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Decadal-scale litter manipulation alters the biochemical and physical character of tropical forest soil carbon

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dc.contributor.authorCusack, DF
dc.contributor.authorHalterman, SM
dc.contributor.authorTanner, EVJ
dc.contributor.authorWright, SJ
dc.contributor.authorHockaday, W
dc.contributor.authorDietterich, LH
dc.contributor.authorTurner, BL
dc.contributor.orcidCusack, DF [0000-0003-4681-7449]
dc.contributor.orcidHockaday, W [0000-0002-0501-0393]
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-08T06:32:35Z
dc.date.available2018-09-08T06:32:35Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.description.abstract© 2018 Elsevier Ltd Climate change and rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are likely to alter tropical forest net primary productivity (NPP), potentially affecting soil C storage. We examined biochemical and physical changes in soil C fractions in a humid tropical forest where experimental litter manipulation changed total soil C stocks. We hypothesized that: (1.) low-density soil organic C (SOC) fractions are more responsive to altered litter inputs than mineral-associated SOC, because they cycle relatively rapidly. (2.) Any accumulation of mineral-associated SOC with litter addition is relatively stable (i.e. low leaching potential). (3.) Certain biomolecules, such as waxes (alkyl) and proteins (N-alkyl), form more stable mineral-associations than other biomolecules in strongly weathered soils. A decade of litter addition and removal affected bulk soil C content in the upper 5 cm by +32% and −31%, respectively. Most notably, C concentration in the mineral-associated SOC fraction was greater in litter addition plots relative to controls by 18% and 28% in the dry and wet seasons, respectively, accounting for the majority of greater bulk soil C stock. Radiocarbon and leaching analyses demonstrated that the greater mineral-associated SOC in litter addition plots consisted of new and relatively stable C, with only 3% of mineral-associated SOC leachable in salt solution. Solid-state13C NMR spectroscopy indicated that waxes (alkyl C) and microbial biomass compounds (O-alkyl and N-alkyl C) in mineral-associated SOC are relatively stable, whereas plant-derived compounds (aromatic and phenolic C) are lost from mineral associations on decadal timescales. We conclude that changes in tropical forest NPP will alter the quantity, biochemistry, and stability of C stored in strongly weathered tropical soils.
dc.identifier.doi10.17863/CAM.27222
dc.identifier.eissn1879-3428
dc.identifier.issn0038-0717
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/279854
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherElsevier BV
dc.publisher.urlhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.06.005
dc.subjectSoil organic matter (SOM)
dc.subjectNitrogen
dc.subjectDissolved organic carbon (DOC)
dc.subjectC-13 NMR
dc.subjectRadiocarbon C-14
dc.subjectDensity fractionation
dc.titleDecadal-scale litter manipulation alters the biochemical and physical character of tropical forest soil carbon
dc.typeArticle
dcterms.dateAccepted2018-06-08
prism.endingPage209
prism.publicationDate2018
prism.publicationNameSoil Biology and Biochemistry
prism.startingPage199
prism.volume124
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate2018-09-01
rioxxterms.licenseref.urihttp://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Review
rioxxterms.versionAM
rioxxterms.versionofrecord10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.06.005

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