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Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept
Author(s) -
Castellano Michael J.,
Mueller Kevin E.,
Olk Daniel C.,
Sawyer John E.,
Six Johan
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/gcb.12982
Subject(s) - mineralization (soil science) , litter , saturation (graph theory) , phenol , plant litter , organic matter , lignin , soil organic matter , environmental chemistry , soil carbon , chemistry , environmental science , nutrient , soil science , agronomy , soil water , biology , organic chemistry , mathematics , combinatorics
Labile, ‘high‐quality’, plant litters are hypothesized to promote soil organic matter ( SOM ) stabilization in mineral soil fractions that are physicochemically protected from rapid mineralization. However, the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is inconsistent. High‐quality litters, characterized by high N concentrations, low C/N ratios, and low phenol/lignin concentrations, are not consistently stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than ‘low‐quality’ litters characterized by low N concentrations, high C/N ratios, and high phenol/lignin concentrations. Here, we attempt to resolve these inconsistent results by developing a new conceptual model that links litter quality to the soil C saturation concept. Our model builds on the Microbial Efficiency‐Matrix Stabilization framework (Cotrufo et al ., 2013) by suggesting the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is modulated by the extent of soil C saturation such that high‐quality litters are not always stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than low‐quality litters.