Articles | Volume 23, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6817-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6817-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
05 Oct 2026
Research article |
| 05 Oct 2026
| 05 Oct 2026
Modeling microbial regulatory feedback in organic matter decomposition identifies copiotrophic traits as key drivers of positive priming
Firnaaz Ahamed
Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
School of Engineering, Faculty of Innovation and Technology, Taylor's University, 47500 Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
Emily B. Graham
Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
Timothy D. Scheibe
Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Hyun-Seob Song
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
Department of Food Science and Technology, Nebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
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Robert E. Danczak, Amy E. Goldman, Mikayla A. Borton, Rosalie K. Chu, Jason G. Toyoda, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, Emily B. Graham, Joseph W. Morad, Lupita Renteria, Jacqueline R. Hager, Shai Arnon, Scott Brooks, Edo Bar-Zeev, Michael Jones, Nikki Jones, Jorg Lewandowski, Christof Meile, Birgit M. Muller, John Schalles, Hanna Schulz, Adam Ward, and James C. Stegen
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Climate change affects river discharge variations that alter streamflow. By integrating multi-type survey data with a computational fluid dynamics tool, OpenFOAM, we show a workflow that enables accurate and efficient streamflow modeling at 30 km and 5-year scales. The model accuracy for water stage and depth average velocity is −16–9 cm and 0.71–0.83 in terms of mean error and correlation coefficients. This accuracy indicates the model's reliability for evaluating climate impact on rivers.
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Short summary
This research examines how labile organic matter influences the breakdown of complex organic matter (termed priming). Using a new modeling method, the study shows how microbial growth traits and interactions determine whether priming effects are positive or negative. By identifying microbial strategies as critical drivers of decomposition, this work provides a unified framework to improve predictions of nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration across diverse ecosystems.
This research examines how labile organic matter influences the breakdown of complex organic...
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