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Temperature Response of Soil Organic Matter Decomposition Rates: Construction and Applications of a Temperature Gradient Block
Published on: January 30, 2026
240
Alpine soil carbon is vulnerable to rapid microbial decomposition under climate cooling
Linwei Wu1,2, Yunfeng Yang1, Shiping Wang3,4
1State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
The ISME Journal
|May 24, 2017
Summary
Climate cooling significantly reduces plant productivity and microbial functions in Tibetan alpine grasslands, leading to substantial soil organic carbon loss. This highlights the concerning impact of cooling on ecosystem health and carbon storage.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
- Climate Science
Background:
- Climate cooling is recognized as a key factor influencing long-term global warming trends.
- Understanding the effects of climate cooling on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To simulate the impact of cooling on ecosystem community structure and function.
- To investigate the effects of simulated cooling on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in a Tibetan alpine grassland.
Main Methods:
- A soil transplant experiment was conducted, moving soil from lower to higher elevations.
- The experiment simulated cooling effects over a three-year period.
- Microbial genetic markers and ecosystem functions like carbon respiration and nutrient cycling were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Three years of cooling led to reduced plant productivity and microbial functional potential.
- Genes for labile carbon decomposition decreased, while those for recalcitrant carbon decomposition remained unchanged.
- Cooling correlated with a decrease in soil organic carbon (SOC).
Conclusions:
- Microbial feedbacks to cooling can differentially affect carbon turnover, impacting soil carbon storage.
- A 1°C decrease in average annual temperature could lead to a loss of 0.1 Pg of SOC from the Tibetan plateau.
- Short-term cooling events can disrupt ecosystems and biogeochemical cycling, with potentially adverse consequences.
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