentially releases protected C, providing an under-appreciated mechanism for C destabilization under elevated moisture. Here we incubate Mollisols from ecosystems under C3/C4 plant rotations at moisture levels at and above field capacity over 5 months. Increased moisture and anaerobiosis initially suppress soil C mineralization, consistent with theory. However, after 25 days, elevated moisture stimulates cumulative gaseous C-loss as CO2 and CH4 to >150% of the control. Stable C isotopes show that mineralization of older C3-derived C released following Fe reduction dominates C losses. Counter to theory, elevated moisture may significantly accelerate C losses from mineral soils over weeks to months—a critical mechanistic deficiency of current Earth system models.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenjuan Huang & Steven J. Hall, 2017. "Elevated moisture stimulates carbon loss from mineral soils by releasing protected organic matter," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01998-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01998-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Caixia & Wang, Guangshuai & Han, Qisheng & Sun, Jingsheng & Ning, Huifeng & Feng, Di, 2023. "Soil moisture and water-nitrogen synergy dominate the change of soil carbon stock in farmland," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    2. Zhu, Jie & Chen, Shanghong & Zhang, Qingwen & Mei, Xurong, 2023. "Multi-year vertical and life cycle impacts of C-N management on soil moisture regimes," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    3. Futing Liu & Shuqi Qin & Kai Fang & Leiyi Chen & Yunfeng Peng & Pete Smith & Yuanhe Yang, 2022. "Divergent changes in particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon upon permafrost thaw," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis & Giorgos Giannakis & Daniel Moraetis & Vasileios A. Tzanakakis & Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis, 2021. "Crop Litter Has a Strong Effect on Soil Organic Matter Sequestration in Semi-Arid Environments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-14, November.

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