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

Viewed

Total article views: 3,767 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
2,653 953 161 3,767 390 153 180
  • HTML: 2,653
  • PDF: 953
  • XML: 161
  • Total: 3,767
  • Supplement: 390
  • BibTeX: 153
  • EndNote: 180
Views and downloads (calculated since 26 Sep 2022)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 26 Sep 2022)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 3,767 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 3,664 with geography defined and 103 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Cited

Saved (final revised paper)

Latest update: 10 Aug 2026
Download
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.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint