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Schlüter S, Leuther F, Albrecht L, Hoeschen C, Kilian R, Surey R, Mikutta R, Kaiser K, Mueller CW, Vogel HJ. Microscale carbon distribution around pores and particulate organic matter varies with soil moisture regime. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2098. [PMID: 35449155 PMCID: PMC9023478 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29605-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil carbon sequestration arises from the interplay of carbon input and stabilization, which vary in space and time. Assessing the resulting microscale carbon distribution in an intact pore space, however, has so far eluded methodological accessibility. Here, we explore the role of soil moisture regimes in shaping microscale carbon gradients by a novel mapping protocol for particulate organic matter and carbon in the soil matrix based on a combination of Osmium staining, X-ray computed tomography, and machine learning. With three different soil types we show that the moisture regime governs C losses from particulate organic matter and the microscale carbon redistribution and stabilization patterns in the soil matrix. Carbon depletion around pores (aperture > 10 µm) occurs in a much larger soil volume (19-74%) than carbon enrichment around particulate organic matter (1%). Thus, interacting microscale processes shaped by the moisture regime are a decisive factor for overall soil carbon persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Schlüter
- Department of Soil System Science, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Halle, Germany.
| | - Frederic Leuther
- Department of Soil System Science, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Halle, Germany
| | - Lukas Albrecht
- Department of Soil System Science, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Halle, Germany
| | - Carmen Hoeschen
- Chair of Soil Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, TU Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Kilian
- Institute of Geoscience and Geography, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Ronny Surey
- Institute of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Robert Mikutta
- Institute of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Klaus Kaiser
- Institute of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Carsten W Mueller
- Chair of Soil Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, TU Munich, Freising, Germany.,Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hans-Jörg Vogel
- Department of Soil System Science, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Halle, Germany.,Institute of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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