Microbial spatial footprint as a driver of soil carbon stabilization.

ABSTRACT: Increasing the potential of soil to store carbon (C) is an acknowledged and emphasized strategy for capturing atmospheric CO₂. Well-recognized approaches for soil C accretion include reducing soil disturbance, increasing plant biomass inputs, and enhancing plant diversity. Yet experimental evidence often fails to support anticipated C gains, suggesting that our integrated understanding of soil C accretion remains insufficient. Here we use a unique combination of X-ray micro-tomography and micro-scale enzyme mapping to demonstrate for the first time that plant-stimulated soil pore formation appears to be a major, hitherto unrecognized, determinant of whether new C inputs are stored or lost to the atmosphere. Unlike monocultures, diverse plant communities favor the development of

SUBMITTER: Kravchenko AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6635512 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature