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At least 19 records

Decomposition decreases molecular diversity and ecosystem similarity of soil organic matter

Soil organic matter (SOM) is comprised of a diverse array of reactive carbon molecules, including hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds, that impact rates of SOM formation and persistence. Despite clear importance to ecosystem science, little is known about broad-scale controls on SOM diversity and variability in soil. Here, we show that microbial decomposition drives significant variability in the molecular richness and diversity of SOM between soil horizons and across a continental-scale gradient in climate and ecosystem type (arid shrubs, coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests, grasslands, and tundra sedges). The molecular dissimilarity of SOM was strongly influenced by ecosystem type (hydrophilic compounds: 17%, P < 0.001; hydrophobic compounds: 10% P < 0.001) and soil horizon (hydrophilic compounds: 17%, P < 0.001; hydrophobic compounds: 21%, P < 0.001), as assessed using metabolomic analysis of hydrophilic and hydrophobic metabolites. While the proportion of shared molecular features was significantly higher in the litter layer than subsoil C horizons across ecosystems (12 times and 4 times higher for hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds, respectively), the proportion of site-specific molecular features nearly doubled from the litter layer to the subsoil horizon, suggesting greater differentiation of compounds after microbial decomposition within each ecosystem. Together, these results suggest that microbial decomposition of plant litter leads to a decrease in SOM α-molecular diversity, yet an increase in β-molecular diversity across ecosystems. The degree of microbial degradation, determined by the position in the soil profile, exerts a greater control on SOM molecular diversity than environmental factors, such as soil texture, moisture, and ecosystem type.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Differential effects of redox conditions on the decomposition of litter and soil organic matter

Soil redox conditions exert substantial influence on biogeochemical processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Humid tropical forests are often characterized by fluctuating redox dynamics, yet how redox fluctuations affect patterns in soil versus litter decomposition and associated CO2 fluxes are not well understood in these ecosystems. We used a 13C-labeled litter addition to explicitly follow the decomposition of litter-derived vs. native soil-derived organic matter in response to four different soil redox regimes—static oxic or anoxic, and two oscillating treatments—in soil from the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. We coupled this incubation experiment with high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis to characterize the preferential decomposition of specific classes of organic molecules. CO2 production from litter and soil organic matter (SOM) showed distinctly different responses to redox manipulation. The cumulative production of SOM-derived CO2 was positively correlated with the length of soil exposure to an oxic headspace (r = 0.89, n = 20), whereas cumulative 13C-litter-derived CO2 production was not linked to oxygen availability. The CO2 production rate from litter was highest under static anoxic conditions in the first half of the incubation period, and later dropped to the lowest among all redox treatments. In the consistently anoxic soils, we observed the depletion of more oxidized water-extractable organic matter (especially amino sugars, carbohydrates, and proteins) over time, suggesting that under anaerobic conditions, microbes preferentially used more oxidized litter-derived compounds during the early stages of decomposition. Results from kinetic modeling showed that more frequent anoxic exposure limited the decomposition of a slow-cycling C pool, but not a fast-cycling pool. Overall, our results demonstrate that substrate source—freshly added litter vs. native organic matter—plays an important role in the redox sensitivity of organic matter decomposition. In soil environments that regularly experience redox fluctuations, anaerobic heterotrophs can be surprisingly effective in degrading fresh plant litter.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A large nitrogen supply from the stable mineral-associated soil organic matter fraction

Soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization and nitrogen (N) release are key biogeochemical processes for which the relative contribution of particulate (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) fractions is poorly understood. MAOM is generally considered to be a more stable fraction that contains most of the soil organic N, whereas POM is more readily decomposable and contains less N. We measured variations in the potentially mineralizable N from each SOM fraction across three contrasting land uses (forest, pasture, and croplands) and two different grazing managements (rotational and continuous grazing). Contrary to expectations, we found that the MAOM fraction consistently supplied more N than the POM fraction during SOM mineralization in all land-uses evaluated. Across our environmental gradient, potentially mineralizable N from POM increased with the carbon (C) concentration and C/N ratio of POM, while potentially mineralizable N from MAOM increased with the C concentration of MAOM but decreased with clay content. Our work suggests that MAOM contributions to short-term N mineralization and N supply to plants have been undervalued.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Soil porous microstructure control over soil organic matter mobility: A multimethod workflow for understanding chemistry-dependent organic matter binding in soil

Soil organic matter (SOM) has attracted a great deal of interest; particularly for its potential to mitigate human derived CO 2 emissions. Studies have demonstrated that SOM plays a critical role in carbon storage and CO 2 sequestration. However, the sorption properties of SOM, which influence its transport in pore water and stabilization within the soil, remain poorly understood. This study develops a workflow to: (1) examine compound-specific advective and diffusive transport and desorption behaviors, (2) quantify desorption rates through stop-flow and continuous-flow column experiments, and (3) evaluate the impact of soil microporosity on SOM mobility using high-resolution imaging and extractions. Intact core column experiments were conducted on Uncultivated (Natural) and Cultivated soil samples, both were arid soils, collected in Washington State. X-ray computed tomography was employed to measure porosity and pore connectivity, while Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was used to analyze SOM composition. The findings revealed that cultivation increased total carbon and nitrogen levels due to irrigation and fertilization, enhancing carbon capture potential in arid soils. In contrast, the Natural soil, characterized by higher porosity and connectivity, contained more oxidized carbon. Pore network analysis indicated that soil compaction in the Cultivated soil may lead to longer diffusion pathways, significantly influencing SOM transport and stability.

Hydraulic Properties↗

Soil Organic Matter Dynamics in the Critical Zone

Soil is the thin, vital layer of Earth’s surface that forms the foundation of the Critical Zone and sustains life. This chapter explores the intricate dynamics of soil organic matter within the critical zone, focusing on three key thematic areas: deep soil organic matter, wildfire organic matter interactions, and organic matter erosion. Soil organic matter, although a small fraction of soil mass, plays a crucial role in soil function and ecosystem stability. The complexity of soil organic matter arises from its diverse chemical composition and interactions with minerals, which influence its persistence in the environment. This chapter begins by examining deep soil organic matter, which constitutes a significant portion of global carbon storage. We discuss how deep soil organic matter, typically isolated from surface processes, may become vulnerable to decomposition and carbon release due to disturbances. Next, we explore the impacts of fire on soil organic matter, particularly the formation and stability of pyrolyzed organic matter. The decomposition of pyrolyzer organic matter is influenced by its chemical composition and the surrounding environmental conditions, with implications for carbon cycling and soil fertility in post-fire ecosystems. Finally, the chapter addresses the role of erosion in soil organic matter dynamics. Erosion, accelerated by human activities, redistributes soil organic matter across landscapes, affecting its turnover and the broader biogeochemical cycles. We consider how micro-topographic features and erosion processes interact to influence soil OM stability and carbon sequestration. By synthesizing recent advances in these areas, this chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the complex and dynamic nature of soil organic matter in the critical zone, highlighting its importance in understanding the critical zone in the face of environmental change.

Moreland, Kimber↗

Plant organic matter inputs exert a strong control on soil organic matter decomposition in a thawing permafrost peatland

Peatlands are climate critical carbon (C) reservoirs that could become a C source under continued warming. A strong relationship between plant tissue chemistry and the soil organic matter (SOM) that fuels C gas emissions is inferred, but rarely examined at the molecular level. Here we compared Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy measurements of solid phase functionalities in plants and SOM to ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometric analyses of plant and SOM water extracts across a palsa-bog-fen thaw and moisture gradient in an Arctic peatland. From these analyses we calculated the C oxidation state (NOSC), a measure which can be used to assess organic matter quality. Palsa plant extracts had the highest NOSC, indicating high quality, whereas extracts of Sphagnum, which dominated the bog, had the lowest NOSC. The percentage of plant compounds that are less bioavailable and accumulate in the peat, increases from palsa (25%) to fen (41%) to bog (47%), reflecting the pattern of percent Sphagnum cover. The pattern of NOSC in the plant extracts was consistent with the high number of consumed compounds in the palsa and low number of consumed compounds in the bog. However, in the FT-IR analysis of the solid phase bog peat, carbohydrate content was high implying high quality SOM. Here, we explain this discrepancy as the result of low solubilization of bog SOM facilitated by the low pH in the bog which makes the solid phase carbohydrates less available to microbial decomposition. Plant-associated condensed aromatics, tannins, and lignin-like compounds declined in the unsaturated palsa peat indicating decomposition, but lignin-like compounds accumulated in the bog and fen peat where decomposition was presumably inhibited by the anaerobic conditions. A molecular-level comparison of the aboveground C sources and peat SOM demonstrates that climate-associated vegetation shifts in peatlands are important controls on the mechanisms underlying changing C gas emissions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Earthworms significantly enhance the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition: Insights into future soil carbon budgeting

How and what soil fauna influence the soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition rate (Rs) and its temperature sensitivity (Q 10 ) have been largely ignored, although this is a crucial matter, especially under the scenario of global change. Further, in this study, a novel approach was adopted with a continuous changing-temperature incubation (daytime, from 7 °C to 22 °C; nighttime, from 22 °C to 7 °C) with rapid and continuous measurement, to examine the effect of soil macrofauna (specifically, earthworms) on Rs and Q 10 with three densities (no addition, low density, and high density). According to the results, the earthworms accelerated Rs. Furthermore, Rs with earthworm addition had a symmetrical pattern during daytime and nighttime cycles, which is contrary to traditional soil incubation, with only soil microbe as asymmetrical. More importantly, earthworm addition increased Q 10 markedly, ranging from 48% to 67%. Overall, the findings highlight the pivotal role of earthworms as soil macrofauna that regulating soil carbon release, and their effects should be integrated into process-based ecological models in future.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Reactive oxygen species alter chemical composition and adsorptive fractionation of soil organic matter

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), formed during redox fluctuations in iron-rich soils, have been known to stimulate lignin degradation, although not much is known about how they alter soil organic matter (SOM) composition and interaction with mineral surfaces. We conducted a laboratory experiment to see how ROS altered SOM composition and adsorptive fractionation onto Fe-mineral surfaces. We reacted water extracts of SOM with ·OH, produced by the Fenton reaction, and then conducted a sorption experiment of the extracts with goethite to analyze the amount and quality of SOM adsorbed. The Fenton reaction preferentially consumed low-O, mostly aromatic molecules, and new high-O molecules were detected post-Fenton, nearly half of which were carbohydrate-like. Although the amount of C adsorbed did not change after oxidation, the post-Fenton adsorbed molecules were more oxidized. Pre-Fenton adsorption was dominated by aromatic molecules (90%), but post-Fenton, the adsorbed molecules were 75% aromatic and 25% carbohydrate-like. We show that the ·OH radical oxidized SOM and shifted patterns of adsorption to a more oxidized pool. Because adsorption to minerals is thought to stabilize SOM, our results suggest that ROS may alter the availability and stabilization patterns of SOM.

Patel, Kaizad F.↗

Quantifying microbial control of soil organic matter dynamics at macrosystem scales

Soil organic matter (SOM) stocks, decomposition and persistence are largely the product of controls that act locally. Yet the controls are shaped and interact at multiple spatiotemporal scales, from which macrosystem patterns in SOM emerge. Theory on SOM turnover recognizes the resulting spatial and temporal conditionality in the effect sizes of controls that play out across macrosystems, and couples them through evolutionary and community assembly processes. For example, climate history shapes plant functional traits, which in turn interact with contemporary climate to influence SOM dynamics. Selection and assembly also shape the functional traits of soil decomposer communities, but it is less clear how in turn these traits influence temporal macrosystem patterns in SOM turnover. Here, we review evidence that establishes the expectation that selection and assembly should generate decomposer communities across macrosystems that have distinct functional effects on SOM dynamics. Representation of this knowledge in soil biogeochemical models affects the magnitude and direction of projected SOM responses under global change. Yet there is high uncertainty and low confidence in these projections. To address these issues, we make the case that a coordinated set of empirical practices are required which necessitate (1) greater use of statistical approaches in biogeochemistry that are suited to causative inference; (2) long-term, macrosystem-scale, observational and experimental networks to reveal conditionality in effect sizes, and embedded correlation, in controls on SOM turnover; and (3) use of multiple measurement grains to capture local- and macroscale variation in controls and outcomes, to avoid obscuring causative understanding through data aggregation. Here, when employed together, along with process-based models to synthesize knowledge and guide further empirical work, we believe these practices will rapidly advance understanding of microbial controls on SOM and improve carbon cycle projections that guide policies on climate adaptation and mitigation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Effect of bacterial cell addition on Fe(III) reduction and soil organic matter transformation in a farmland soil

The coupled biogeochemical processes of Fe(III) reduction and organic matter transformation profoundly impact terrestrial carbon cycling. However, little is known about the microbial role in soil organic matter (SOM) transformation during Fe(III) bio-reduction. Here we investigated the bio-reduction behavior of a black farmland soil and corresponding SOM transformation under circumneutral and anoxic conditions. A model dissimilatory Fe reducing bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens, was added in either live or dead form in order to enhance Fe(III) reduction in soil and to evaluate the accompanying transformation of SOM. The progress of Fe reduction was monitored and SOM transformation was characterized by various spectroscopy methods. Results showed that addition of either dead or live G. sulfurreducens cells increased the Fe(III) reduction rate and extent. Without cell addition, SOM transformation was insignificant within 13 days of incubation, only with some consumption of aliphatic/protein compounds, apparently due to their higher bio-degradability. Addition of dead or live cells resulted in more drastic SOM transformation, but through different mechanisms. With dead cell amendment, cell necromass and debris stimulated the activity of indigenous soil microbes by serving as extra carbon/energy sources. During Fe(III) reduction, the aliphatic/protein compounds were preferentially consumed by indigenous microbial communities, similar to the treatment without cell addition but with a greater extent of consumption. In comparison, addition of live G. sulfurreducens cells stimulated degradation of less bioavailable compounds, including more saturated and higher molecular weight SOM. It is possible that fast depletion of labile SOM by live G. sulfurreducens cells favored utilization of less bioavailable molecules (such as those with more aromatic structures) by the originally dormant species in native microbial community, suggesting an active role of live Fe(III)-reducing bacteria in affecting SOM transformation. In addition, fast assimilation of microbial related carbon, such as aromatic proteins and microbial byproducts, into SOM pools was also observed. Overall, our results suggest that addition of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria to a native soil can enhance Fe(III) reduction and accelerate the turnover of SOM through various mechanisms. The study provides new insights into coupled Fe(III) reduction and SOM transformation, as well as the “priming effect” of SOM using microbial cells as substrate.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Hydrobiological Mechanism Controlling the Synergistic Effects of Unsaturated Flow and Soil Organic Matter on the Degradation of Emerging Organic Contaminants in Soils

We report hydrology is a key factor influencing microbial degradation of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in soils, but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. In this study, biotic and abiotic column experiments were performed to investigate the removal and degradation of five EOCs in soils with different soil organic matter (SOM) contents under saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. In biotic experiments, 54–90% of bisphenol A (BPA) and 9–22% of ibuprofen (IBU) were removed from the aqueous phase of saturated columns due to adsorption and biodegradation. The biodegradation removed 26–65% of BPA and 1–22% of IBU. Decreasing soil pore water saturation from 100 to 80% increased BPA removal to 97–100% and IBU removal to 42–43% due to increased biodegradation (67–81% for BPA and 36–39% for IBU). No significant removal of BPA and IBU was observed in SOM-removed soils under saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. The desaturation did not influence sorptive losses of BPA (< 27%) and IBU (< 7%), suggesting their negligible adsorption at air–water interfaces but increased biodegradation of BPA and IBU sorbed at SOM–water interfaces. The study shows that soil drying and SOM can synergistically degrade BPA and IBU but have no effect on recalcitrant carbamazepine, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Hyphae move matter and microbes to mineral microsites: Integrating the hyphosphere into conceptual models of soil organic matter stabilization

Associations between soil minerals and microbially derived organic matter (often referred to as mineral-associated organic matter or MAOM) form a large pool of slowly cycling carbon (C). Here, the rhizosphere, soil immediately adjacent to roots, is thought to control the spatial extent of MAOM formation because it is the dominant entry point of new C inputs to soil. However, emphasis on the rhizosphere implicitly assumes that microbial redistribution of C into bulk (non-rhizosphere) soils is minimal. We question this assumption, arguing that because of extensive fungal exploration and rapid hyphal turnover, fungal redistribution of soil C from the rhizosphere to bulk soil minerals is common, and encourages MAOM formation. First, we summarize published estimates of fungal hyphal length density and turnover rates and demonstrate that fungal C inputs are high throughout the rhizosphere–bulk soil continuum. Second, because colonization of hyphal surfaces is a common dispersal mechanism for soil bacteria, we argue that hyphal exploration allows for the non-random colonization of mineral surfaces by hyphae-associated taxa. Third, these bacterial communities and their fungal hosts determine the chemical form of organic matter deposited on colonized mineral surfaces. Collectively, our analysis demonstrates that omission of the hyphosphere from conceptual models of soil C flow overlooks key mechanisms for MAOM formation in bulk soils. Moving forward, there is a clear need for spatially explicit, quantitative research characterizing the environmental drivers of hyphal exploration and hyphosphere community composition across systems, as these are important controls over the rate and organic chemistry of C deposited on minerals.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Decreased Soil Organic Matter in a Long-Term Soil Warming Experiment Lowers Soil Water Holding Capacity and Affects Soil Thermal and Hydrological Buffering

Long-term soil warming can decrease soil organic matter (SOM), resulting in self-reinforcing feedback to the global climate system. We investigated additional consequences of SOM reduction for soil water holding capacity (WHC) and soil thermal and hydrological buffering. At a long-term soil warming experiment in a temperate forest in the northeastern United States, we suspended the warming treatment for 104 days during the summer of 2017. The formerly heated plot remained warmer (+0.39 °C) and drier (-0.024 cm 3 H 2 O cm -3 soil) than the control plot throughout the suspension. We measured decreased SOM content (-0.184 g SOM g -1 for O horizon soil, -0.010 g SOM g -1 for A horizon soil) and WHC (-0.82 g H 2 O g -1 for O horizon soil, -0.18 g H2O g -1 for A horizon soil) in the formerly heated plot relative to the control plot. Reduced SOM content accounted for 62% of the WHC reduction in the O horizon and 22% in the A horizon. We investigated differences in SOM composition as a possible explanation for the remaining reductions with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. We found FTIR spectra that correlated more strongly with WHC than SOM, but those particular spectra did not differ between the heated and control plots, suggesting that SOM composition affects WHC but does not explain treatment differences in this study. We conclude that SOM reductions due to soil warming can reduce WHC and hydrological and thermal buffering, further warming soil and decreasing SOM. This feedback may operate in parallel, and perhaps synergistically, with carbon cycle feedbacks to climate change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Optimizing Cryo-Focused Pyrolysis GC/MS for Tracing Soil Organic Matter Across Diverse Ecosystems

The cycling of organic matter in terrestrial soils and sediments is central to a range of biogeochemical processes that regulate nutrient cycling, crop productivity, trace gas emissions, and contaminant transport. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS) is a powerful tool for characterizing bulk soil organic matter (SOM) at the molecular level. In this study, we used a cryo-focused py-GC/MS system to analyze soil samples from seven diverse ecosystems: vernal pool, prairie pothole, temperate forest, tropical forest, tundra, wildfire-affected boreal forest, and grassland. We addressed a key bottleneck in molecular-level SOM characterization by developing an automated data analysis pipeline to optimize py-GC/MS and complementary evolved gas analysis/mass spectrometry (EGA/MS) methods, incorporating advanced tools for peak deconvolution, developing a custom compound class library, and implementing fragmentation spectrum-based molecular networking for the first time. This improved workflow was applied to soil samples from all seven ecosystems, including multiple depths and density fractions. Our findings demonstrate that ecosystem type plays a dominant role in shaping compositional differences in SOM. We also identified trends in the source of SOM compounds (e.g., microbial vs plantderived) across soil depth and density fractions, which are critical for understanding persistence and turnover of SOM. Our molecular networking analysis indicated that although many compounds are widespread across ecosystems, others are restricted to specific environments, such as wetlands. This underscores the utility of molecular-level data in elucidating the complexity of SOM composition and the environmental drivers that shape it. Such molecular-level insights can deepen our knowledge of biogeochemical SOM cycles.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Scaling High-Resolution Soil Organic Matter Composition to Improve Predictions of Potential Soil Respiration Across the Continental United States

Despite the importance of microbial soil organic matter (SOM) respiration in regulating the flux of carbon between soils and the atmosphere, soil carbon cycling models remain primarily based on climate and soil properties, leading to large uncertainty in predictions. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed high-resolution water-extractable SOM profiles from soil cores collected across the United States by the 1,000 Soils Pilot of the Molecular Observation Network. Our innovation lies in using machine learning to distill thousands of SOM formula into tractable units; and it enables integrating data from molecular measurements into soil respiration models. In surface soils, SOM chemistry provided better estimates of potential soil respiration than soil physicochemistry, and using them combined yielded the best prediction. Overall, we identify specific subsets of organic molecules that may improve predictions of global soil respiration and create a strong basis for developing new representations in process-based models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Climate, soil mineralogy and mycorrhizal fungi influence soil organic matter fractions in eastern US temperate forests

Identifying the primary controls of particulate (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) content in soils is critical for determining future stocks of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) across the globe. However, drivers of these soil organic matter fractions are likely to vary among ecosystems in response to climate, soil type and the composition of local biological communities. We tested how soil factors, climate and plant–fungal associations influenced the distribution and concentrations of C and N in MAOM and POM in seven temperate forests in the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) across the eastern United States. Samples of upper mineral horizon soil within each forest were collected in plots representing a gradient of dominant tree–mycorrhizal association, allowing us to test how plant and microbial communities influenced POM and MAOM across sites differing in climate and soil conditions. We found that concentrations of C and N in soil organic matter were primarily driven by soil mineralogy, but the relative abundance of MAOM versus POM C was strongly linked to plot-level mycorrhizal dominance. Furthermore, the effect of dominant tree mycorrhizal type on the distribution of N among POM and MAOM fractions was sensitive to local climate: in cooler sites, an increasing proportion of ectomycorrhizal-associated trees was associated with lower proportions of N in MAOM, but in warmer sites, we found the reverse. As an indicator of soil carbon age, we measured radiocarbon in the MAOM fraction but found that within and across sites, Δ 14 C was unrelated to mycorrhizal dominance, climate, or soil factors, suggesting that additional site-specific factors may be primary determinants of long-term SOM persistence. Our results indicate that while soil mineralogy primarily controls SOM C and N concentrations, the distribution of SOM among density fractions depends on the composition of vegetation and microbial communities, with these effects varying across sites with distinct climates. Here we also suggest that within biomes, the age of mineral-associated soil carbon is not clearly linked to the factors that control concentrations of MAOM C and N.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗