Plant roots increase both decomposition and stable organic matter formation in boreal forest soil

Bartosz Adamczyk (), Outi-Maaria Sietiö, Petra Straková, Judith Prommer, Birgit Wild, Marleena Hagner, Mari Pihlatie, Hannu Fritze, Andreas Richter and Jussi Heinonsalo
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Bartosz Adamczyk: University of Helsinki
Outi-Maaria Sietiö: University of Helsinki
Petra Straková: Natural Resources Institute Finland
Judith Prommer: University of Vienna
Birgit Wild: University of Vienna
Marleena Hagner: Natural Resources Institute Finland
Mari Pihlatie: University of Helsinki
Hannu Fritze: Natural Resources Institute Finland
Andreas Richter: University of Vienna
Jussi Heinonsalo: University of Helsinki

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Boreal forests are ecosystems with low nitrogen (N) availability that store globally significant amounts of carbon (C), mainly in plant biomass and soil organic matter (SOM). Although crucial for future climate change predictions, the mechanisms controlling boreal C and N pools are not well understood. Here, using a three-year field experiment, we compare SOM decomposition and stabilization in the presence of roots, with exclusion of roots but presence of fungal hyphae and with exclusion of both roots and fungal hyphae. Roots accelerate SOM decomposition compared to the root exclusion treatments, but also promote a different soil N economy with higher concentrations of organic soil N compared to inorganic soil N accompanied with the build-up of stable SOM-N. In contrast, root exclusion leads to an inorganic soil N economy (i.e., high level of inorganic N) with reduced stable SOM-N build-up. Based on our findings, we provide a framework on how plant roots affect SOM decomposition and stabilization.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11993-1

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