BG - recent papers

Modeling microbial regulatory feedback in organic matter decomposition identifies copiotrophic traits as key drivers of positive priming

2026-10-05T21:29:40+02:00

Modeling microbial regulatory feedback in organic matter decomposition identifies copiotrophic traits as key drivers of positive priming
Firnaaz Ahamed, James C. Stegen, Emily B. Graham, Timothy D. Scheibe, and Hyun-Seob Song
Biogeosciences, 23, 6817–6833, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6817-2026, 2026
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.

Variations in Arctic aerosol iron solubility in relation to leaching methodology, air mass characteristics, and seasonality

2026-10-05T21:29:40+02:00

Variations in Arctic aerosol iron solubility in relation to leaching methodology, air mass characteristics, and seasonality
Chris M. Marsay, Alina M. Ebling, Peter L. Morton, William M. Landing, and Clifton S. Buck
Biogeosciences, 23, 6857–6877, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6857-2026, 2026
Solubility of the micronutrient, iron, was measured in Arctic aerosols collected during the GEOTRACES GN01 section (summer 2015). Solubility is compared across three different methods and used to estimate the atmospheric input of bioavailable iron to the Arctic Ocean. Variations in solubility are described in terms of air mass characteristics. Combining this dataset with winter/spring aerosol iron data from another project, we assess the seasonality of aerosol iron solubility in the Arctic.

Reviews and syntheses: Snow algae on the move – biased motility and snowpack interaction from a biophysics perspective

2026-10-05T21:29:40+02:00

Reviews and syntheses: Snow algae on the move – biased motility and snowpack interaction from a biophysics perspective
Caitlin S. de Vries, Melody J. Sandells, Matthew P. Davey, Gary S. Caldwell, and Ottavio A. Croze
Biogeosciences, 23, 6835–6855, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6835-2026, 2026
Snow algae are photosynthetic microorganisms that form colourful blooms on snow surfaces in polar and alpine regions worldwide. The mechanisms governing snow algae motility and migration within snow are currently poorly understood. From a biophysical perspective, we review the current literature available that describes snow algae migration on both macroscopic and microscopic scales, as well as their migratory behaviour in response to light, nutrients, gravity, fluid flow and heat.

Quantifying aggregation bias in marsh carbon flux estimates caused by rhizosphere oxygen heterogeneity

2026-10-02T21:29:40+02:00

Quantifying aggregation bias in marsh carbon flux estimates caused by rhizosphere oxygen heterogeneity
Youssef Saadaoui, Christian Beer, Peter Mueller, Friederike Neiske, Joscha N. Becker, Annette Eschenbach, and Philipp Porada
Biogeosciences, 23, 6803–6816, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6803-2026, 2026
In marsh soils, oxygen concentrations are high close to plant roots and decline to near zero within millimetres. Microorganisms do not decompose organic matter in proportion to oxygen. Many models nevertheless use a single average oxygen concentration. Using Elbe River soils, we compared this approach with a calculation over the full range. The single average overestimated carbon dioxide release by about 12 %. Marsh soils may therefore store more carbon than models predict.

Roles of planktonic metabolism in CO2 fluxes along the river-estuary continuum in a rapidly uplifting catchment of eastern Taiwan

2026-10-02T21:29:40+02:00

Roles of planktonic metabolism in CO2 fluxes along the river-estuary continuum in a rapidly uplifting catchment of eastern Taiwan
Jhen-Nien Chen, Pei-En Chen, Yu-Shiang Yen, Tzu-Hsuan Tu, Lu-Yu Wang, Wan-Yin Lien, Yueh-Ting Lin, and Pei-Ling Wang
Biogeosciences, 23, 6781–6802, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6781-2026, 2026
This study quantifies planktonic autotrophy and heterotrophy in the Beinan River, a tectonically active mountainous catchment in SE Taiwan. Metabolic rates were higher in the wet season, reflecting strong net heterotrophy. Scaled to the catchment, planktonic CO2 production (~7.9 x 107 mol yr-1) accounts for ~3.8% of total catchment CO2 flux. Microbial communities shifted seasonally, showing planktonic metabolism is a vital part of the riverine carbon cycle.

Tree-microbe-soil interactions affecting soil organic carbon fractions in Mediterranean forest soils

2026-09-29T21:29:40+02:00

Tree-microbe-soil interactions affecting soil organic carbon fractions in Mediterranean forest soils
Stav Livne-Luzon, Assaf Yaakobi, David Yalin, Dagan Sade, Efrat Dener, Yaara Oppenheimer-Shaanan, and Tamir Klein
Biogeosciences, 23, 6763–6779, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6763-2026, 2026
We studied how tree species and local soil conditions shape carbon storage in Mediterranean forest soils. By comparing mixed and single-species stands and sampling beneath trees and in nearby open gaps, we found that soils under canopies held much more carbon. Mixed stands stored extra carbon mainly in faster-cycling forms, while longer-lasting carbon was limited mostly by soil texture. This shows that forest structure can influence carbon storage in a warming, drier climate.

Balancing nitrogen use efficiency, losses and soil nitrogen depletion to evaluate national scale agri-environmental performance over 40 years

2026-09-24T21:29:40+02:00

Balancing nitrogen use efficiency, losses and soil nitrogen depletion to evaluate national scale agri-environmental performance over 40 years
Jize Jiang, Lenny H. E. Winkel, Chloé Wüst-Galley, Daniel Bretscher, Magdalena Necpalova, Andrea Stenke, and Johan Six
Biogeosciences, 23, 6741–6761, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6741-2026, 2026
We studied nitrogen use in Swiss agriculture for four decades using detailed data and modelling. We found that nitrogen use efficiency improved, while nitrogen losses decreased. Yet, modelling results suggested that cropland soils may lose nitrogen. The results show that policies implementation benefited productivity and reduced pollution. On the other hand, soil nitrogen balance should also be monitored, underscoring the need for integrated nitrogen management.

High nitrous oxide isotopic variability during denitrification by Pseudomonas species bearing NirK and NirS

2026-09-24T21:29:40+02:00

High nitrous oxide isotopic variability during denitrification by Pseudomonas species bearing NirK and NirS
Noémy Chénier, Paul M. Magyar, Jakob Zopfi, Claudia Frey, Thomas Kuhn, Moritz F. Lehmann, and Joachim Mohn
Biogeosciences, 23, 6705–6724, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6705-2026, 2026
N₂O is a greenhouse gas produced by microbes during nitrogen cycling. We studied two bacterial species and found that the isotope signatures of the N₂O they produced changed strongly depending on growth conditions and cell activity. Early during growth, the distribution of N isotopes within the N₂O molecule also changed unexpectedly. These results show that N₂O isotope signatures are more variable than previously assumed and depend strongly on physiology.

Exploratory characterization of bacterial communities and predicted functional profiles in six water samples from four Colombian Andean lakes using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing

2026-09-24T21:29:40+02:00

Exploratory characterization of bacterial communities and predicted functional profiles in six water samples from four Colombian Andean lakes using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing
Andrés Gómez-Palacio, Johana Marín-Suarez, Adriana Pedroza-Ramos, and Nelson Aranguren-Riaño
Biogeosciences, 23, 6725–6739, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6725-2026, 2026
We surveyed bacterial communities in six water samples from four Colombian Andean highland lakes using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Samples differed in taxonomic composition, diversity, and predicted functional profiles, and low-abundance genera of potential health relevance were detected. Given the limited sampling and lack of concurrent environmental measurements, these findings provide an exploratory baseline rather than evidence of specific environmental or anthropogenic effects.

Profile-wide desalinization is associated with increased deep-soil microbial biomass and reduced iron-bound carbon in coastal wetland restoration

2026-09-23T21:29:40+02:00

Profile-wide desalinization is associated with increased deep-soil microbial biomass and reduced iron-bound carbon in coastal wetland restoration
Jingwen Gao, Pengcheng Jiang, Xiaofei Ye, Xingna Lin, Xuexin Shao, Ming Wu, and Niu Li
Biogeosciences, 23, 6671–6685, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6671-2026, 2026
Coastal wetland restoration often removes invasive plants, but its effects on deep soil carbon are uncertain. We compared plastic mulching and deep tillage for eighteen months in an invaded wetland. Mulching reduced soil salt, increased microbial biomass in deep soil, and coincided with lower carbon and iron-bound carbon through one metre of soil. These results show that restoration methods can affect hidden deep soil carbon, so monitoring should include the whole soil profile.

Using deep learning to assimilate sun-induced fluorescence satellite observations in the ISBA land surface model

2026-09-23T21:29:40+02:00

Using deep learning to assimilate sun-induced fluorescence satellite observations in the ISBA land surface model
Pierre Vanderbecken, Jasmin Vural, Oscar Rojas-Muñoz, Sébastien Garrigues, Bertrand Bonan, Cédric Bacour, Uwe Rascher, Bastian Siegmann, Patricia de Rosnay, and Jean-Christophe Calvet
Biogeosciences, 23, 6687–6703, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6687-2026, 2026
New satellite observations are used to improve our understanding of regional-scale vegetation. Innovative artificial intelligence methods are employed to combine the available information. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated using independent observations. The results show that agricultural practices such as irrigation can be modelled more accurately.

Natural wetland methane emissions simulated by ICON-XPP

2026-09-21T21:29:40+02:00

Natural wetland methane emissions simulated by ICON-XPP
Stiig Wilkenskjeld, Thomas Kleinen, Tobias Stacke, and Victor Brovkin
Biogeosciences, 23, 6583–6598, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6583-2026, 2026
Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas with high potential for short term reductions of human induced global warming. We model methane emissions from the most important and most uncertain natural source: wetlands. We investigate how a number of assumptions, including human impact on natural wetlands, influences the wetlands and their methane emissions. Of the tested influences we find the most important to be how humans are altering the soil surface.

Landscape- and site-scale spatial variability of blue carbon stocks and fluxes in tropical seagrass meadows

2026-09-21T21:29:40+02:00

Landscape- and site-scale spatial variability of blue carbon stocks and fluxes in tropical seagrass meadows
Naima Iram, Kiah Eng Lim, Muhammad Ariq Khalingga, Pierre Taillardat, Sheryl Chan Si Ern, Lian Pin Koh, and Daniel A. Friess
Biogeosciences, 23, 6599–6611, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6599-2026, 2026
We studied how blue carbon stocks and CO2 and CH4 fluxes vary at the landscape scale in tropical seagrass meadows. By testing six seagrass meadows across Singapore, we found that carbon stocks 0-25 cm and flux variability is not shaped by geomorphic settings, at least at the intermediate landscape scale. Our results support the inclusion of greenhouse gas fluxes in carbon accounting schemes.

Plant belowground traits indicate increased plant-mediated methane transport along a peatland permafrost thaw gradient

2026-09-21T21:29:40+02:00

Plant belowground traits indicate increased plant-mediated methane transport along a peatland permafrost thaw gradient
Tiia M. Määttä, Samantha H. Bosman, Jeffrey P. Chanton, Patrick Crill, Suzanne B. Hodgkins, Jalisha Theanutti Kallingal, Rachel M. Wilson, Ruth Varner, and Avni Malhotra
Biogeosciences, 23, 6639–6670, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6639-2026, 2026
Permafrost thaw can lead to vegetation shifts and higher methane (CH4) emissions in peatlands. However, plant belowground controls of these emissions are uncertain. We investigated how plant roots and rhizomes contribute to CH4 emissions along a peatland permafrost thaw gradient. We found that low herbaceous plant root tissue density and high rhizome surface area were associated with higher CH4 emissions. This indicated increased plant-mediated CH4 transport with thaw.

Dynamic CO2 evasion and colloidal control of trace metals in the Lower Lena River

2026-09-21T21:29:40+02:00

Dynamic CO2 evasion and colloidal control of trace metals in the Lower Lena River
Yuri Ya. Kolesnichenko, Sergey N. Vorobyev, Viktor A. Nikitkin, Oleg V. Dudarev, Denis V. Chernykh, Eduard A. Spivak, Arkadiy V. Kurilenko, Vladimir A. Kholodov, Igor P. Semiletov, and Oleg S. Pokrovsky
Biogeosciences, 23, 6613–6637, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6613-2026, 2026
We studied 800 kilometers of the lower Lena River in Siberia to understand how this large Arctic river releases climate-warming gases and carries natural elements from frozen landscapes to the ocean. Using boat-based measurements and water samples, we found that CO2 release changes strongly over short distances, while CH4 variations are very small. Most dissolved carbon stayed stable, and many metals were carried by tiny natural particles. Warming and thawing ground may shift these balances.

Introducing shrubs enhances the representation of high-latitude vegetation and carbon cycling in the ORCHIDEE land surface model

2026-09-18T21:29:40+02:00

Introducing shrubs enhances the representation of high-latitude vegetation and carbon cycling in the ORCHIDEE land surface model
Anna Kirchner, Efrén López-Blanco, Vladislav Bastrikov, Sebastiaan Luyssaert, Philippe Peylin, and Anne Sofie Lansø
Biogeosciences, 23, 6521–6555, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6521-2026, 2026
Shrubs need to be represented in climate models, because they shape the response of high-latitude regions to climate change. We added three shrub types to the ORCHIDEE (Organising Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic Ecosystems) land surface model using Arctic observations. Including shrubs reduces simulated biomass and carbon uptake, improving model agreement with measurements. This is a simple, observation-based approach and an important step towards better representations of shrubs and their climate change response in models.

Evaluating vegetation indices for monitoring drought and post-drought declines in European forest productivity

2026-09-18T21:29:40+02:00

Evaluating vegetation indices for monitoring drought and post-drought declines in European forest productivity
Julia Kelly, Tim Schacherl, Lars Eklundh, Hongxiao Jin, Anne Klosterhalfen, Alexander Knohl, and Natascha Kljun
Biogeosciences, 23, 6557–6582, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6557-2026, 2026
It is vital to monitor drought-related reductions in forest productivity over large areas. We tested the ability of 12 satellite variables to capture negative drought impacts on forest productivity across 18 European forest sites. Surface temperature worked best across all forest sites and droughts. After drought, forest productivity recovered faster than some commonly-used satellite variables, meaning use of these variables may underestimate forests’ resilience to drought.

How beech ecophysiology shapes temperate forest gross primary productivity – Part 1: A wavelet-based framework for extracting seasonal dynamics

2026-09-17T21:29:40+02:00

How beech ecophysiology shapes temperate forest gross primary productivity – Part 1: A wavelet-based framework for extracting seasonal dynamics
Jonathan Bitton, Catherine Charles, Bernard Longdoz, and Bernard Heinesch
Biogeosciences, 23, 6465–6489, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6465-2026, 2026
Seasonal changes in forest behavior are often hard to detect in carbon data. We developed a wavelet‑based approach to uncover how three beech forests grow and absorb carbon through seasons. The forests showed distinct spring growth, summer slowdowns and long‑term trends. All forests were carbon sinks with managed forests strengthening over time while the old forest weakened. We show how seasonal dynamics explain long‑term changes and offer a new tool for tracking forest responses to climate.

How beech ecophysiology shapes temperate forest gross primary productivity – Part 2: Identifying critical timeframes across phenological stages

2026-09-17T21:29:40+02:00

How beech ecophysiology shapes temperate forest gross primary productivity – Part 2: Identifying critical timeframes across phenological stages
Jonathan Bitton, Bernard Heinesch, Catherine Charles, and Bernard Longdoz
Biogeosciences, 23, 6491–6520, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6491-2026, 2026
We studied 24 years of carbon exchange in a beech forest to understand why its productivity rises, peaks and declines each at different times of the year. We mapped climate effects onto short biological windows and found that stored carbon supports early growth, a one‑week bud formation period can set next year’s peak and bursts of dry air drive mid‑summer drops. Hot summers even raised productivity when water was available. These insights help anticipate forest responses to heat and drought.

Towards circularity in shellfish aquaculture: stimulating mussel shell dissolution in marine sediments

2026-09-17T21:29:40+02:00

Towards circularity in shellfish aquaculture: stimulating mussel shell dissolution in marine sediments
Cedric Goossens, Steven Bouillon, Filip J. R. Meysman, and Sebastiaan J. van de Velde
Biogeosciences, 23, 6447–6464, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6447-2026, 2026
Shell growth in bivalve aquaculture removes ocean alkalinity, leading to CO2 emissions. Here, we explore a circular solution by crushing shell waste and distributing it into coastal sediments, where its dissolution releases alkalinity that can compensate these emissions. Laboratory experiments showed substantial shell dissolution and alkalinity production, highlighting the potential for aquaculture circularity under suitable sediment conditions.