Soil moisture surpasses elevated CO₂ and temperature as a control on soil carbon dynamics in a multi-factor climate change experiment

• Published in: Plant and soil 2009-06, Vol.319 (1-2), p.85-94
• Main Authors: Garten, Charles T. Jr, Classen, Aimée T, Norby, Richard J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; CARBON; Carbon cycle; Carbon dioxide; CARBON ISOTOPES; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Climate change; CLIMATES; Drought; DROUGHTS; Ecology; Elevated CO; Elevated temperature; Environmental factors; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Growing season; Life Sciences; Mineral-associated organic matter; MOISTURE; Moisture content; NITROGEN; Old-fields; ORGANIC MATTER; Particulate organic matter; PARTICULATES; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; PRECIPITATION; Regular Article; SEASONS; Soil carbon; Soil dynamics; Soil moisture; Soil nitrogen; soil respiration; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil sciences; Soil water; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; SOILS; Temperature; Water and solute dynamics; Water content
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-008-9851-6

Some single-factor experiments suggest that elevated CO₂ concentrations can increase soil carbon, but few experiments have examined the effects of interacting environmental factors on soil carbon dynamics. We undertook studies of soil carbon and nitrogen in a multi-factor (CO₂ x temperature x soil moisture) climate change experiment on a constructed old-field ecosystem. After four growing seasons, elevated CO₂ had no measurable effect on carbon and nitrogen concentrations in whole soil, particulate organic matter (POM), and mineral-associated organic matter (MOM). Analysis of stable carbon isotopes, under elevated CO₂, indicated between 14 and 19% new soil carbon under two different watering treatments with as much as 48% new carbon in POM. Despite significant belowground inputs of new organic matter, soil carbon concentrations and stocks in POM declined over four years under soil moisture conditions that corresponded to prevailing precipitation inputs (1,300 mm yr⁻¹). Changes over time in soil carbon and nitrogen under a drought treatment (approximately 20% lower soil water content) were not statistically significant. Reduced soil moisture lowered soil CO₂ efflux and slowed soil carbon cycling in the POM pool. In this experiment, soil moisture (produced by different watering treatments) was more important than elevated CO₂ and temperature as a control on soil carbon dynamics.