BG Biogeosciences BG Biogeosciences 1726-4189 Copernicus Publications Göttingen, Germany 10.5194/bg-10-2089-2013 Priming and substrate quality interactions in soil organic matter models Wutzler T. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4159-5445 1 Reichstein M. 1 Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, 07745 Jena, Germany 26 03 2013 10 3 2089 2103 Copyright: © 2013 T. Wutzler 2013 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This article is available from https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/10/2089/2013/bg-10-2089-2013.html The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/10/2089/2013/bg-10-2089-2013.pdf

Interactions between different qualities of soil organic matter (SOM) affecting their turnover are rarely represented in models. In this study, we propose three mathematical strategies at different levels of abstraction to represent those interactions. By implementing these strategies into the Introductory Carbon Balance Model (ICBM) and applying them to several scenarios of litter input, we show that the different levels of abstraction are applicable at different timescales. We present a simple one-parameter equation of substrate limitation that can straightforwardly be implemented into other models of SOM dynamics at decadal timescale. The study demonstrates how substrate quality interactions can explain patterns of priming effects, accelerate turnover in FACE experiments, and the slowdown of decomposition in long-term bare fallow experiments as an effect of energy limitation of microbial biomass. The mechanisms of those interactions need to be further scrutinized empirically for a more complete understanding. Overall, substrate quality interactions contribute to both understanding and quantitatively modelling SOM dynamics.

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