More replenishment than priming loss of soil organic carbon with additional carbon input

Junyi Liang (), Zhenghu Zhou, Changfu Huo, Zheng Shi, James R. Cole, Lei Huang, Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis, Xiaoming Li, Bo Liu, Zhongkui Luo, C. Ryan Penton, Edward A. G. Schuur, James M. Tiedje, Ying-Ping Wang, Liyou Wu, Jianyang Xia, Jizhong Zhou and Yiqi Luo ()
Additional contact information
Junyi Liang: University of Oklahoma
Zhenghu Zhou: Northeast Forestry University
Changfu Huo: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zheng Shi: University of Oklahoma
James R. Cole: Michigan State University
Lei Huang: Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions
Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis: Georgia Institute of Technology
Xiaoming Li: Henan University
Bo Liu: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Zhongkui Luo: CSIRO A&F
C. Ryan Penton: Arizona State University
Edward A. G. Schuur: Northern Arizona University
James M. Tiedje: Michigan State University
Ying-Ping Wang: CSIRO Ocean and Atmosphere, PMB 1
Liyou Wu: University of Oklahoma
Jianyang Xia: East China Normal University
Jizhong Zhou: University of Oklahoma
Yiqi Luo: University of Oklahoma

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Increases in carbon (C) inputs to soil can replenish soil organic C (SOC) through various mechanisms. However, recent studies have suggested that the increased C input can also stimulate the decomposition of old SOC via priming. Whether the loss of old SOC by priming can override C replenishment has not been rigorously examined. Here we show, through data–model synthesis, that the magnitude of replenishment is greater than that of priming, resulting in a net increase in SOC by a mean of 32% of the added new C. The magnitude of the net increase in SOC is positively correlated with the nitrogen-to-C ratio of the added substrates. Additionally, model evaluation indicates that a two-pool interactive model is a parsimonious model to represent the SOC decomposition with priming and replenishment. Our findings suggest that increasing C input to soils likely promote SOC accumulation despite the enhanced decomposition of old C via priming.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05667-7

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