Journal article
Restricted power: Can microorganisms maintain soil organic matter stability under warming exceeding 2 degrees?
Global ecology and biogeography, Vol.32(6), pp.919-930
2023
Abstract
Aim
The Paris Climate Agreement is pursuing efforts to limit global warming to less than 2 °C in this century, but increasing evidence shows that temperatures are likely to rise up to 4.8 °C by 2100. This points to an urgent need to investigate how the temperature impact on microbial regulation will endanger soil organic matter stability under warming approaching or exceeding 2 °C.
Location
Southern Germany and the globe.
Time Period
2010–2018.
Major Taxa Studied
Soil organic matter stability and microbial adaptations.
Methods
We analyzed soil properties and enzyme activities within (a) a long-term field experiment with soil warming to below and above 2 °C (+1.6 vs. +3.2 °C), and (b) a literature review of 213 comparable studies globally (+0–2 vs. +2–4 °C).
Results
The soil organic C (SOC) stock remained unchanged after 8 years under both warming magnitudes, whereas the labile C pool increased by 10% under >2 °C. Unlike the SOC pool, total N (TN) content increased by 20% under >2 °C as compared to ambient. A potential explanation for the increased TN content is linked to unbalanced processes of necromass formation and enzymatic decomposition. Warming induced faster microbial growth and turnover, but reduced catalytic efficiency and the enzyme-mediated decomposition of oligosaccharides and polypeptides. This consequently caused N accumulation in microbial necromass. Although microbial regulation can maintain SOC at stable levels, warming exceeding 2 °C will change the projected effects of temperature on soil TN pools in the future. Early action to accomplish the 2 °C temperature goal can therefore markedly reduce the likelihood that large regions will face substantial increase of SOC availability, N accumulation and related climate impacts on C and N cycling.
Main Conclusions
It is crucial to include microbial metabolic responses (i.e., faster microbial growth and turnover) to warming in global C and N cycle models to improve the prediction of climate warming scenarios.
Details
- Title
- Restricted power: Can microorganisms maintain soil organic matter stability under warming exceeding 2 degrees?
- Authors/Creators
- Jie Zhou - China Agricultural UniversityYuan Wen - China Agricultural UniversityMatthias C. Rillig - Freie Universität BerlinLingling Shi - University of GöttingenMichaela A. Dippold - University of GöttingenZhaohai Zeng - China Agricultural UniversityYakov Kuzyakov - University of GöttingenHuadong Zang - China Agricultural UniversityDavey L. Jones - Murdoch UniversityEvgenia Blagodatskaya - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
- Publication Details
- Global ecology and biogeography, Vol.32(6), pp.919-930
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- 32101850; 42207388 / National Natural Science Foundation of China; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 2020QNRC001 / Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST
- Identifiers
- 991005569238907891
- Copyright
- © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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Source: InCites
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.45 Soil Science
- 3.45.112 Soil Carbon Dynamics
- Web Of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Geography, Physical
- ESI research areas
- Environment/Ecology