Climate warming and elevated CO2 alter peatland soil carbon sources and stability

Nicholas O. E. Ofiti (), Michael W. I. Schmidt, Samuel Abiven, Paul J. Hanson, Colleen M. Iversen, Rachel M. Wilson, Joel E. Kostka, Guido L. B. Wiesenberg and Avni Malhotra
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Nicholas O. E. Ofiti: University of Zurich
Michael W. I. Schmidt: University of Zurich
Samuel Abiven: PSL Research University
Paul J. Hanson: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Colleen M. Iversen: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Rachel M. Wilson: Florida State University
Joel E. Kostka: Georgia Institute of Technology
Guido L. B. Wiesenberg: University of Zurich
Avni Malhotra: University of Zurich

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

Abstract: Abstract Peatlands are an important carbon (C) reservoir storing one-third of global soil organic carbon (SOC), but little is known about the fate of these C stocks under climate change. Here, we examine the impact of warming and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (eCO2) on the molecular composition of SOC to infer SOC sources (microbe-, plant- and fire-derived) and stability in a boreal peatland. We show that while warming alone decreased plant- and microbe-derived SOC due to enhanced decomposition, warming combined with eCO2 increased plant-derived SOC compounds. We further observed increasing root-derived inputs (suberin) and declining leaf/needle-derived inputs (cutin) into SOC under warming and eCO2. The decline in SOC compounds with warming and gains from new root-derived C under eCO2, suggest that warming and eCO2 may shift peatland C budget towards pools with faster turnover. Together, our results indicate that climate change may increase inputs and enhance decomposition of SOC potentially destabilising C storage in peatlands.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43410-z

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