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Frequent Droughts Reduce Carbon Stabilisation in Organo-Mineral Soils
Fabrizio Albanito1, Sabine Reinsch1, Mark Richards2
1UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bangor, UK.
Global Change Biology
|January 6, 2026
Summary
Recurrent droughts decrease soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and reduce carbon sequestration efficiency (CSE). Drought frequency, not duration, is the main factor impacting soil carbon stability in organo-mineral soils.
Area of Science:
- Soil science
- Biogeochemistry
- Climate change impacts
Background:
- Climate change is increasing drought frequency, impacting soil carbon sinks.
- Long-term effects of recurrent droughts on soil organic matter decomposition and carbon emissions are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model long-term drought impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and stabilization.
- To develop new metrics for assessing SOC changes under recurrent drought scenarios.
- To identify the dominant factor (frequency vs. duration) controlling soil carbon stability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the ECOSSE biogeochemical model for simulations.
- Modeled long-term drought events in a temperate heathland ecosystem.
- Developed and applied new metrics: carbon sequestration efficiency (CSE) and stabilization efficiency (SE).
Main Results:
- Recurrent droughts decreased microbial (BIO) and humified (HUM) SOC pools.
- Droughts altered carbon use efficiency (CUE) for labile and stable pools.
- Carbon sequestration efficiency (CSE) declined by up to 15%, and stabilization efficiency (SE) dropped to 40%.
Conclusions:
- Recurrent droughts reshape SOC dynamics, reducing CSE and altering decomposition-stabilization balance.
- Drought frequency is the primary driver of long-term soil carbon stability in organo-mineral soils.
- A persistent decoupling between decomposition and stabilization occurs post-drought.
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