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Grazing exclusion increases soil organic C through microbial necromass of root-derived C as traced by 13C labelling photosynthate

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Abstract

Grasslands store large amounts of C; however, the underlying mechanisms of soil C sequestration after grazing exclusion are not well known. This study aimed to elucidate the drivers of soil organic C (SOC) sequestration from plant and microbial residues in temperate grasslands after long-term (~ 40 years) grazing exclusion. We conducted in situ 13C-CO2 labelling experiments in the field and traced 13C in plant-soil systems paired with biomarkers to assess the C input from plants into soils. Long-term grazing exclusion increased all plant and soil pools including shoots, roots, microbial biomass and necromass. 13C allocation in these pools also increased, whereas 13C was lost via respiration as CO2 from soils decreased. 13C incorporation into the soil and microbial biomass increased with 13C allocation into the roots. Grazing exclusion for over 40 years increased the total SOC content by 190%, largely due to increases in fungal necromass C, and there was a minor contribution of lignin phenols to SOC accrual (0.8%). Consequently, grazing exclusion boosts not only aboveground biomass, but also larger roots and rhizodeposition, leading to microbial biomass and necromass formation. Microbial necromass and lignin phenols contribute to SOC accrual under grazing exclusion, and microbial necromass, especially fungal necromass, makes a larger contribution than lignin phenols.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42277471, U2243225), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA23070201), the Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shaanxi Forestry Academy of Sciences (SXLK2021-0206), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2023HHZX002), Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), the West-Siberian Interregional Science and Education Center’s project No. 89-DON (1), and Project CarboRus (075-15-2021-610).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Qing Qu, Lei Deng & Zhouping Shangguan

  2. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, NO. 26 Xinong Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Qing Qu, Lei Deng & Zhouping Shangguan

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Qing Qu, Lei Deng, Xuying Hai & Zhouping Shangguan

  4. Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Lei Deng & Zhouping Shangguan

  5. Department of Environmental Chemistry, University of Kassel, 37213, Witzenhausen, Germany

    Anna Gunina

  6. Administration Bureau of Ningxia Yunwushan National Nature Reserve, Guyuan, 756000, Ningxia, China

    Jun Deng

  7. Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Department of Agricultural Soil Science, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Yakov Kuzyakov

  8. Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, 117198, Russia

    Yakov Kuzyakov

  9. Tyumen State University, 6 Volodarskogo Street, Tyumen, 625003, Russia

    Anna Gunina

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  1. Qing Qu
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Qu, Q., Deng, L., Gunina, A. et al. Grazing exclusion increases soil organic C through microbial necromass of root-derived C as traced by 13C labelling photosynthate. Biol Fertil Soils 60, 407–420 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-024-01807-y

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