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Litter decay controlled by temperature, not soil properties, affecting future soil carbon.
Edward G Gregorich1, Henry Janzen2, Benjamin H Ellert2
1Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Research & Development Centre, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, Canada.
Global Change Biology
|September 17, 2016
Summary
Global warming accelerates plant litter decomposition, impacting soil carbon storage. Temperature, not soil type, is the key driver, with faster decomposition projected under climate change scenarios.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
- Climate Science
Background:
- Terrestrial ecosystem processes like plant litter decomposition are influenced by global changes such as rising CO2, warming, and biodiversity loss.
- Litter decomposition affects carbon cycling, influencing atmospheric CO2 levels and climate.
- Predicting decomposition is complex due to interacting soil, climate, and management factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the kinetics of plant litter decomposition across diverse Canadian agricultural soils.
- To determine the influence of soil properties versus temperature on decomposition rates.
- To project the impact of climate change scenarios on litter decomposition and soil carbon storage.
Main Methods:
- Application of 13C-labelled plant litter across a 3500-km transect in Canada.
- Five-year monitoring of litter decomposition across ten distinct sites.
- Utilizing a two-pool exponential decay model based on thermal time to analyze decomposition kinetics.
Main Results:
- Litter decomposition kinetics were similar across sites after accounting for temperature, indicating minimal influence of soil properties.
- A two-pool exponential decay model accurately described decomposition as a function of thermal time (R2 = 0.94).
- Projected reductions in 50% and 90% litter decomposition times under climate change scenarios, varying by site temperature.
Conclusions:
- Litter decomposition is highly sensitive to temperature increases, confirming climate change impacts.
- Climate change may limit future soil carbon storage capacity.
- Soil properties had a minimal discernible influence on decomposition kinetics compared to temperature.
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