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Processes of Soil Carbon Dynamics and Ecosystem Carbon Cycling in a Changing World

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Recarbonization of the Biosphere

Abstract

Climate change is evident and increases of carbon dioxide concentration (CO2), temperature and extreme weather events are predicted. To predict the effects of such changes on carbon (C) cycling, the processes and mechanisms determining the magnitude of C storage and fluxes must be well understood. The biggest challenge is nowadays to quantify belowground components of the C-cycle. Soil respiration accounts for ∼70% of total annual ecosystem respiration. However, the CO2 flux from soil originates from several sources, such as root respiration, rhizomicrobial respiration, mineralization of litter and mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM). Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations will generally increase plant growth, thus C-input to soil. This higher C-input will be accompanied by higher SOM mineralization due to warming. However, mineralization of more stable pools may be affected more by warming compared to mineralization of labile pools. The importance of cropland management is demonstrated in a model scenario. Crop residue incorporation increased C-storage in the soil markedly. However, under the assumption of a higher temperature sensitivity of mineralization of stable C-pools the net-sink of C under recommended management practice is severely reduced. Precise predictions are hampered due to the lack of quantitative, mechanistic knowledge. It is discussed that a more interdisciplinary scientific approach will increase the speed in generating urgently needed understanding of belowground processes of C-cycling.

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Abbreviations

AGBDM:

Aboveground biomass dry matter

AUR:

Acid unsoluble residue

BIO:

Microbial biomass, model pool in RothC

C:

Carbon

CH4 :

Methane

CI:

Confidence interval

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

CO2-fert:

Max-CC and CO2 fertilization of crops, climate scenario for the modelling example

CON:

Control treatment in the Puch experiment

DJF:

December, January, February

DPM:

Decomposable plant material, model pool in RothC

ETP:

Evapotranspiration

FACE:

Free air carbon dioxide enrichment

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

GPP:

Gross primary production

HUM:

Humified organic matter, model pool in RothC

IOM:

Inert organic matter, model pool in RothC

IOSDV:

“Internationale organische Stickstoff-Dauerdüngungsversuche” (German) International organic long-term nitrogen fertilization experiment

JJA:

June, July, August

MAM:

March, April, May

MAP:

Mean annual precipitation

MAT:

mean annual temperature

Max-CC:

Maximal climate change, climate scenario for the modelling example

MRT:

Mean residence time

N:

Nitrogen

NECB:

Net ecosystem carbon balance

NEP:

Net ecosystem production

No-CC:

No climate change climate, scenario for the modelling example

NPP:

Net primary production

OM:

Organic matter

ppm:

Parts per million

RA:

Respiration by autotrophic organisms

RE:

Ecosystem respiration

RES:

Residue incorporation treatment in the Puch experiment

RH:

Respiration by heterotrophic organisms

RMSE:

Root mean square error

RPM:

Resistant plant material model pool in RothC

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

SOM:

soil organic matter

SON:

September October, November

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Geoscience and Geography, Georg August-University, Goldschmidtstr. 5, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Felix Heitkamp & Hermann F. Jungkunst

  2. Carbon Sequestration and Management Center, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Cloumbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Felix Heitkamp

  3. Department of Agronomy, Institute for Sugar Beet Research, Holtenser Landstr. 77, 37079, Göttingen, Germany

    Anna Jacobs

  4. Department of Soil Science & Soil Ecology, Geographical Institute, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany

    Stefanie Heinze

  5. Institut für Agrarökologie, ökologischen Landbau und Bodenschutz, Bayrische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft, Lange Point 12, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Matthias Wendland

  6. Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Büsgen Institute, Georg August-University, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Yakov Kuzyakov

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  1. Felix Heitkamp
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  2. Anna Jacobs
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  3. Hermann F. Jungkunst
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  4. Stefanie Heinze
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  5. Matthias Wendland
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  6. Yakov Kuzyakov
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Correspondence to Felix Heitkamp .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. OARDC, Carbon Management &, Ohio State University, Coffey Road 2021, Columbus, 43210, Ohio, USA

    Rattan Lal

  2. , Global Contract for Sustainability, IASS Inst. for Adv. Sust. Studies, Berliner Str. 130, Potsdam, 14467, Brandenburg, Germany

    Klaus Lorenz

  3. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Reinhard F. Hüttl

  4. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg 309G, Potsdam, 14473, Brandenburg, Germany

    Bernd Uwe Schneider

  5. Walter-Flex-Str. 3, Bonn, 53113, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Joachim von Braun

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Heitkamp, F., Jacobs, A., Jungkunst, H.F., Heinze, S., Wendland, M., Kuzyakov, Y. (2012). Processes of Soil Carbon Dynamics and Ecosystem Carbon Cycling in a Changing World. In: Lal, R., Lorenz, K., Hüttl, R., Schneider, B., von Braun, J. (eds) Recarbonization of the Biosphere. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4159-1_18

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