Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland.

ABSTRACT: Permafrost thaw is a major potential feedback source to climate change as it can drive the increased release of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) and methane (CH₄ ). This carbon release from the decomposition of thawing soil organic material can be mitigated by increased net primary productivity (NPP) caused by warming, increasing atmospheric CO₂ , and plant community transition. However, the net effect on C storage also depends on how these plant community changes alter plant litter quantity, quality, and decomposition rates. Predicting decomposition rates based on litter quality remains challenging, but a promising new way forward is to incorporate measures of the energetic favorability to soil microbes of plant biomass decomposition. We asked how th

SUBMITTER: Hough M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9298822 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature