Carbon input to soil may decrease soil carbon content |
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Authors: | Sébastien Fontaine Gérard Bardoux Luc Abbadie André Mariotti |
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Institution: | Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 Rue d'Ulm, F-75 230 Paris Cedex 05, France; Laboratoire de Biogéochimie Isotopique, UniversitéPierre et Marie Curie, Case 120, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75 252 Paris Cedex 05, France |
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Abstract: | It is commonly predicted that the intensity of primary production and soil carbon (C) content are positively linked. Paradoxically, many long‐term field observations show that although plant litter is incorporated to soil in large quantities, soil C content does not necessarily increase. These results suggest that a negative relationship between C input and soil C conservation exists. Here, we demonstrate in controlled conditions that the supply of fresh C may accelerate the decomposition of soil C and induce a negative C balance. We show that soil C losses increase when soil microbes are nutrient limited. Results highlight the need for a better understanding of microbial mechanisms involved in the complex relationship between C input and soil C sequestration. We conclude that energy available to soil microbes and microbial competition are important determinants of soil C decomposition. |
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Keywords: | Carbon cycling carbon storage carbon nitrogen coupling energy limitation microbial competition nutrient impact priming effect soil ecosystem functioning |
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