Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1111/gcb.14781
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Quantitative assessment of microbial necromass contribution to soil organic matter
Author Liang, C.; Amelung, W.; Lehmann, J.; Kästner, M.
Source Titel Global Change Biology
Year 2019
Department UBT
Volume 25
Issue 11
Page From 3578
Page To 3590
Language englisch
Supplements https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2Fgcb.14781&file=gcb14781-sup-0001-TableS1.xlsx
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2Fgcb.14781&file=gcb14781-sup-0002-Supinfo.docx
Keywords amino sugar; ecosystem sustainability; microbial anabolism; microbial biomarker; microbial residue; soil organic carbon
Abstract Soil carbon transformation and sequestration have received significant interest in recent years due to a growing need for quantitating its role in mitigating climate change. Even though our understanding of the nature of soil organic matter has recently been substantially revised, fundamental uncertainty remains about the quantitative importance of microbial necromass as part of persistent organic matter. Addressing this uncertainty has been hampered by the absence of quantitative assessments whether microbial matter makes up the majority of the persistent carbon in soil. Direct quantitation of microbial necromass in soil is very challenging because of an overlapping molecular signature with nonmicrobial organic carbon. Here, we use a comprehensive analysis of existing biomarker amino sugar data published between 1996 and 2018, combined with novel appropriation using an ecological systems approach, elemental carbon–nitrogen stoichiometry, and biomarker scaling, to demonstrate a suit of strategies for quantitating the contribution of microbe‐derived carbon to the topsoil organic carbon reservoir in global temperate agricultural, grassland, and forest ecosystems. We show that microbial necromass can make up more than half of soil organic carbon. Hence, we suggest that next‐generation field management requires promoting microbial biomass formation and necromass preservation to maintain healthy soils, ecosystems, and climate. Our analyses have important implications for improving current climate and carbon models, and helping develop management practices and policies.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=22259
Liang, C., Amelung, W., Lehmann, J., Kästner, M. (2019):
Quantitative assessment of microbial necromass contribution to soil organic matter
Glob. Change Biol. 25 (11), 3578 - 3590 10.1111/gcb.14781