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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
Published on: January 7, 2019
Re-evaluating forest carbon sinks under nitrogen deposition: Acidification drives passive carbon accumulation via
Shijia Wang1, Xueru Li1, Liting Zhang1
1Sichuan Mt. Emei Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
None:
Managing forest carbon sinks under chronic nitrogen (N) deposition requires a comprehensive understanding of soil biogeochemical responses to N-induced acidification. While N deposition is widely observed to promote soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation, the underlying microscale "metal-microbe" interactions remain a critical uncertainty for evaluating soil C stability. We conducted a 10-year N addition experiment in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest to investigate manganese (Mn)-regulated C dynamics under severe soil acidification. Our results showed that severe acidification was associated with substantial declines in exchangeable Mn and reduced relative abundance of the Mn-oxidation marker gene moxA. Network analysis suggested a weaker association between moxA and C-degradation genes under high N addition. Path modeling further supported a hypothesized association structure linking N-induced acidification, reduced moxA abundance, lower C-degradation potential and SOC accumulation. In conclusion, these results suggest that SOC accumulation under chronic N enrichment in this subtropical system may be associated with weakened microbial Mn metabolism and reduced C-degradation potential under severe acidification. These findings highlight Mn-mediated microbial processes as a potential contributor to SOC accumulation under chronic N enrichment, but this mechanism should be tested across broader forest types, soil conditions and temporal scales before its wider relevance for predicting forest C sink responses can be determined.
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