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Integrating Plant Litter Quality, Soil Organic Matter Stabilization, and the Carbon Saturation Concept Michael J

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Integrating Plant Litter Quality, Soil Organic Matter Stabilization, and the Carbon Saturation Concept Michael J Agronomy Publications Agronomy 9-2015 Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept Michael J. Castellano Iowa State University, [email protected] Kevin E. Mueller United States Department of Agriculture Daniel C. Olk United States Department of Agriculture John E. Sawyer Iowa State University, [email protected] Johan Six ETH-Zurich Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/agron_pubs Part of the Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, and the Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons The ompc lete bibliographic information for this item can be found at https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ agron_pubs/100. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ howtocite.html. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agronomy at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Agronomy Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept Abstract 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. Disciplines Agricultural Science | Agriculture | Agronomy and Crop Sciences Comments This article is published as Castellano, Michael J., Kevin E. Mueller, Daniel C. Olk, John E. Sawyer, and Johan Six. "Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept." Global change biology 21, no. 9 (2015): 3200-3209. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12982. Rights Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The onc tent of this document is not copyrighted. This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/agron_pubs/100 Global Change Biology (2015) 21, 3200–3209, doi: 10.1111/gcb.12982 OPINION Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept MICHAEL J. CASTELLANO1 , KEVIN E. MUELLER2 ,DANIELC.OLK3 , JOHN E. SAWYER1 andJOHAN SIX4 1Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA, 2United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Rangeland Resources Research Unit, Ft. Collins, CO 80526, USA, 3United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Ames, IA 50011, USA, 4Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH-Zurich, Zurich CH 8092, Switzerland Abstract 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’ lit- ters 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. Keywords: decomposition, litter, mineralization, nitrogen, residue Received 17 September 2014; revised version received 26 April 2015 and accepted 4 May 2015 tion must be linked to SOM stabilization (Prescott, 2010; Introduction Dungait et al., 2012). However, recent attempts to link Soils are the largest global pool of actively cycling these processes may have reinforced their separation by organic C and N. Maintaining and increasing soil suggesting that (1) low-quality litters (i.e., litters charac- organic matter (SOM) is a prominent strategy for miti- terized by low substrate quality due to the molecular gating atmospheric CO2 and adapting agriculture to cli- structure or elemental composition of its components) mate change (Walthall et al., 2012). As a result, effective are not selectively preserved in physicochemically stabi- climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies lized SOM; (2) most physicochemically stabilized SOM will be based in part on processes that promote SOM is derived from microbial residues; and (3) litter quan- stabilization. tity rather than quality is the main determinant of the Plant litter is the primary source of all SOM. How- amount of physicochemically stabilized SOM (Grandy ever, the processes of litter decomposition and SOM & Neff, 2008; Gentile et al., 2011; Carrington et al., 2012; stabilization are often considered separate (Sollins et al., Dungait et al., 2012). Coupled with evidence that abiotic 2007). Litter decomposition research has focused on the condensation reactions are minor contributors to SOM effects of litter quality on short-term mineralization and stabilization (Kleber & Johnson, 2010), these findings nutrient release (Parton et al., 2007), whereas SOM sta- have led to the view that environmental and biological bilization research has focused on organomineral inter- controls operating within the mineral soil matrix domi- actions that slow SOM turnover relative to total SOM nate SOM stabilization rather than the quality (i.e., due to physicochemical protection by mineral associa- molecular structure or elemental composition) of litter tion and microaggregate occlusion (Six et al., 2002; von or microbial residues (Kogel-Knabner, 2002). Lutzow€ et al., 2008; Stewart et al., 2008a). Nevertheless, it remains widely accepted that litter To understand, model, and manage the response of quality can affect SOM stabilization. For example, in SOM to global environmental change, litter decomposi- contemporary ecosystem models, litter quality is an important control on the mean residence time of SOM Correspondence: Michael J. Castellano, (Wieder et al., 2014a). Yet, there is uncertainty about tel. 515-294-3963, fax 515-294-3163, when, where, and how litter quality affects SOM stabil- e-mail: [email protected] ization. The role of litter quality may vary across stable 3200 © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd LITTER QUALITY & C SATURATION 3201 SOM pools that differ by the source of organic matter Here, we describe an easily testable conceptual (plant vs. microbial residues) and the mechanism of sta- model that can resolve the inconsistent effects of litter bilization (physical, chemical, and biochemical protec- quality on mineral-stabilized SOM by linking MEMS to tion; Six et al., 2002). the soil C saturation concept (Hassink & Whitmore, To link litter decomposition with SOM stabiliza- 1997; Six et al., 2002). Our model expands the matrix tion in the mineral soil matrix, Cotrufo et al. (2013) stabilization component of MEMS by separating the developed the Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabiliza- chemically stabilized mineral-associated SOM pool that tion (MEMS) framework. The framework is based is dominated by microbial residues from particulate on the principles that (1) mineral association is the SOM pools that are dominated by plant residues and most effective means of SOM stabilization (Six et al., either physically stabilized by microaggregate occlu- 2002; von Lutzow€ et al., 2006) and (2) most mineral- sion or nonprotected (i.e., not physicochemically stabi- stabilized SOM is of microbial origin and thus sug- lized within the mineral soil matrix; Six et al., 2002). We gests plant litter quality can affect the rate of SOM suggest that the effect of litter quality on mineral-asso- stabilization by affecting microbial biomass and sub- ciated SOM is a function of the unsatisfied C storage strate use. Plant litters that produce more microbial potential (i.e., the C saturation deficit) such that (1) lit- residues result in more organic matter that can be ter quality should affect mineral-associated SOM stocks physicochemically stabilized (i.e., more SOM stabil- only when there is a saturation deficit (i.e., litter quality ization opportunities). When microbial substrate use should not affect mineral-associated SOM in C-satu- is high
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