Articles | Volume 20, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-827-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-827-2023
Research article
 | 
21 Feb 2023
Research article |  | 21 Feb 2023

Recently fixed carbon fuels microbial activity several meters below the soil surface

Andrea Scheibe, Carlos A. Sierra, and Marie Spohn

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on bg-2022-199', Karis McFarlane, 19 Oct 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Marie Spohn, 02 Dec 2022
    • AC4: 'Reply on RC1', Marie Spohn, 12 Dec 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on bg-2022-199', Hannah Holland-Moritz, 28 Nov 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Marie Spohn, 02 Dec 2022
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', Marie Spohn, 02 Dec 2022

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (17 Dec 2022) by Serita Frey
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (19 Dec 2022) by Sara Vicca (Co-editor-in-chief)
AR by Marie Spohn on behalf of the Authors (20 Dec 2022)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (03 Jan 2023) by Serita Frey
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (04 Jan 2023) by Sara Vicca (Co-editor-in-chief)
AR by Marie Spohn on behalf of the Authors (18 Jan 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (19 Jan 2023) by Sara Vicca
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (19 Jan 2023) by Sara Vicca (Co-editor-in-chief)
AR by Marie Spohn on behalf of the Authors (29 Jan 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (30 Jan 2023) by Sara Vicca
ED: Publish as is (03 Feb 2023) by Sara Vicca (Co-editor-in-chief)
AR by Marie Spohn on behalf of the Authors (04 Feb 2023)  Manuscript 
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Short summary
We explored carbon cycling in soils in three climate zones in Chile down to a depth of 6 m, using carbon isotopes. Our results show that microbial activity several meters below the soil surface is mostly fueled by recently fixed carbon and that strong decomposition of soil organic matter only occurs in the upper decimeters of the soils. The study shows that different layers of the critical zone are tightly connected and that processes in the deep soil depend on recently fixed carbon.
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