Journal
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Volume 131, Issue -, Pages 182-190Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2019.01.012
Keywords
Soil carbon storage; Microbial biomass; Microbial necromass; Reforestation; Climate change
Categories
Funding
- National Key Research and Development Program [2016YFA0600802]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [41471218, 41501282, 41571237]
- Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [XDB15010303]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Soils store more carbon (C) belowground than plants and the atmosphere combined, providing a critical ecosystem service. While previous research has shown that sustainable forest management practices can increase soil C storage by enhancing plant productivity, the role of soil microbes remains elusive. We analyzed changes in plant litter, soil C, and microbial parameters across a reforestation chronosequence-with average stand ages of similar to 20, 80, 120, 200 and >= 300 years-to evaluate how microbial communities mediate soil C transformation and sequestration. We observed generally consistent increases in microbial biomass (lipid biomarkers), microbial necromass (amino sugar biomarkers), and soil organic C with forest age, highlighting microbial regulation of soil C accumulation. Specifically, increases in microbial biomass preceded gains in soil C, suggesting microbial lipids are an early and sensitive indicator of ecosystem restoration. We also observed a rapid increase in microbial necromass relative to bulk soil C in forests restored for 80-200 years, likely due to accelerated microbial turnover rates. These patterns suggest high plant productivity (low litter C: N ratios) during the early and middle stages of reforestation facilitates efficient microbial growth and necromass accrual in SOC stocks. As forests age, the contribution of microbial necromass to the SOC pool declines toward background levels. Our results suggest reforestation offers a positive feedback solution that mitigates climate change by efficiently sequestering soil C belowground.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available