SoilPub Date : 2025-02-11DOI: 10.5194/soil-11-233-2025
Daniela Guasconi, Sara A. O. Cousins, Stefano Manzoni, Nina Roth, Gustaf Hugelius
{"title":"Experimental drought and soil amendments affect grassland above- and belowground vegetation but not soil carbon stocks","authors":"Daniela Guasconi, Sara A. O. Cousins, Stefano Manzoni, Nina Roth, Gustaf Hugelius","doi":"10.5194/soil-11-233-2025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-233-2025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Soils are the largest terrestrial carbon (C) pool on the planet, and targeted grassland management has the potential to increase grassland C sequestration. Appropriate land management strategies, such as organic matter addition, can increase soil C stocks and improve grasslands' resilience to drought by improving soil water retention and infiltration. However, soil carbon dynamics are closely tied to vegetation responses to management and climatic changes, which affect roots and shoots differently. This study presents findings from a 3-year field experiment on two Swedish grasslands that assessed the impact of compost amendment and experimental drought on plant biomass and soil C to a depth of 45 cm. Aboveground biomass and soil C content (% C) increased compared with untreated controls in compost-amended plots; however, because bulk density decreased, there was no significant effect on soil C stocks. Experimental drought did not significantly reduce plant biomass compared to control plots, but it stunted the increase in aboveground biomass in compost-treated plots and led to changes in root traits. These results highlight the complexity of ecosystem C dynamics and the importance of considering multiple biotic and abiotic factors across spatial scales when developing land management strategies to enhance C sequestration.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143385115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2025-02-11DOI: 10.5194/soil-11-213-2025
Sergio Aranda-Barranco, Penélope Serrano-Ortiz, Andrew S. Kowalski, Enrique P. Sánchez-Cañete
{"title":"Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soil respiration in a bare-soil Mediterranean olive grove","authors":"Sergio Aranda-Barranco, Penélope Serrano-Ortiz, Andrew S. Kowalski, Enrique P. Sánchez-Cañete","doi":"10.5194/soil-11-213-2025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-213-2025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Soil respiration (Rs) is an important carbon flux in terrestrial ecosystems, and knowledge about this CO2 release process and the drivers involved is a key topic in the context of global change. However, temporal and spatial variability has not been studied extensively in semi-arid systems such as olive groves. In this study, we show a full year of continuous measurements of Rs with six automatic chambers in a fertigated olive grove with bare soil in the Mediterranean accompanied by modeled ecosystem respiration (Reco) estimated by decomposing net ecosystem exchange (NEE) measured using the eddy covariance (EC) technique. To study spatial variability, the automatic chambers were distributed equally under the canopy (Rs Under-Tree) and in the center of the alley (Rs Alley), and the gradient of Rs between both locations was measured in several manual campaigns in addition to angular changes about the olive trees. The results indicate that Rs Under-Tree was 3 times higher than Rs Alley in the annual computations. Higher Rs was found on the southern face, and an exponential decay of Rs was observed until the alley's center was reached. These spatial changes were used to weigh and project Rs onto the ecosystem scale, whose annual balance was 1.6–2.3 times higher than the Reco estimated using EC-derived models. Rs Under-Tree represented 39 % of the Rs of the olive grove. We found values of Q10<1 in the vicinity of the olive tree in the warm period. Outbursts of CO2 emissions associated with precipitation events were detected, especially in the alley, during dry periods and after extended periods without rain, but they were not accurately detected by EC-derived respiration models. We point out an interaction between several effects that vary in time, that are different under the canopy than in the alleys, and that the accepted models for estimating Q10 and Reco do not consider. These results show high spatial and temporal heterogeneity in soil respiration and the factors involved, which must be considered in future works in semi-arid agroecosystems.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"834 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143385134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2025-02-10DOI: 10.5194/soil-11-199-2025
Corinna Gall, Silvana Oldenburg, Martin Nebel, Thomas Scholten, Steffen Seitz
{"title":"Effects of moss restoration on surface runoff and initial soil erosion in a temperate vineyard","authors":"Corinna Gall, Silvana Oldenburg, Martin Nebel, Thomas Scholten, Steffen Seitz","doi":"10.5194/soil-11-199-2025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-199-2025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Soil erosion threatens soil fertility and food security worldwide, with agriculture being both a cause and a victim. Vineyards are particularly at risk due to the often steep slopes and detrimental management practices such as fallow interlines and bare soil under the vines. Therefore, the search for alternative management practices becomes vital, and vegetation covers, including mosses, have the potential to reduce soil erosion. However, research on moss restoration as an erosion control method is still in its infancy, and this form of erosion control has never been applied in vineyards. It is thus unclear whether moss restoration can be implemented in vineyards. In this study, the restoration of mosses was investigated by applying artificially cultivated moss mats in a temperate vineyard. The effects of moss restoration on surface runoff and sediment discharge were examined compared to bare soil and cover crops using rainfall simulation experiments (45 mm h−1 for 30 min) with small-scale runoff plots at three measurement times during 1 year (April, June, and October). Mosses initially showed considerable desiccation in summer, whereupon their growth declined. In October, the mosses recovered and re-established themselves in the vineyard, showing a high level of resistance. Moss restoration significantly reduced surface runoff by 71.4 % and sediment discharge by 75.8 % compared with bare soils. While moss restoration reduced surface runoff slightly more and sediment discharge slightly less compared with cover crops (68.1 % and 87.7 %, respectively), these differences were not statistically significant. Sediment discharge varied seasonally for moss restoration, especially from April to June; this is most likely due to the decline in moss cover and the foliage of the vines in June, as concentrated canopy drip points form on the leaves and woody surfaces of the vines, increasing erosion. Overall, moss restoration proved to be an appropriate and low-maintenance alternative for erosion control, as it requires no mowing or application of herbicides. However, future research should address challenges such as preventing moss mats from drying out in summer; developing methods for large-scale application; and evaluating whether mosses significantly impact soil water content, potentially reducing water availability for vines.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"84 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143375465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"High biodegradability of water-soluble organic carbon in soils at the southern margin of the boreal forest","authors":"Yuqi Zhu, Chao Liu, Rui Liu, Hanxi Wang, Xiangwen Wu, Zihao Zhang, Shuying Zang, Xiaodong Wu","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2025-126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-126","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) is an important component of the organic carbon pool in boreal ecosystems. However, the biodegradability of WSOC across various soil depths in boreal ecosystems remains unclear. Here, based on spectroscopic techniques, we conducted a 28-day laboratory incubation to analyze the molecular composition, biodegradability, and compositional changes of WSOC at different soil depths in a southern region of the boreal forest. The results showed that in the upper 2 m soils, the average content of biodegradable WSOC was 0.228 g/kg with an average proportion of 86.41 % in the total WSOC. In the deep soils below 2 m, the average content of biodegradable WSOC content was 0.144 g/kg, comprising 80.79 % of the total WSOC. Spectroscopic analysis indicates that the WSOC in the upper soils is primarily composed of highly aromatic humic acid-like matter with larger molecular weights than those in deep soils. Both the aromaticity and molecular weight decrease with depth, and the WSOC is mainly composed of fulvic acid-like matter in the deep soils, suggesting high biodegradability of WSOC in the deep soils. Overall, our results suggest that the water-soluble organic carbon in the boreal forests exhibits high biodegradability both in the shallow layer and deep soils.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"83 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143258460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2025-02-06DOI: 10.5194/soil-11-175-2025
Dan Wang, Benjuan Liu, Fei Li, Zhihui Wang, Jianfeng Hou, Rui Cao, Yuqian Zheng, Wanqin Yang
{"title":"Status and influential factors of soil nutrients and acidification in Chinese tea plantations: a meta-analysis","authors":"Dan Wang, Benjuan Liu, Fei Li, Zhihui Wang, Jianfeng Hou, Rui Cao, Yuqian Zheng, Wanqin Yang","doi":"10.5194/soil-11-175-2025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-175-2025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Knowledge of the status and influential factors of soil nutrients including soil organic matter (SOM), nitrogen (N), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), and acidification is the basis for sustainable management of tea plantations and thus the sustainability of the tea industry. However, a national-level study addressing this topic is lacking. Thereby, we assessed the status, spatial variations, and influential factors of soil nutrients and acidification in China's tea plantations based on 1843 datasets collected from 379 published articles. The results showed that only 40.9 % of the observed tea plantations meet the standards of high-quality tea plantations. Most tea plantations were facing soil acidification, nutrient deficiencies, and imbalance. Furthermore, the status of soil nutrients and pH varied among cultivation zones due to the impacts of location, climate, and soil type. Specifically, tea plantations in the southern zone showed the lowest concentrations of available N, available K, and total K but the highest stoichiometric ratios of soil nutrients (P < 0.05). Management practices (e.g., rotational cycle and fertilization strategies) also significantly shaped the status of soil nutrients and pH. Therefore, applying organic fertilizer, extending the duration of the cultivation cycle, and planting shading trees were recommended to improve soil nutrient availability and balance, as well as to mitigate soil acidification. Specifically, it is recommended to apply K fertilizer to tea plantations in the southern zone and/or at high altitudes.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143191741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2025-02-06DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2025-299
Binyan Sun, Cyrill U. Zosso, Guido L. B. Wiesenberg, Elaine Pegoraro, Margaret S. Torn, Michael W. I. Schmidt
{"title":"Warming accelerates the decomposition of root biomass in a temperate forest only in topsoil but not in subsoil","authors":"Binyan Sun, Cyrill U. Zosso, Guido L. B. Wiesenberg, Elaine Pegoraro, Margaret S. Torn, Michael W. I. Schmidt","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2025-299","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-299","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> Global warming could potentially increase the decomposition rate of soil organic matter (SOM), not only in the topsoil (< 20 cm) but also in the subsoil (> 20 cm). Despite its low carbon content, subsoil holds on average nearly as much SOM as topsoil across various ecosystems. However, significant uncertainties remain regarding the impact of warming on SOM decomposition in subsoil, particularly root-derived carbon, which serves as the primary organic input at these horizons. In the Blodgett Forest warming experiment (California, USA), we investigated whether warming accelerates the decomposition of root-litter at three depths (10–14, 45–49, and 85–89 cm) by using molecular markers and <em>in-situ</em> incubation of <sup>13</sup>C-labelled root-litter at each depth. Our results reveal that the decomposition of added root-litter was only accelerated in the topsoil (10–14 cm) but not in the subsoil (45–49 and 85–89 cm) with warming. In subsoil, although the decomposition rate of root-litter derived carbon did not differ significantly between ambient and warmed plots, the underlying reasons for this similarity are distinct. With molecular marker analysis, we found higher microbial activity, indicated by higher concentration of certain fatty acid monomers that could be originally microbial-derived such as octadecanoic acid (C<sub>18:0 </sub>fatty acids), octadecenoic acid (C<sub>18:1</sub> fatty acids), and hexadecanoic acid (C<sub>16:0</sub> fatty acids) than those originally derived from roots in ambient subsoil. With warming, the higher concentration of long-chain (C number > 20) 𝜔-hydroxy acids and diacids left after 3 years of root incubation suggested a lower turnover rate and this could be due to lower microbial abundance and lower soil moisture induced by warming. Our study demonstrates that the impact of warming on the decomposition of root-litter in a temperate forest is depth-dependent. The slower turnover rate of long-chain 𝜔-hydroxy acids and diacids shows that they are more persistent compared to bulk root mass and could be preserved in subsoil for longer time as long as the environmental conditions are unfavorable for decomposition with warming.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"136 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143191743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2025-02-06DOI: 10.5194/soil-11-193-2025
José Paruelo, Luis López-Mársico, Pablo Baldassini, Felipe Lezama, Bruno Bazzoni, Luciana Staiano, Agustin Nuñez, Anaclara Guido, Cecilia Ríos, Andrea Tommasino, Federico Gallego, Fabiana Pezzani, Gonzalo Camba Sans, Andrés Quincke, Santiago Baeza, Gervasio Piñeiro, Walter Baethgen
{"title":"On the risks of good intentions and poor evidence – comment on “Back to the future? Conservative grassland management can preserve soil health in the changing landscapes of Uruguay” by Säumel et al. (2023)","authors":"José Paruelo, Luis López-Mársico, Pablo Baldassini, Felipe Lezama, Bruno Bazzoni, Luciana Staiano, Agustin Nuñez, Anaclara Guido, Cecilia Ríos, Andrea Tommasino, Federico Gallego, Fabiana Pezzani, Gonzalo Camba Sans, Andrés Quincke, Santiago Baeza, Gervasio Piñeiro, Walter Baethgen","doi":"10.5194/soil-11-193-2025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-193-2025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract not available","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143192059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SoilPub Date : 2025-02-05DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2025-100
Zhe H. Weng, Ram C. Dalal, Brian J. Reid, Yong-Guan Zhu, Timothy I. McLaren, Brigid A. McKenna, Meghan Barnard, Casey L. Doolette, Enzo Lombi, Johannes Friedl, Peter M. Kopittke
{"title":"Changes in carbon functional groups and their in situ microscale distribution under long-term continuous cropping","authors":"Zhe H. Weng, Ram C. Dalal, Brian J. Reid, Yong-Guan Zhu, Timothy I. McLaren, Brigid A. McKenna, Meghan Barnard, Casey L. Doolette, Enzo Lombi, Johannes Friedl, Peter M. Kopittke","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2025-100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-100","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> Land use change is causing substantial loss of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, little is known regarding how this loss of SOC influences the composition of carbon (C) functional groups and their microscale distribution, with this being critical to the protection and storage of SOC. In this study, we examined the mechanisms influencing preservation of C forms and their distribution by comparing soils under native vegetation and cropping at two Australian sites, Waco black Vertisol (70 y cropping) and Langlands-Logie grey Vertisol (10 y cropping). Land use change caused the loss of up to 23 % (5.3 mg C g<sup>-1</sup> soil) of bulk SOC. Strikingly, the greatest loss occurred in the mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) fraction that accounted for 72–91 % of total SOC. Interestingly, despite losing up to 23 % of the bulk SOC, the C that remained after long-term cropping was similar in speciation to that in the native soils revealed by near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. In a similar manner, the use of infrared microspectroscopy showed that the forms of C remained similar in the two land uses and that C was closely associated with clay minerals. This suggests that the SOC loss from mineral fraction was not due to preferential consumption of particular forms of carbon, but rather, an overall loss of SOC in the mineral fractions and an increase in overall lability. These observations provide critical evidence that preservation of SOC is not driven by increasing compositional diversity or complexity in these Vertisols and that physical protection of C is of importance. Potential exists to rebuild SOC in the mineral-associated fraction under cropping. Management practices should promote the building of organo-mineral associations.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143124398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Depth dependence of soil organic carbon additional storage capacity in different soil types by the 2050 target for carbon neutrality","authors":"Clémentine Chirol, Geoffroy Séré, Paul-Olivier Redon, Claire Chenu, Delphine Derrien","doi":"10.5194/soil-11-149-2025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-149-2025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Land planning projects aiming to maximize soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks are increasing in number and scope, often in line with the objective to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. In response, a rising number of studies assesses where additional SOC could be stored over regional to global spatial scales. In order to provide realistic values transferrable beyond the scientific community, studies providing targets of SOC accrual should consider the timescales needed to reach them, taking into consideration the effects of C inputs, soil type, and depth on soil C dynamics. This research was conducted in a 320 km2 territory in north-eastern France, where eight contrasted soil types have been identified, characterized, and mapped thanks to a high density of fully described soil profiles. Continuous profiles of SOC stocks were interpolated for each soil type and land use (cropland, grassland, or forest). We defined potential targets for SOC accrual using percentile boundary lines and used a linear model of depth-dependent C dynamics to explore the C inputs necessary to reach those targets within 25 years. We also used values from the literature to model C input scenarios and provided maps of SOC stocks, maximum SOC accrual, and realistic SOC accrual over 25 years. SOC stocks and maximum SOC accrual are highly heterogenous over the region of study. Median SOC stocks range from 78–333 tC ha−1. Maximum SOC accrual varies from 19 tC ha−1 in forested Leptosols to 197 tC ha−1 in grassland Gleysols. The simulated realistic SOC accrual over 25 years in the whole region of study was one-fifth of the the maximum SOC accrual. Further consideration of depth-dependent SOC dynamics in different soil types is therefore needed to provide targets of SOC storage over timescales relevant to public policies aiming to approach carbon neutrality by 2050.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"207 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143124397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Microbial carbon use for incorporating biomass phosphorus drives CO2 emission in phosphorus-supplied subtropical forest soils","authors":"Jianghao Tan, Muhammed Mustapha Ibrahim, Huiying Lin, Zhaofeng Chang, Conghui Guo, Zhimin Li, Xianzhen Luo, Yongbiao Lin, Enqing Hou","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2025-310","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-310","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> Subtropical forests store significant amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC) and are important in the global C cycle. Current understandings based on controlled experiments indicate that phosphorus (P) availability promotes SOC decomposition by alleviating microbial P limitation or rendering SOC available for microbial decomposition. While no alternative mechanism is currently known, it is uncertain if this mechanism holds across soils or P supply levels at the field scale. We formulated an alternative mechanism for acidic subtropical forest soils where organic C (OC) is bound to iron (Fe). Our hypothesis proposed that P supply would promote Fe-bound P formation and desorption of OC previously bound to Fe, and the microbial utilization of the desorbed OC for P-cycling contributes significantly to CO<sub>2</sub> emission. We tested our hypotheses by utilizing a forest P addition platform to explore C-dynamics, its regulators, and utilization across four P supply levels: 0, 25, 50, and 100 kg P ha<sup>-1</sup> yr<sup>-1 </sup>(Con, P1, P2, and P3, respectively) for one year. Phosphorus supply significantly increased the periodic and cumulative dissolved OC (DOC) concentration, especially in P3, and was associated with increased iron (Fe)-bound P formation. With increased DOC following P addition, microbial biomass P (MBP) significantly increased, while MBC remained unchanged. The significantly positive relationship between MBP:MBC ratio and DOC, significant increase in MBP and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emission with P addition, and the reduction in CO<sub>2 </sub>emission with increasing MBC:MBP ratio (0–10 cm) supports our results that the desorbed-C alleviated microbial C-limitation induced during P-cycling, particularly, MBP incorporation, to drive CO<sub>2 </sub>emission. Structural equation modeling and multivariate analyses projected MBP as a critical factor inducing CO<sub>2</sub> emission. Besides, insignificant alterations in the relative abundance of C-degrading functional genes and reductions in P- and C-degrading enzyme activity indicated the sufficiency of desorbed OC for microbial use without further SOC degradation. Our study provides an alternative mechanism of P's impact on soil C-cycling processes in acidic subtropical forest soils vital for constraining process-based C models.","PeriodicalId":48610,"journal":{"name":"Soil","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143083772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}