Dear Laura Heimsch et al.

your manuscript has been reviewed by two independent reviewers with one reviewer being very positive about the current paper and pointing out some minor revisions. This reviewer particularly highlights the importance of your observations in the context of a still valid paucity of GHG flux measurements form agricultural systems.
The second reviewer was more critical, emphasising issues concerning the time period covered as well as the conclusion that were drawn from two years of data, Furthermore, reviewer 2 also questions the approach of using long time series of modelled soil temperature to identify driver variables.
In your specific responses you suggest to address all these points and thus I am looking forward to receiving a revised manuscript.

with kind regards

Lutz Merbold

Dear Laura Heimsch et al.,

thank you for submitting your revised version of your manuscript. While I appreciate the changes done to the document and how you addressed the critical reviews of one of the reviewers, I am convinced that some additional revisions are necessary before the paper can be accepted for final publication in BG.
Kindly find a track changed document attached which explains some minor and one more critical point - ie the conclusion you draw from your data concerning the research question 3. In short, you state that your site fulfils the 4 per mille criteria of 0.4% SOC enrichment in the soil per year. Given the fact that you have only measured some components of an ecosystems C balance (of course the dominant ones) and left some others out (BVOC, DOC leaching, CH4 emissions, erosion etc.) it is obvious that the 0.4% SOC increase are only a hypothetical values. Thus I ask you to adjust your current conclusion.
I hope the track change comments are useful and look forward to your revised manuscript.

with kind regards

Lutz Merbold

Dear Laura Heimsch et al.

thank you for providing the revised version of your manuscript including the strengthening on the 4 per mille benchmark. With this it is my pleasure to fully accept your manuscript for publication in BG.

with kind regards

Lutz Merbold