The positive effect of plant diversity on soil carbon depends on climate

Marie Spohn (), Sumanta Bagchi, Lori A. Biederman, Elizabeth T. Borer, Kari Anne Bråthen, Miguel N. Bugalho, Maria C. Caldeira, Jane A. Catford, Scott L. Collins, Nico Eisenhauer, Nicole Hagenah, Sylvia Haider, Yann Hautier, Johannes M. H. Knops, Sally E. Koerner, Lauri Laanisto, Ylva Lekberg, Jason P. Martina, Holly Martinson, Rebecca L. McCulley, Pablo L. Peri, Petr Macek, Sally A. Power, Anita C. Risch, Christiane Roscher, Eric W. Seabloom, Carly Stevens, G. F. (Ciska) Veen, Risto Virtanen and Laura Yahdjian
Additional contact information
Marie Spohn: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Sumanta Bagchi: Indian Institute of Science
Lori A. Biederman: Iowa State University
Elizabeth T. Borer: University of Minnesota
Kari Anne Bråthen: UiT – Arctic University of Norway
Miguel N. Bugalho: School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon
Maria C. Caldeira: University of Lisbon
Jane A. Catford: King’s College London
Scott L. Collins: University of New Mexico
Nico Eisenhauer: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Nicole Hagenah: University of Pretoria
Sylvia Haider: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Yann Hautier: Utrecht University
Johannes M. H. Knops: Xián Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Sally E. Koerner: University of North Carolina Greensboro
Lauri Laanisto: Estonian University of Life Sciences
Ylva Lekberg: MPG Ranch and University of Montana
Jason P. Martina: Texas State University
Holly Martinson: McDaniel College
Rebecca L. McCulley: University of Kentucky
Pablo L. Peri: Rio Gallegos
Petr Macek: Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Sally A. Power: Haweksbury Institute for the Environment
Anita C. Risch: Snow and Landscape Research WSL
Christiane Roscher: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Eric W. Seabloom: University of Minnesota
Carly Stevens: Lancaster University
G. F. (Ciska) Veen: Netherlands Institute of Ecology
Risto Virtanen: University of Oulu
Laura Yahdjian: CONICET, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Little is currently known about how climate modulates the relationship between plant diversity and soil organic carbon and the mechanisms involved. Yet, this knowledge is of crucial importance in times of climate change and biodiversity loss. Here, we show that plant diversity is positively correlated with soil carbon content and soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio across 84 grasslands on six continents that span wide climate gradients. The relationships between plant diversity and soil carbon as well as plant diversity and soil organic matter quality (carbon-to-nitrogen ratio) are particularly strong in warm and arid climates. While plant biomass is positively correlated with soil carbon, plant biomass is not significantly correlated with plant diversity. Our results indicate that plant diversity influences soil carbon storage not via the quantity of organic matter (plant biomass) inputs to soil, but through the quality of organic matter. The study implies that ecosystem management that restores plant diversity likely enhances soil carbon sequestration, particularly in warm and arid climates.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42340-0

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