Articles | Volume 14, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5239-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5239-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Nov 2017
Research article |
| 23 Nov 2017
How big is the influence of biogenic silicon pools on short-term changes in water-soluble silicon in soils? Implications from a study of a 10-year-old soil–plant system
Daniel Puppe
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Soil Landscape Research, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
Axel Höhn
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Soil Landscape Research, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
Danuta Kaczorek
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Soil Landscape Research, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
Department of Soil Environment Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Science (SGGW), Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Manfred Wanner
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Department Ecology, 03013 Cottbus, Germany
Marc Wehrhan
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Soil Landscape Research, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
Michael Sommer
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Soil Landscape Research, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
Related authors
Marc Wehrhan, Daniel Puppe, Danuta Kaczorek, and Michael Sommer
Biogeosciences, 18, 5163–5183, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5163-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5163-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
UAS remote sensing provides a promising tool for new insights into Si biogeochemistry at catchment scale. Our study on an artificial catchment shows surprisingly high silicon stocks in the biomass of two grass species (C. epigejos, 7 g m−2; P. australis, 27 g m−2). The distribution of initial sediment properties (clay, Tiron-extractable Si, nitrogen, plant-available potassium) controlled the spatial distribution of C. epigejos. Soil wetness determined the occurrence of P. australis.
Luis Alfredo Pires Barbosa, Martin Leue, Marc Wehrhan, and Michael Sommer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-746, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-746, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Healthy soils need plant biomass, especially roots, to function properly. Our study examined how different wheat varieties and soil erosion impact root growth and carbon storage. We found that tillage erosion significantly reduced total wheat biomass, while newer wheat varieties produced more grain but contributed less carbon to the soil. Simulations showed that modern varieties are more sensitive to dry conditions, highlighting a trade-off between higher yields and long-term soil health.
Adrian Dahlmann, Mathias Hoffmann, Gernot Verch, Marten Schmidt, Michael Sommer, Jürgen Augustin, and Maren Dubbert
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3851–3873, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3851-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3851-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Evapotranspiration (ET) plays a pivotal role in terrestrial water cycling, returning up to 90 % of precipitation to the atmosphere. We studied impacts of soil type and management on an agroecosystem using an automated system with modern modeling approaches. We modeled ET at high spatial and temporal resolution to highlight differences in heterogeneous soils on an hourly basis. Our results show significant differences in yield and smaller differences in ET overall, impacting water use efficiency.
Peter Stimmler, Mathias Goeckede, Bo Elberling, Susan Natali, Peter Kuhry, Nia Perron, Fabrice Lacroix, Gustaf Hugelius, Oliver Sonnentag, Jens Strauss, Christina Minions, Michael Sommer, and Jörg Schaller
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1059–1075, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1059-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1059-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Arctic soils store large amounts of carbon and nutrients. The availability of nutrients, such as silicon, calcium, iron, aluminum, phosphorus, and amorphous silica, is crucial to understand future carbon fluxes in the Arctic. Here, we provide, for the first time, a unique dataset of the availability of the abovementioned nutrients for the different soil layers, including the currently frozen permafrost layer. We relate these data to several geographical and geological parameters.
Marc Wehrhan, Daniel Puppe, Danuta Kaczorek, and Michael Sommer
Biogeosciences, 18, 5163–5183, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5163-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5163-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
UAS remote sensing provides a promising tool for new insights into Si biogeochemistry at catchment scale. Our study on an artificial catchment shows surprisingly high silicon stocks in the biomass of two grass species (C. epigejos, 7 g m−2; P. australis, 27 g m−2). The distribution of initial sediment properties (clay, Tiron-extractable Si, nitrogen, plant-available potassium) controlled the spatial distribution of C. epigejos. Soil wetness determined the occurrence of P. australis.
Daniel A. Frick, Rainer Remus, Michael Sommer, Jürgen Augustin, Danuta Kaczorek, and Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
Biogeosciences, 17, 6475–6490, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6475-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6475-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Silicon is taken up by some plants to increase structural stability and to develop stress resistance and is rejected by others. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we used the stable isotopes of silicon that shift in their relative abundance depending on the biochemical transformation involved. On species with a rejective (tomato, mustard) and active (wheat) uptake mechanism, grown in hydroculture, we found that the transport of silicic acid is controlled by the precipitation of biogenic opal.
Florian Wilken, Michael Ketterer, Sylvia Koszinski, Michael Sommer, and Peter Fiener
SOIL, 6, 549–564, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-549-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-549-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Soil redistribution by water and tillage erosion processes on arable land is a major threat to sustainable use of soil resources. We unravel the role of tillage and water erosion from fallout radionuclide (239+240Pu) activities in a ground moraine landscape. Our results show that tillage erosion dominates soil redistribution processes and has a major impact on the hydrological and sedimentological connectivity, which started before the onset of highly mechanised farming since the 1960s.
W. Marijn van der Meij, Arnaud J. A. M. Temme, Jakob Wallinga, and Michael Sommer
SOIL, 6, 337–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-337-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-337-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We developed a model to simulate long-term development of soils and landscapes under varying rainfall and land-use conditions to quantify the temporal variation of soil patterns. In natural landscapes, rainfall amount was the dominant factor influencing soil variation, while for agricultural landscapes, landscape position became the dominant factor due to tillage erosion. Our model shows potential for simulating past and future developments of soils in various landscapes and climates.
Jannis Groh, Jan Vanderborght, Thomas Pütz, Hans-Jörg Vogel, Ralf Gründling, Holger Rupp, Mehdi Rahmati, Michael Sommer, Harry Vereecken, and Horst H. Gerke
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1211–1225, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1211-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1211-2020, 2020
Mathias Hoffmann, Nicole Jurisch, Juana Garcia Alba, Elisa Albiac Borraz, Marten Schmidt, Vytas Huth, Helmut Rogasik, Helene Rieckh, Gernot Verch, Michael Sommer, and Jürgen Augustin
Biogeosciences, 14, 1003–1019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1003-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1003-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We present a suitable and reliable method to detect short-term and small-scale soil organic carbon stock dynamics (ΔSOC). Spatiotemporal dynamics of ΔSOC are determined for a 5-year study period at the experimental field trial
CarboZALFusing automatic chamber measurements of NEE and modeled NPPshoot. Results were compared against ΔSOC observed from repeated soil inventories. Both ∆SOC data sets corresponded well regarding their magnitude and spatial tendency.
Mathias Hoffmann, Maximilian Schulz-Hanke, Juana Garcia Alba, Nicole Jurisch, Ulrike Hagemann, Torsten Sachs, Michael Sommer, and Jürgen Augustin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 109–118, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-109-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-109-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Processes driving production and transport of CH4 in wetlands are complex. We present an algorithm to separate open-water automatic chamber CH4 fluxes into diffusion and ebullition. This helps to reveal dynamics, identify drivers and obtain reliable CH4 emissions. The algorithm is based on sudden concentration changes during single measurements. A variable filter is applied using a multiple of the interquartile range. The algorithm was verified for data of a rewetted former fen grassland site.
W. Marijn van der Meij, Arnaud J. A. M. Temme, Christian M. F. J. J. de Kleijn, Tony Reimann, Gerard B. M. Heuvelink, Zbigniew Zwoliński, Grzegorz Rachlewicz, Krzysztof Rymer, and Michael Sommer
SOIL, 2, 221–240, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-221-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-221-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This study combined fieldwork, geochronology and modelling to get a better understanding of Arctic soil development on a landscape scale. Main processes are aeolian deposition, physical and chemical weathering and silt translocation. Discrepancies between model results and field observations showed that soil and landscape development is not as straightforward as we hypothesized. Interactions between landscape processes and soil processes have resulted in a complex soil pattern in the landscape.
M. Hoffmann, M. Schulz-Hanke, J. Garcia Alba, N. Jurisch, U. Hagemann, T. Sachs, M. Sommer, and J. Augustin
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-12923-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-12923-2015, 2015
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Processes driving the production, transformation and transport of CH4 in wetlands are highly complex. Thus, serious challenges are constitutes in terms of process understanding, potential drivers and the calculation of reliable CH4 emission estimates. We present a simple calculation algorithm to separate CH4 fluxes measured with closed chambers into diffusion- and ebullition-derived components, which helps facilitating the identification of underlying dynamics and potential drivers.
M. Pohl, M. Hoffmann, U. Hagemann, M. Giebels, E. Albiac Borraz, M. Sommer, and J. Augustin
Biogeosciences, 12, 2737–2752, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2737-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2737-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Dynamic SOC and N stocks in the aerobic zone play a key role in the regulation of plant- and microbially mediated CO2 and CH4 fluxes in drained and cultivated fen peatlands. Their interaction with the groundwater level (GWL) strongly influenced soil C gas exchange, indicating effects of GWL-dependent N availability on C formation and transformation processes in the plant--soil system. In contrast, static SOC and N stocks showed no significant effect on C gas fluxes.
B. A. Miller, S. Koszinski, M. Wehrhan, and M. Sommer
SOIL, 1, 217–233, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-217-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-217-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
There are many different strategies for mapping SOC, among which is to model the variables needed to calculate the SOC stock indirectly or to model the SOC stock directly. The purpose of this research was to compare these two approaches for mapping SOC stocks from multiple linear regression models applied at the landscape scale via spatial association. Although the indirect approach had greater spatial variation and higher R2 values, the direct approach had a lower total estimated error.
J. Leifeld, C. Bader, E. Borraz, M. Hoffmann, M. Giebels, M. Sommer, and J. Augustin
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-11-12341-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-11-12341-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
M. Sommer, H. Jochheim, A. Höhn, J. Breuer, Z. Zagorski, J. Busse, D. Barkusky, K. Meier, D. Puppe, M. Wanner, and D. Kaczorek
Biogeosciences, 10, 4991–5007, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4991-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4991-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Soils
Distinct changes in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in the litter layer across two contrasting forest–tundra ecotones
Effects of basalt, concrete fines, and steel slag on maize growth and toxic trace element accumulation in an enhanced weathering experiment
Depth effects of long-term organic residue application on soil organic carbon stocks in central Kenya
Validating laboratory predictions of soil rewetting respiration pulses using field data
Modelling the effect of climate–substrate interactions on soil organic matter decomposition with the Jena Soil Model
Solubility characteristics of soil humic substances as a function of pH: mechanisms and biogeochemical perspectives
Exploring microscale heterogeneity as a driver of biogeochemical transformations and gas transport in peat
Dissolved organic matter fosters core mercury-methylating microbiomes for methylmercury production in paddy soils
A microbially driven and depth-explicit soil organic carbon model constrained by carbon isotopes to reduce parameter equifinality
The incubation history of soil samples strongly affects the occlusion of particulate organic matter
Earth observation reveals reduced winter wheat growth and the importance of plant available water during drought
Plutonium concentrations link soil organic matter decline to wind erosion in ploughed soils of South Africa
Soils signal key mechanisms driving greater protection of organic carbon under aspen compared to spruce forests in a North American montane ecosystem
Litter biomass as a driver of soil VOC fluxes in a Mediterranean forest
A synthesis of Sphagnum litterbag experiments: initial leaching losses bias decomposition rate estimates
Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in Subsoils After 20 years of Added Precipitation in a Mediterranean Grassland
Effect of straw retention and mineral fertilization on P speciation and P-transformation microorganisms in water- extractable colloids of a Vertisol
A new approach to continuous monitoring of carbon use efficiency and biosynthesis in soil microbes from measurement of CO2 and O2
Drivers of soil organic carbon from temperate to alpine forests: a model-based analysis of the Swiss forest soil inventory with Yasso20
Promoted phosphorus transformation by increasing soil microbial diversity and network complexity – A case of long-term mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus with N-fixing tree species
Diverse organic carbon dynamics captured by radiocarbon analysis of distinct compound classes in a grassland soil
The effects of land use on soil carbon stocks in the UK
Technical note: A validated correction method to quantify organic and inorganic carbon in soils using Rock-Eval® thermal analysis
Vegetation patterns associated with nutrient availability and supply in high-elevation tropical Andean ecosystems
Technical note: An open-source, low-cost system for continuous monitoring of low nitrate concentrations in soil and open water
Long-term fertilization increases soil but not plant or microbial N in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland
Factors controlling spatiotemporal variability of soil carbon accumulation and stock estimates in a tidal salt marsh
Moisture and temperature effects on the radiocarbon signature of respired carbon dioxide to assess stability of soil carbon in the Tibetan Plateau
Non-mycorrhizal root-associated fungi increase soil C stocks and stability via diverse mechanisms
Nine years of warming and nitrogen addition in the Tibetan grassland promoted loss of soil organic carbon but did not alter the bulk change in chemical structure
Soil priming effects and involved microbial community along salt gradients
Adjustments to the Rock-Eval® thermal analysis for soil organic and inorganic carbon quantification
Ecosystem-specific patterns and drivers of global reactive iron mineral-associated organic carbon
Dark septate endophytic fungi associated with pioneer grass inhabiting volcanic deposits and their functions in promoting plant growth
Global patterns and drivers of phosphorus fractions in natural soils
Reviews and syntheses: Iron – a driver of nitrogen bioavailability in soils?
How well does ramped thermal oxidation quantify the age distribution of soil carbon? Assessing thermal stability of physically and chemically fractionated soil organic matter
Differential temperature sensitivity of intracellular metabolic processes and extracellular soil enzyme activities
Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty
Technical note: The recovery rate of free particulate organic matter from soil samples is strongly affected by the method of density fractionation
Deforestation for agriculture leads to soil warming and enhanced litter decomposition in subarctic soils
Temperature sensitivity of soil organic carbon respiration along a forested elevation gradient in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda
The influence of elevated CO2 and soil depth on rhizosphere activity and nutrient availability in a mature Eucalyptus woodland
The paradox of assessing greenhouse gases from soils for nature-based solutions
Management-induced changes in soil organic carbon on global croplands
Pore network modeling as a new tool for determining gas diffusivity in peat
Temperature sensitivity of dark CO2 fixation in temperate forest soils
Effects of precipitation seasonality, irrigation, vegetation cycle and soil type on enhanced weathering – modeling of cropland case studies across four sites
Stable isotope profiles of soil organic carbon in forested and grassland landscapes in the Lake Alaotra basin (Madagascar): insights in past vegetation changes
Reviews and syntheses: The promise of big diverse soil data, moving current practices towards future potential
Frank Hagedorn, Josephine Imboden, Pavel A. Moiseev, Decai Gao, Emmanuel Frossard, Patrick Schleppi, Daniel Christen, Konstantin Gavazov, and Jasmin Fetzer
Biogeosciences, 22, 2959–2977, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2959-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2959-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
At treeline, plant species change abruptly from low-stature plants in tundra to trees in forests. Our study documents that from tundra towards forest, the litter layer becomes strongly enriched in nutrients. We show that these litter quality changes alter nutrient processing by soil microbes and increase nutrient release during decomposition in forests compared to tundra. The associated improvement in nutrient availability in forests potentially stimulates tree growth and treeline shifts.
Jet Rijnders, Arthur Vienne, and Sara Vicca
Biogeosciences, 22, 2803–2829, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2803-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2803-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A mesocosm experiment was set up to investigate how maize responds to the application of basalt, concrete fines, and steel slag, using a dose–response approach. Biomass increased with basalt application but did not change with concrete fines or steel slag, except for increased tassel biomass. Mg, Ca, and Si generally increased in the crops, whereas toxic trace elements remained unaffected or even decreased in the plants. Overall, crops were positively affected by the application of silicate materials.
Claude Raoul Müller, Johan Six, Daniel Mugendi Njiru, Bernard Vanlauwe, and Marijn Van de Broek
Biogeosciences, 22, 2733–2747, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2733-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2733-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We studied how different organic and inorganic nutrient inputs affect soil organic carbon (SOC) down to 70 cm in Kenya. After 19 years, all organic treatments increased SOC stocks compared with the control, but mineral nitrogen had no significant effect. Manure was the organic treatment that significantly increased SOC at the deepest soil depths, as its effect could be observed down to 60 cm. Manure was the best strategy to limit SOC loss in croplands and maintain soil quality after deforestation.
Xiankun Li, Marleen Pallandt, Dilip Naidu, Johannes Rousk, Gustaf Hugelius, and Stefano Manzoni
Biogeosciences, 22, 2691–2705, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2691-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2691-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
While laboratory studies have identified many drivers and their effects on the carbon emission pulse after rewetting of dry soils, a validation with field data is still missing. Here, we show that the carbon emission pulse in the laboratory and in the field increases with soil organic carbon and temperature, but their trends with pre-rewetting dryness and moisture increment at rewetting differ. We conclude that the laboratory findings can be partially validated.
Marleen Pallandt, Marion Schrumpf, Holger Lange, Markus Reichstein, Lin Yu, and Bernhard Ahrens
Biogeosciences, 22, 1907–1928, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1907-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1907-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
As soils warm due to climate change, soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposes faster due to increased microbial activity, given sufficient available moisture. We modelled the microbial decomposition of plant litter and residue at different depths and found that deep soil layers are more sensitive than topsoils. Warming causes SOC loss, but its extent depends on the litter type and its temperature sensitivity, which can either counteract or amplify losses. Droughts may also counteract warming-induced SOC losses.
Xuemei Yang, Jie Zhang, Khan M. G. Mostofa, Mohammad Mohinuzzaman, H. Henry Teng, Nicola Senesi, Giorgio S. Senesi, Jie Yuan, Yu Liu, Si-Liang Li, Xiaodong Li, Baoli Wang, and Cong-Qiang Liu
Biogeosciences, 22, 1745–1765, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1745-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1745-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The solubility characteristics of soil humic acids (HAs), fulvic acids (FAs), and protein-like substances (PLSs) at varying pH levels remain unclear. The key findings include the following: HA solubility increases with increasing pH and decreases with decreasing pH; HApH6 and HApH1 contribute to 39.1–49.2% and 3.1–24.1% of dissolved organic carbon, respectively; and HApH2, FA, and PLSs are highly soluble at acidic pHs and are transported by ambient water. These issues are crucial for sustainable soil management.
Lukas Kohl, Petri Kiuru, Marjo Palviainen, Maarit Raivonen, Markku Koskinen, Mari Pihlatie, and Annamari Laurén
Biogeosciences, 22, 1711–1727, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1711-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1711-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present an assay to illuminate heterogeneity in biogeochemical transformations within peat samples. For this, we injected isotope-labeled acetate into peat cores and monitored the release of label-derived gases, which we compared to microtomography images. The fraction of label converted to CO2 and the rapidness of this conversion were linked to injection depth and air-filled porosity.
Qiang Pu, Bo Meng, Jen-How Huang, Kun Zhang, Jiang Liu, Yurong Liu, Mahmoud A. Abdelhafiz, and Xinbin Feng
Biogeosciences, 22, 1543–1556, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1543-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1543-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines the effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on microbial mercury (Hg) methylation in paddy soils. It uncovers that DOM regulates Hg methylation mainly through altering core Hg-methylating microbiome composition and boosting the growth of core Hg-methylating microorganisms. The study highlights that in the regulation of methylmercury formation in paddy soils, more attention should be paid to changes in DOM concentration and composition.
Marijn Van de Broek, Gerard Govers, Marion Schrumpf, and Johan Six
Biogeosciences, 22, 1427–1446, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1427-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1427-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Soil organic carbon models are used to predict how soils affect the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. We show that equifinality – the phenomenon that different parameter values lead to correct overall model outputs, albeit with a different model behaviour – is an important source of model uncertainty. Our results imply that adding more complexity to soil organic carbon models is unlikely to lead to better predictions as long as more data to constrain model parameters are not available.
Frederick Büks, Sabine Dumke, and Julia König
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-771, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-771, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Ultrasonication followed by density fractionation is a frequently used method to determine soil structural stability and the amount of occluded particulate organic matter. Our analyses of three sandy, silty and loamy soils showed that air-drying and gentle rewetting changes SOM fractions depending on the subsequent time of reincubation compared to field-fresh samples. This is important, since e.g. the measurement of archived soils require the handling of air-dried samples.
Hanna Sjulgård, Lukas Valentin Graf, Tino Colombi, Juliane Hirte, Thomas Keller, and Helge Aasen
Biogeosciences, 22, 1341–1354, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1341-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1341-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our study showed that stress-related crop response to changing environmental conditions can be detected by monitoring crops using satellite images at the landscape level. This could be useful for farmers to identify when stresses occur. Our results also suggest that satellite imagery can be used to discover soil impacts on crop development at farm fields. The inclusion of soil properties in satellite image analyses could further improve the accuracy of the prediction of drought stress on crops.
Joel Mohren, Hendrik Wiesel, Wulf Amelung, L. Keith Fifield, Alexandra Sandhage-Hofmann, Erik Strub, Steven A. Binnie, Stefan Heinze, Elmarie Kotze, Chris Du Preez, Stephen G. Tims, and Tibor J. Dunai
Biogeosciences, 22, 1077–1094, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1077-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1077-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We measured concentrations of nuclear fallout in soil samples taken from arable land in South Africa. We find that during the second half of the 20th century, the data strongly correlate with the organic matter content of the soils. The finding implies that wind erosion strongly influenced the loss of organic matter in the soils we investigated. Furthermore, the exponential decline of fallout concentrations and organic matter content over time peaks shortly after native grassland is ploughed.
Lena Wang, Sharon Billings, Li Li, Daniel Hirmas, Keira Johnson, Devon Kerins, Julio Pachon, Curtis Beutler, Karla Jarecke, Vaishnavi Varikuti, Micah Unruh, Hoori Ajami, Holly Barnard, Alejandro Flores, Kenneth Williams, and Pamela Sullivan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-70, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-70, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our study looked at how different forest types and conditions affected soil microbes, and soil carbon and stability. Aspen organic matter led to higher microbial activity, smaller soil aggregates, and more stable soil carbon, possibly reducing dissolved organic carbon movement from hillslopes to streams. This shows the importance of models like the Microbial Efficiency – Matrix Stabilization framework for predicting CO2 release, soil carbon stability, and carbon movement.
Manon Rocco, Julien Kammer, Mathieu Santonja, Brice Temime-Roussel, Cassandra Saignol, Caroline Lecareux, Etienne Quivet, Henri Wortham, and Elena Ormeno
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-54, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-54, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Soil emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) play a significant role in ecosystems, yet the impact of litter accumulation on these emissions is often overlooked, particularly in Mediterranean deciduous forests. A study in downy oak forest identified over 135 BVOCs, many absorbed by the soil, while others were emitted and increased with litter biomass. This underscores the critical role of litter and microbial activity in shaping soil BVOC dynamics under changing climates.
Henning Teickner, Edzer Pebesma, and Klaus-Holger Knorr
Biogeosciences, 22, 417–433, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-417-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-417-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Decomposition rates for Sphagnum mosses, the main peat-forming plants in northern peatlands, are often derived from litterbag experiments. Here, we estimate initial leaching losses from available Sphagnum litterbag experiments and analyze how decomposition rates are biased when initial leaching losses are ignored. Our analyses indicate that initial leaching losses range between 3 to 18 mass-% and that this may result in overestimated mass losses when extrapolated to several decades.
Leila Maria Wahab, Sora Kim, and Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3607, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3607, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Soils are a large reservoir of carbon on land and there is uncertainty regarding how it will be affected by climate change. There is still active research about how changing precipitation patterns, a key aspect of climate change, will affect soil carbon and furthermore how vulnerable subsoils are to climate change. In this study, we studied subsoils after 20 years of experimentally manipulated precipitation shifts to see whether increasing precipitation would affect carbon amounts and chemistry.
Shanshan Bai, Yifei Ge, Dongtan Yao, Yifan Wang, Jinfang Tan, Shuai Zhang, Yutao Peng, and Xiaoqian Jiang
Biogeosciences, 22, 135–151, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-135-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-135-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Mineral fertilization led to increases in total P, available P, high-activity inorganic P fractions, and organic P but reduced the abundance of P-cycling genes by decreasing soil pH and increasing P in bulk soil. Straw retention enhanced organic carbon, total P, and available P concentrations in water-extractable colloids (WECs). Abundances of the phoD gene and phoD-harboring Proteobacteria in WECs were elevated under straw retention, suggesting an increase in P-mineralization capacity.
Kyle E. Smart, Daniel O. Breecker, Christopher B. Blackwood, and Timothy M. Gallagher
Biogeosciences, 22, 87–101, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-87-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-87-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
When microbes consume carbon within soils, it is important to know how much carbon is respired and lost as carbon dioxide versus how much is used to make new biomass. We used a new approach of monitoring carbon dioxide and oxygen to track the fate of consumed carbon during a series of laboratory experiments where sugar was added to moistened soil. Our approach allowed us to estimate how much sugar was converted to dead microbial biomass, which is more likely to be preserved in soils.
Claudia Guidi, Sia Gosheva-Oney, Markus Didion, Roman Flury, Lorenz Walthert, Stephan Zimmermann, Brian J. Oney, Pascal A. Niklaus, Esther Thürig, Toni Viskari, Jari Liski, and Frank Hagedorn
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3788, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3788, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Predicting soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in forests is crucial for assessing C balance, yet drivers of SOC stocks remain uncertain at large scales. Across a broad environmental gradient in Switzerland, we compared measured SOC stocks with those modelled by Yasso20, commonly used for GHG budgets. Our results show that soil mineral properties and climate are main controls of SOC stocks, indicating that better accounting of these processes will advance accuracy of SOC stock predictions.
Jiyin Li, Yeming You, Wen Zhang, Yi Wang, Yuying Liang, Haimei Huang, Hailun Ma, Qinxia He, Angang Ming, and Xueman Huang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3456, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3456, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Monoculture of Eucalyptus can lead to soil degradation. In this study, we introduced nitrogen-fixing species in Eucalyptus plantations and investigated the effect of the introduction of nitrogen-fixing species on soil phosphorus transformation by soil microorganisms and their nitrogen-phosphorus cycling functional genes, which may be a promising forest management strategy to improve ecosystem phosphorus benefits.
Katherine E. Grant, Marisa N. Repasch, Kari M. Finstad, Julia D. Kerr, Maxwell Marple, Christopher J. Larson, Taylor A. B. Broek, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, and Karis J. McFarlane
Biogeosciences, 21, 4395–4411, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4395-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4395-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Soils store organic carbon composed of multiple compounds from plants and microbes for different lengths of time. To understand how soils store these different carbon types, we measure the time each carbon fraction is in a grassland soil profile. Our results show that the length of time each individual soil fraction is in our soil changes. Our approach allows a detailed look at the different components in soils. This study can help improve our understanding of soil dynamics.
Peter Levy, Laura Bentley, Peter Danks, Bridget Emmett, Angus Garbutt, Stephen Heming, Peter Henrys, Aidan Keith, Inma Lebron, Niall McNamara, Richard Pywell, John Redhead, David Robinson, and Alexander Wickenden
Biogeosciences, 21, 4301–4315, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4301-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4301-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We collated a large data set (15 790 soil cores) on soil carbon stock in different land uses. Soil carbon stocks were highest in woodlands and lowest in croplands. The variability in the effects was large. This has important implications for agri-environment schemes seeking to sequester carbon in the soil by altering land use because the effect of a given intervention is very hard to verify.
Marija Stojanova, Pierre Arbelet, François Baudin, Nicolas Bouton, Giovanni Caria, Lorenza Pacini, Nicolas Proix, Edouard Quibel, Achille Thin, and Pierre Barré
Biogeosciences, 21, 4229–4237, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4229-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4229-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Because of its importance for climate regulation and soil health, many studies focus on carbon dynamics in soils. However, quantifying organic and inorganic carbon remains an issue in carbonated soils. In this technical note, we propose a validated correction method to quantify organic and inorganic carbon in soils using Rock-Eval® thermal analysis. With this correction, the Rock-Eval® method has the potential to become the standard method for quantifying carbon in carbonate soils.
Armando Molina, Veerle Vanacker, Oliver Chadwick, Santiago Zhiminaicela, Marife Corre, and Edzo Veldkamp
Biogeosciences, 21, 3075–3091, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3075-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3075-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The tropical Andes contains unique landscapes where forest patches are surrounded by tussock grasses and cushion-forming plants. The aboveground vegetation composition informs us about belowground nutrient availability: patterns in plant-available nutrients resulted from strong biocycling of cations and removal of soil nutrients by plant uptake or leaching. Future changes in vegetation distribution will affect soil water and solute fluxes and the aquatic ecology of Andean rivers and lakes.
Sahiti Bulusu, Cristina Prieto García, Helen E. Dahlke, and Elad Levintal
Biogeosciences, 21, 3007–3013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3007-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3007-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Do-it-yourself hardware is a new way to improve measurement resolution. We present a low-cost, automated system for field measurements of low nitrate concentrations in soil porewater and open water bodies. All data hardware components cost USD 1100, which is much cheaper than other available commercial solutions. We provide the complete building guide to reduce technical barriers, which we hope will allow easier reproducibility and set up new soil and environmental monitoring applications.
Violeta Mendoza-Martinez, Scott L. Collins, and Jennie R. McLaren
Biogeosciences, 21, 2655–2667, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2655-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2655-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We examine the impacts of multi-decadal nitrogen additions on a dryland ecosystem N budget, including the soil, microbial, and plant N pools. After 26 years, there appears to be little impact on the soil microbial or plant community and only minimal increases in N pools within the soil. While perhaps encouraging from a conservation standpoint, we calculate that greater than 95 % of the nitrogen added to the system is not retained and is instead either lost deeper in the soil or emitted as gas.
Sean Fettrow, Andrew Wozniak, Holly A. Michael, and Angelia L. Seyfferth
Biogeosciences, 21, 2367–2384, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2367-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2367-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Salt marshes play a big role in global carbon (C) storage, and C stock estimates are used to predict future changes. However, spatial and temporal gradients in C burial rates over the landscape exist due to variations in water inundation, dominant plant species and stage of growth, and tidal action. We quantified soil C concentrations in soil cores across time and space beside several porewater biogeochemical variables and discussed the controls on variability in soil C in salt marsh ecosystems.
Andrés Tangarife-Escobar, Georg Guggenberger, Xiaojuan Feng, Guohua Dai, Carolina Urbina-Malo, Mina Azizi-Rad, and Carlos A. Sierra
Biogeosciences, 21, 1277–1299, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1277-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1277-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Soil organic matter stability depends on future temperature and precipitation scenarios. We used radiocarbon (14C) data and model predictions to understand how the transit time of carbon varies under environmental change in grasslands and peatlands. Soil moisture affected the Δ14C of peatlands, while temperature did not have any influence. Our models show the correspondence between Δ14C and transit time and could allow understanding future interactions between terrestrial and atmospheric carbon
Emiko K. Stuart, Laura Castañeda-Gómez, Wolfram Buss, Jeff R. Powell, and Yolima Carrillo
Biogeosciences, 21, 1037–1059, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1037-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1037-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We inoculated wheat plants with various types of fungi whose impacts on soil carbon are poorly understood. After several months of growth, we examined both their impacts on soil carbon and the underlying mechanisms using multiple methods. Overall the fungi benefitted the storage of carbon in soil, mainly by improving the stability of pre-existing carbon, but several pathways were involved. This study demonstrates their importance for soil carbon storage and, therefore, climate change mitigation.
Huimin Sun, Michael W. I. Schmidt, Jintao Li, Jinquan Li, Xiang Liu, Nicholas O. E. Ofiti, Shurong Zhou, and Ming Nie
Biogeosciences, 21, 575–589, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-575-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-575-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A soil organic carbon (SOC) molecular structure suggested that the easily decomposable and stabilized SOC is similarly affected after 9-year warming and N treatments despite large changes in SOC stocks. Given the long residence time of some SOC, the similar loss of all measurable chemical forms of SOC under global change treatments could have important climate consequences.
Haoli Zhang, Doudou Chang, Zhifeng Zhu, Chunmei Meng, and Kaiyong Wang
Biogeosciences, 21, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Soil salinity mediates microorganisms and soil processes like soil organic carbon (SOC) cycling. We observed that negative priming effects at the early stages might be due to the preferential utilization of cottonseed meal. The positive priming that followed decreased with the increase in salinity.
Joséphine Hazera, David Sebag, Isabelle Kowalewski, Eric Verrecchia, Herman Ravelojaona, and Tiphaine Chevallier
Biogeosciences, 20, 5229–5242, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5229-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5229-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study adapts the Rock-Eval® protocol to quantify soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) on a non-pretreated soil aliquot. The standard protocol properly estimates SOC contents once the TOC parameter is corrected. However, it cannot complete the thermal breakdown of SIC amounts > 4 mg, leading to an underestimation of high SIC contents by the MinC parameter, even after correcting for this. Thus, the final oxidation isotherm is extended to 7 min to quantify any SIC amount.
Bo Zhao, Amin Dou, Zhiwei Zhang, Zhenyu Chen, Wenbo Sun, Yanli Feng, Xiaojuan Wang, and Qiang Wang
Biogeosciences, 20, 4761–4774, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4761-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4761-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study provided a comprehensive analysis of the spatial variability and determinants of Fe-bound organic carbon (Fe-OC) among terrestrial, wetland, and marine ecosystems and its governing factors globally. We illustrated that reactive Fe was not only an important sequestration mechanism for OC in terrestrial ecosystems but also an effective “rusty sink” of OC preservation in wetland and marine ecosystems, i.e., a key factor for long-term OC storage in global ecosystems.
Han Sun, Tomoyasu Nishizawa, Hiroyuki Ohta, and Kazuhiko Narisawa
Biogeosciences, 20, 4737–4749, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4737-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4737-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this research, we assessed the diversity and function of the dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi community associated with Miscanthus condensatus root in volcanic ecosystems. Both metabarcoding and isolation were adopted in this study. We further validated effects on plant growth by inoculation of some core DSE isolates. This study helps improve our understanding of the role of Miscanthus condensatus-associated DSE fungi during the restoration of post-volcanic ecosystems.
Xianjin He, Laurent Augusto, Daniel S. Goll, Bruno Ringeval, Ying-Ping Wang, Julian Helfenstein, Yuanyuan Huang, and Enqing Hou
Biogeosciences, 20, 4147–4163, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4147-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4147-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We identified total soil P concentration as the most important predictor of all soil P pool concentrations, except for primary mineral P concentration, which is primarily controlled by soil pH and only secondarily by total soil P concentration. We predicted soil P pools’ distributions in natural systems, which can inform assessments of the role of natural P availability for ecosystem productivity, climate change mitigation, and the functioning of the Earth system.
Imane Slimani, Xia Zhu-Barker, Patricia Lazicki, and William Horwath
Biogeosciences, 20, 3873–3894, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3873-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3873-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
There is a strong link between nitrogen availability and iron minerals in soils. These minerals have multiple outcomes for nitrogen availability depending on soil conditions and properties. For example, iron can limit microbial degradation of nitrogen in aerated soils but has opposing outcomes in non-aerated soils. This paper focuses on the multiple ways iron can affect nitrogen bioavailability in soils.
Shane W. Stoner, Marion Schrumpf, Alison Hoyt, Carlos A. Sierra, Sebastian Doetterl, Valier Galy, and Susan Trumbore
Biogeosciences, 20, 3151–3163, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3151-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3151-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Soils store more carbon (C) than any other terrestrial C reservoir, but the processes that control how much C stays in soil, and for how long, are very complex. Here, we used a recent method that involves heating soil in the lab to measure the range of C ages in soil. We found that most C in soil is decades to centuries old, while some stays for much shorter times (days to months), and some is thousands of years old. Such detail helps us to estimate how soil C may react to changing climate.
Adetunji Alex Adekanmbi, Laurence Dale, Liz Shaw, and Tom Sizmur
Biogeosciences, 20, 2207–2219, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2207-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2207-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The decomposition of soil organic matter and flux of carbon dioxide are expected to increase as temperatures rise. However, soil organic matter decomposition is a two-step process whereby large molecules are first broken down outside microbial cells and then respired within microbial cells. We show here that these two steps are not equally sensitive to increases in soil temperature and that global warming may cause a shift in the rate-limiting step from outside to inside the microbial cell.
Mercedes Román Dobarco, Alexandre M. J-C. Wadoux, Brendan Malone, Budiman Minasny, Alex B. McBratney, and Ross Searle
Biogeosciences, 20, 1559–1586, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1559-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1559-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is of a heterogeneous nature and varies in chemistry, stabilisation mechanisms, and persistence in soil. In this study we mapped the stocks of SOC fractions with different characteristics and turnover rates (presumably PyOC >= MAOC > POC) across Australia, combining spectroscopy and digital soil mapping. The SOC stocks (0–30 cm) were estimated as 13 Pg MAOC, 2 Pg POC, and 5 Pg PyOC.
Frederick Büks
Biogeosciences, 20, 1529–1535, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1529-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1529-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Ultrasonication with density fractionation of soils is a commonly used method to separate soil organic matter pools, which is, e.g., important to calculate carbon turnover in landscapes. It is shown that the approach that merges soil and dense solution without mixing has a low recovery rate and causes co-extraction of parts of the retained labile pool along with the intermediate pool. An alternative method with high recovery rates and no cross-contamination was recommended.
Tino Peplau, Christopher Poeplau, Edward Gregorich, and Julia Schroeder
Biogeosciences, 20, 1063–1074, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1063-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1063-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We buried tea bags and temperature loggers in a paired-plot design in soils under forest and agricultural land and retrieved them after 2 years to quantify the effect of land-use change on soil temperature and litter decomposition in subarctic agricultural systems. We could show that agricultural soils were on average 2 °C warmer than forests and that litter decomposition was enhanced. The results imply that deforestation amplifies effects of climate change on soil organic matter dynamics.
Joseph Okello, Marijn Bauters, Hans Verbeeck, Samuel Bodé, John Kasenene, Astrid Françoys, Till Engelhardt, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Ralf Kiese, and Pascal Boeckx
Biogeosciences, 20, 719–735, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-719-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-719-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The increase in global and regional temperatures has the potential to drive accelerated soil organic carbon losses in tropical forests. We simulated climate warming by translocating intact soil cores from higher to lower elevations. The results revealed increasing temperature sensitivity and decreasing losses of soil organic carbon with increasing elevation. Our results suggest that climate warming may trigger enhanced losses of soil organic carbon from tropical montane forests.
Johanna Pihlblad, Louise C. Andresen, Catriona A. Macdonald, David S. Ellsworth, and Yolima Carrillo
Biogeosciences, 20, 505–521, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-505-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-505-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Elevated CO2 in the atmosphere increases forest biomass productivity when growth is not limited by soil nutrients. This study explores how mature trees stimulate soil availability of nitrogen and phosphorus with free-air carbon dioxide enrichment after 5 years of fumigation. We found that both nutrient availability and processes feeding available pools increased in the rhizosphere, and phosphorus increased at depth. This appears to not be by decomposition but by faster recycling of nutrients.
Rodrigo Vargas and Van Huong Le
Biogeosciences, 20, 15–26, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-15-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-15-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Quantifying the role of soils in nature-based solutions requires accurate estimates of soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. We suggest that multiple GHG fluxes should not be simultaneously measured at a few fixed time intervals, but an optimized sampling approach can reduce bias and uncertainty. Our results have implications for assessing GHG fluxes from soils and a better understanding of the role of soils in nature-based solutions.
Kristine Karstens, Benjamin Leon Bodirsky, Jan Philipp Dietrich, Marta Dondini, Jens Heinke, Matthias Kuhnert, Christoph Müller, Susanne Rolinski, Pete Smith, Isabelle Weindl, Hermann Lotze-Campen, and Alexander Popp
Biogeosciences, 19, 5125–5149, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5125-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5125-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Soil organic carbon (SOC) has been depleted by anthropogenic land cover change and agricultural management. While SOC models often simulate detailed biochemical processes, the management decisions are still little investigated at the global scale. We estimate that soils have lost around 26 GtC relative to a counterfactual natural state in 1975. Yet, since 1975, SOC has been increasing again by 4 GtC due to a higher productivity, recycling of crop residues and manure, and no-tillage practices.
Petri Kiuru, Marjo Palviainen, Arianna Marchionne, Tiia Grönholm, Maarit Raivonen, Lukas Kohl, and Annamari Laurén
Biogeosciences, 19, 5041–5058, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5041-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5041-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Peatlands are large carbon stocks. Emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from peatlands may increase due to changes in management and climate. We studied the variation in the gas diffusivity of peat with depth using pore network simulations and laboratory experiments. Gas diffusivity was found to be lower in deeper peat with smaller pores and lower pore connectivity. However, gas diffusivity was not extremely low in wet conditions, which may reflect the distinctive structure of peat.
Rachael Akinyede, Martin Taubert, Marion Schrumpf, Susan Trumbore, and Kirsten Küsel
Biogeosciences, 19, 4011–4028, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4011-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4011-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Soils will likely become warmer in the future, and this can increase the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. As microbes can take up soil CO2 and prevent further escape into the atmosphere, this study compares the rate of uptake and release of CO2 at two different temperatures. With warming, the rate of CO2 uptake increases less than the rate of release, indicating that the capacity to modulate soil CO2 release into the atmosphere will decrease under future warming.
Giuseppe Cipolla, Salvatore Calabrese, Amilcare Porporato, and Leonardo V. Noto
Biogeosciences, 19, 3877–3896, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3877-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3877-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Enhanced weathering (EW) is a promising strategy for carbon sequestration. Since models may help to characterize field EW, the present work applies a hydro-biogeochemical model to four case studies characterized by different rainfall seasonality, vegetation and soil type. Rainfall seasonality strongly affects EW dynamics, but low carbon sequestration suggests that an in-depth analysis at the global scale is required to see if EW may be effective to mitigate climate change.
Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Marjolein Dewaele, Gerard Govers, Liesa Brosens, Benjamin Campforts, Liesbet Jacobs, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, and Steven Bouillon
Biogeosciences, 19, 3825–3841, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3825-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3825-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In order to shed light on possible past vegetation shifts in the Central Highlands of Madagascar, we measured stable isotope ratios of organic carbon in soil profiles along both forested and grassland hillslope transects in the Lake Alaotra region. Our results show that the landscape of this region was more forested in the past: soils in the C4-dominated grasslands contained a substantial fraction of C3-derived carbon, increasing with depth.
Katherine E. O. Todd-Brown, Rose Z. Abramoff, Jeffrey Beem-Miller, Hava K. Blair, Stevan Earl, Kristen J. Frederick, Daniel R. Fuka, Mario Guevara Santamaria, Jennifer W. Harden, Katherine Heckman, Lillian J. Heran, James R. Holmquist, Alison M. Hoyt, David H. Klinges, David S. LeBauer, Avni Malhotra, Shelby C. McClelland, Lucas E. Nave, Katherine S. Rocci, Sean M. Schaeffer, Shane Stoner, Natasja van Gestel, Sophie F. von Fromm, and Marisa L. Younger
Biogeosciences, 19, 3505–3522, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3505-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3505-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Research data are becoming increasingly available online with tantalizing possibilities for reanalysis. However harmonizing data from different sources remains challenging. Using the soils community as an example, we walked through the various strategies that researchers currently use to integrate datasets for reanalysis. We find that manual data transcription is still extremely common and that there is a critical need for community-supported informatics tools like vocabularies and ontologies.
Cited articles
Alexandre, A., Meunier, J. D., Colin, F., and Koud, J. M.: Plant impact on the biogeochemical cycle of silicon and related weathering processes, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac. 61, 677–682, 1997.
Aoki, Y., Hoshino, M., and Matsubara, T.: Silica and testate amoebae in a soil under pine–oak forest, Geoderma, 142, 29–35, 2007.
Barão, L., Clymans, W., Vandevenne, F., Meire, P., Conley, D. J., and Struyf, E.: Pedogenic and biogenic alkaline-extracted silicon distributions along a temperate land-use gradient, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 65, 693–705, 2014.
Bartoli, F.: The biogeochemical cycle of silicon in two temperate forest ecosystems, Environ. Biogeochem. Ecol. Bull., 35, 469–476, 1983.
Bartoli, F. and Wilding, L. P.: Dissolution of biogenic opal as a function of its physical and chemical properties, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 44, 873–878, 1980.
Berner, R. A.: The long-term carbon cycle, fossil fuels and atmospheric composition, Nature, 426, 323–326, 2003.
Biermans, V. and Baert, L.: Selective extraction of the amorphous Al, Fe and Si oxides using an alkaline Tiron solution, Clay Miner., 12, 127–135, 1977.
Blecker, S. W., McCulley, R. L., Chadwick, O. A., and Kelly, E. F.: Biologic cycling of silica across a grassland bioclimosequence, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 20, GB3023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GB002690, 2006.
Buján, E.: Elemental composition of phytoliths in modern plants (Ericaceae), Quatern. Int., 287, 114–120, 2013.
Clarke, J.: The occurrence and significance of biogenic opal in the regolith, Earth-Sci. Rev., 60, 175–194, 2003.
Clymans, W., Struyf, E., Govers, G., Vandevenne, F., and Conley, D. J.: Anthropogenic impact on amorphous silica pools in temperate soils, Biogeosciences, 8, 2281–2293, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-2281-2011, 2011.
Conley, D. J., Likens, G. E., Buso, D. C., Saccone, L., Bailey, S. W., and Johnson, C. E.: Deforestation causes increased dissolved silicate losses in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, Global Change Biol. 14, 2548–2554, 2008.
Cooke, J. and Leishman, M. R.: Tradeoffs between foliar silicon and carbon-based defences: evidence from vegetation communities of contrasting soil types, Oikos, 121, 2052–2060, 2012.
Creevy, A. L., Fisher, J., Puppe, D., and Wilkinson, D. M.: Protist diversity on a nature reserve in NW England – with particular reference to their role in soil biogenic silicon pools, Pedobiologia, 59, 51–59, 2016.
DIN ISO 1039: Bodenbeschaffenheit: Bestimmung des pH-Wertes, Deutsches Institut für Normung, Beuth, Berlin, 1997.
Douglas, M. S. and Smol, J. P.: Siliceous protozoan plates in lake sediments, Hydrobiologia, 154, 13–23, 1987.
Dürr, H. H., Meybeck, M., Hartmann, J., Laruelle, G. G., and Roubeix, V.: Global spatial distribution of natural riverine silica inputs to the coastal zone, Biogeosciences, 8, 597–620, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-597-2011, 2011.
Ehrlich, H., Demadis, K. D., Pokrovsky, O. S., and Koutsoukos, P. G.: Modern views on desilicification: biosilica and abiotic silica dissolution in natural and artificial environments, Chem. Rev., 110, 4656–4689, 2010.
Epstein, E.: Silicon: its manifold roles in plants, Ann. Appl. Biol. 155, 155–160, 2009.
Esperschütz, J., Zimmermann, C., Dümig, A., Welzl, G., Buegger, F., Elmer, M., Munch, J. C., and Schloter, M.: Dynamics of microbial communities during decomposition of litter from pioneering plants in initial soil ecosystems, Biogeosciences, 10, 5115–5124, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5115-2013, 2013.
Farmer, V. C., Delbos, E., and Miller, J. D.: The role of phytolith formation and dissolution in controlling concentrations of silica in soil solutions and streams, Geoderma, 127, 71–79, 2005.
Fraysse, F., Pokrovsky, O. S., Schott, J., and Meunier, J. D.: Surface properties, solubility and dissolution kinetics of bamboo phytoliths, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 70, 1939–1951, 2006.
Fraysse, F., Pokrovsky, O. S., Schott, J., and Meunier, J. D.: Surface chemistry and reactivity of plant phytoliths in aqueous solutions, Chem. Geol., 258, 197–206, 2009.
Frings, P. J., Clymans, W., Jeppesen, E., Lauridsen, T. L., Struyf, E., and Conley, D. J.: Lack of steady-state in the global biogeochemical Si cycle: emerging evidence from lake Si sequestration, Biogeochemistry, 117, 255–277, 2014.
Gerwin, W., Schaaf, W., Biemelt, D., Fischer, A., Winter, S., and Hüttl, R. F.: The artificial catchment `Chicken Creek' (Lusatia, Germany) – A landscape laboratory for interdisciplinary studies of initial ecosystem development, Ecol. Eng., 35, 1786–1796, 2009.
Gerwin, W., Schaaf, W., Biemelt, D., Elmer, M., Maurer, T., and Schneider, A.: The Artificial catchment `Hühnerwasser' (Chicken Creek): construction and initial properties, in: Ecosystem Development 1, edited by: Hüttl, R. F., Schaaf, W., Biemelt, D., and Gerwin, W., Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany, 1–58, 2010.
Hildebrand, M.: Diatoms, biomineralization processes, and genomics, Chem. Rev., 108, 4855–4874, 2008.
Hodson, M. J., White, P. J., Mead, A., and Broadley, M. R.: Phylogenetic variation in the silicon composition of plants, Ann. Bot. London, 96, 1027–1046, 2005.
Keller, C., Guntzer, F., Barboni, D., Labreuche, J., and Meunier, J. D.: Impact of agriculture on the Si biogeochemical cycle: input from phytolith studies, C. R. Geosci., 344, 739–746, 2012.
Kendrick, K. J. and Graham, R. C.: Pedogenic silica accumulation in chronosequence soils, Southern California, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 68, 1295–1303, 2004.
Kendzia, G., Reißmann, R., and Neumann, T.: Targeted development of wetland habitats for nature conservation fed by natural inflow in the post-mining landscape of Lusatia, World Min., 60, 88–95, 2008.
Kodama, H. and Ross, G. J.: Tiron dissolution method used to remove and characterize inorganic components in soils, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 55, 1180–1187, 1991.
Liu, X., Colman, S. M., Brown, E. T., Minor, E. C., and Li, H.: Estimation of carbonate, total organic carbon, and biogenic silica content by FTIR and XRF techniques in lacustrine sediments, J. Paleolimnol. 50, 387–398, 2013.
Loucaides, S., Behrends, T., and Van Cappellen, P.: Reactivity of biogenic silica: Surface versus bulk charge density, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac. 74, 517–530, 2010.
Ma, J. F. and Yamaji, N.: Functions and transport of silicon in plants, Cell. Mol. Life Sci., 65, 3049–3057, 2008.
McKeague, J. A. and Cline, M. G.: Silica in soil solutions I. The form and concentration of dissolved silica in aqueous extracts of some soils, Can. J. Soil Sci., 43, 70–82, 1963.
Meisterfeld, R.: Order Arcellinida Kent, 1880, in: The illustrated guide to the Protozoa, edited by: Lee, J. J., Leedale, G. F., and Bradbury, P., 827–860, Society of Protozoologists, Lawrence, KS, USA, 2002.
Meunier, J. D., Colin, F., and Alarcon, C.: Biogenic silica storage in soils, Geology, 27, 835–838, 1999.
Meunier, J. D., Barboni, D., Anwar-ul-Haq, M., Levard, C., Chaurand, P., Vidal, V., Grauby, O., Huc, R., Laffont-Schwob, I., Rabier, J., and Keller, C.: Effect of phytoliths for mitigating water stress in durum wheat, New Phytol., 215, 229–239, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14554, 2017.
Mortlock, R. A. and Froelich, P. N.: A simple method for the rapid determination of biogenic opal in pelagic marine sediments, Deep-Sea Res., 36, 1415–1426, 1989.
Pienitz, R., Douglas, M. S., Smol, J. P., Huttunen, P., and Meriläinen, J.: Diatom, chrysophyte and protozoan distributions along a latitudinal transect in Fennoscandia, Ecography, 18, 429–439, 1995.
Puppe, D., Kaczorek, D., Wanner, M., and Sommer, M.: Dynamics and drivers of the protozoic Si pool along a 10-year chronosequence of initial ecosystem states, Ecol. Eng., 70, 477–482, 2014.
Puppe, D., Ehrmann, O., Kaczorek, D., Wanner, M., and Sommer, M.: The protozoic Si pool in temperate forest ecosystems – Quantification, abiotic controls and interactions with earthworms, Geoderma, 243–244, 196–204, 2015.
Puppe, D., Höhn, A., Kaczorek, D., Wanner, M., and Sommer, M.: As Time Goes By – Spatiotemporal Changes of Biogenic Si Pools in Initial Soils of an Artificial Catchment in NE Germany, Appl. Soil Ecol., 105, 9–16, 2016.
Rosén, P., Vogel, H., Cunningham, L., Reuss, N., Conley, D. J., and Persson, P.: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a new method for rapid determination of total organic and inorganic carbon and biogenic silica concentration in lake sediments, J. Paleolimnol., 43, 247–259, 2010.
Russell, D. J., Hohberg, K., and Elmer, M.: Primary colonisation of newly formed soils by actinedid mites, Soil Org. 82, 237–251, 2010.
Saccone, L., Conley, D. J., Likens, G. E., Bailey, S. W., Buso, D. C., and Johnson, C. E.: Factors that control the range and variability of amorphous silica in soils in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 72, 1637–1644, 2008.
Sangster, A. G.: Anatomical features and silica depositional patterns in the rhizomes of the grasses Sorghastrum nutans and Phragmites australis, Can. J. Botany, 61, 752–761, 1983.
Sangster, A. G., Hodson, M. J., and Tubb, H. J.: Silicon deposition in higher plants, 85–113, in: Silicon in agriculture (Vol. 8), edited by: Datnoff, L. E., Snyder, G. H., and Korndörfer, G. H., Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2001.
Sauer, D., Saccone, L., Conley, D. J., Herrmann, L., and Sommer, M.: Review of methodologies for extracting plant-available and amorphous Si from soils and aquatic sediments, Biogeochemistry, 80, 89–108, 2006.
Schaaf, W., Biemelt, D., and Hüttl, R. F.: Initial development of the artificial catchment `Chicken Creek' – monitoring program and survey 2005-2008. Ecosystem Development 2, edited by: Hüttl, R. F., Schaaf, W., Biemelt, D., and Gerwin, W., 194 pp., 2010.
Schachtschabel, P. and Heinemann, C. G.: Wasserlösliche Kieselsäure in Lößböden, Z. Pflanzenern. Bodenk., 118, 22–35, 1967.
Schlichting, E., Blume, H. P., and Stahr, K.: Soils Practical, Blackwell, Berlin, Wien, Germany, Austria, 295 pp., 1995
Schneider, A., Gerke, H. H., Maurer, T., and Nenov, R.: Initial hydro-geomorphic development and rill network evolution in an artificial catchment, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 38, 1496–1512, 2013.
Schönborn, W., Petz, W., Wanner, M., and Foissner, W.: Observations on the Morphology and Ecology of the Soil-Inhabiting Testate Amoeba Schoenbornia humicola (Schönborn, 1964) Decloitre, 1964 (Protozoa, Rhizopoda), Arch. Protistenkd., 134, 315–330, 1987.
Sommer, M., Kaczorek, D., Kuzyakov, Y., and Breuer, J.: Silicon pools and fluxes in soils and landscapes – a review, J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci., 169, 310–329, 2006.
Sommer, M., Jochheim, H., Höhn, A., Breuer, J., Zagorski, Z., Busse, J., Barkusky, D., Meier, K., Puppe, D., Wanner, M., and Kaczorek, D.: Si cycling in a forest biogeosystem – the importance of transient state biogenic Si pools, Biogeosciences, 10, 4991–5007, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4991-2013, 2013.
Song, Z., Wang, H., Strong, P. J., Li, Z., and Jiang, P.: Plant impact on the coupled terrestrial biogeochemical cycles of silicon and carbon: implications for biogeochemical carbon sequestration, Earth-Sci. Rev., 115, 319–331, 2012.
Street-Perrott, F. A., and Barker, P. A.: Biogenic silica: a neglected component of the coupled global continental biogeochemical cycles of carbon and silicon, Earth Surf. Proc. Land. 33, 1436–1457, 2008.
Struyf, E., Smis, A., Van Damme, S., Garnier, J., Govers, G., Van Wesemael, B., Conley, D. J, Batelaan, O., Frot, E., Clymans, W., Vandevenne, F., Lancelot, C., Goos, P., and Meire, P.: Historical land use change has lowered terrestrial silica mobilization, Nat. Commun. 1, 129, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1128, 2010.
Tréguer, P. J. and De La Rocha, C. L.: The world ocean silica cycle, Ann. Rev. Mar. Sci., 5, 477–501, 2013.
Tréguer, P. and Pondaven, P.: Global change: silica control of carbo dioxide, Nature, 406, 358–359, 2000..
Vandevenne, F. I., Barão, L., Ronchi, B., Govers, G., Meire, P., Kelly, E. F., and Struyf, E.: Silicon pools in human impacted soils of temperate zones, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 29, 1439–1450, 2015.
Wanner, M. and Elmer, M.: “Hot spots” on a new soil surface – how do testate amoebae settle down?, Acta Protozool., 48, 281–289, 2009.
Wanner, M., Elmer, M., Sommer, M., Funk, R., and Puppe, D.: Testate amoebae colonizing a newly exposed land surface are of airborne origin, Ecol. Indic., 48, 55–62, 2015.
Wanner, M., Seidl-Lampa, B., Höhn, A., Puppe, D., Meisterfeld, R., and Sommer, M.: Culture growth of testate amoebae under different silicon concentrations, Eur. J. Protistol., 56, 171–179, 2016.
Watteau, F. and Villemin, G.: Ultrastructural study of the biogeochemical cycle of silicon in the soil and litter of a temperate forest, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 52, 385–396, 2001.
Wilding, L. P. and Drees, L. R.: Biogenic opal in Ohio soils, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 35, 1004–1010, 1971.
Zaplata, M. K., Fischer, A., and Winter, S.: Vegetation dynamics, in: Ecosystem development 2, edited by: Schaaf, W., Biemelt, D., Hüttl, R. F., Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany, 2010.
Short summary
We quantified different biogenic Si pools in soils of a developing ecosystem and analyzed their influence on short-term changes of the water soluble Si fraction. From our results we concluded small (< 5 µm) and/or fragile phytogenic Si structures to have the biggest impact on short-term changes of water soluble Si. Analyses of these phytogenic Si structures are urgently needed in future as they seem to represent the most important driver of Si cycling in terrestrial biogeosystems in general.
We quantified different biogenic Si pools in soils of a developing ecosystem and analyzed their...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint