Ten years of warming increased plant-derived carbon accumulation in an East Asian monsoon forest

Zhang, J.*; Kuang, L.*; Mou, Z.*; Kondo, Toshiaki*; Koarashi, Jun   ; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko  ; Li, Y.*; Tang, X.*; Wang, Y.-P.*; Peuelas, J.*; Sardans, J.*; Hui, D.*; Lambers, H.*; Wu, W.*; Kaal, J.*; Li, J.*; Liang, N.*; Liu, Z.*

Soil warming effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition and stabilization are highly variable, and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, concentration, stability (dissolved, particle and mineral-associated SOC), and source (plant-derived and microbial-derived) of SOC, soil microbial community composition, and enzyme activities were studied in a 10-year soil warming field experiment in an East Asian monsoon forest. The results showed that 10-year soil warming significantly enhanced SOC in the top 0-10 cm soil. The increased SOC induced by warming was mainly derived from plants with lignin markers, accompanied by a decrease in microbial-derived SOC. This highlights an urgent need for a better understanding of how the contrasting effects of plant- and microbial-derived C mediate the response of the SOC pool to warming across different biomes.