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Priming Effects on Soil Organic Matter Mineralization by Carbon Substrates: A Global Meta-Analysis
Hongxin Dong1,2, Yingyi Fu1,3, Shanshan Dai1
1State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China.
Global Change Biology
|April 11, 2026
Summary
Different carbon substrates significantly impact soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization through priming effects (PE). Plant residues generally cause the strongest PE, highlighting the importance of carbon source in predicting soil carbon feedback.
Area of Science:
- Soil Science
- Biogeochemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Priming effects (PE) on soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization are influenced by the type of added carbon substrates.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for predicting SOM dynamics and soil-atmosphere carbon feedback.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate how various carbon substrates (plant residues, root exudates, biochar, degradable microplastics) regulate SOM mineralization via PE.
- To synthesize findings from a large number of studies to provide a comprehensive overview of PE magnitudes.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of 8015 observations from 283 peer-reviewed articles.
- Quantification of PE induced by different categories and chemical properties of carbon substrates.
Main Results:
- All tested carbon substrates induced a positive PE, increasing SOM mineralization.
- Plant residues showed the highest average PE, followed by root exudates, biochar, and microplastics.
- Specific substrate characteristics, such as cellulose vs. lignin content in residues, organic acid content in exudates, aromaticity in biochar, and degradability of microplastics, significantly modulated PE magnitude.
Conclusions:
- Positive PE on SOM mineralization is a ubiquitous phenomenon in soil ecosystems.
- The magnitude of PE is intrinsically linked to the physicochemical characteristics and source of the exogenous carbon substrate.
- These findings are vital for accurate modeling of soil carbon cycling and climate change feedback.
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