Earthworms act as biochemical reactors to convert labile plant compounds into stabilized soil microbial necromass

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Standard

Earthworms act as biochemical reactors to convert labile plant compounds into stabilized soil microbial necromass. / Angst, Gerrit; Mueller, Carsten W.; Prater, Isabel; Angst, Šárka; Frouz, Jan; Jílková, Veronika; Peterse, Francien; Nierop, Klaas G.J.

In: Communications Biology, Vol. 2, No. 1, 441, 2019.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Angst, G, Mueller, CW, Prater, I, Angst, Š, Frouz, J, Jílková, V, Peterse, F & Nierop, KGJ 2019, 'Earthworms act as biochemical reactors to convert labile plant compounds into stabilized soil microbial necromass', Communications Biology, vol. 2, no. 1, 441. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-019-0684-z

APA

Angst, G., Mueller, C. W., Prater, I., Angst, Š., Frouz, J., Jílková, V., Peterse, F., & Nierop, K. G. J. (2019). Earthworms act as biochemical reactors to convert labile plant compounds into stabilized soil microbial necromass. Communications Biology, 2(1), [441]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-019-0684-z

Vancouver

Angst G, Mueller CW, Prater I, Angst Š, Frouz J, Jílková V et al. Earthworms act as biochemical reactors to convert labile plant compounds into stabilized soil microbial necromass. Communications Biology. 2019;2(1). 441. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-019-0684-z

Author

Angst, Gerrit ; Mueller, Carsten W. ; Prater, Isabel ; Angst, Šárka ; Frouz, Jan ; Jílková, Veronika ; Peterse, Francien ; Nierop, Klaas G.J. / Earthworms act as biochemical reactors to convert labile plant compounds into stabilized soil microbial necromass. In: Communications Biology. 2019 ; Vol. 2, No. 1.

Bibtex

@article{cce5f0e31bc6482bad56611f17e5208a,
title = "Earthworms act as biochemical reactors to convert labile plant compounds into stabilized soil microbial necromass",
abstract = "Earthworms co-determine whether soil, as the largest terrestrial carbon reservoir, acts as source or sink for photosynthetically fixed CO2. However, conclusive evidence for their role in stabilising or destabilising soil carbon has not been fully established. Here, we demonstrate that earthworms function like biochemical reactors by converting labile plant compounds into microbial necromass in stabilised carbon pools without altering bulk measures, such as the total carbon content. We show that much of this microbial carbon is not associated with mineral surfaces and emphasise the functional importance of particulate organic matter for long-term carbon sequestration. Our findings suggest that while earthworms do not necessarily affect soil organic carbon stocks, they do increase the resilience of soil carbon to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Our results have implications for climate change mitigation and challenge the assumption that mineral-associated organic matter is the only relevant pool for soil carbon sequestration.",
author = "Gerrit Angst and Mueller, {Carsten W.} and Isabel Prater and {\v S}{\'a}rka Angst and Jan Frouz and Veronika J{\'i}lkov{\'a} and Francien Peterse and Nierop, {Klaas G.J.}",
year = "2019",
doi = "10.1038/s42003-019-0684-z",
language = "English",
volume = "2",
journal = "Communications Biology",
issn = "2399-3642",
publisher = "nature publishing group",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Earthworms act as biochemical reactors to convert labile plant compounds into stabilized soil microbial necromass

AU - Angst, Gerrit

AU - Mueller, Carsten W.

AU - Prater, Isabel

AU - Angst, Šárka

AU - Frouz, Jan

AU - Jílková, Veronika

AU - Peterse, Francien

AU - Nierop, Klaas G.J.

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Earthworms co-determine whether soil, as the largest terrestrial carbon reservoir, acts as source or sink for photosynthetically fixed CO2. However, conclusive evidence for their role in stabilising or destabilising soil carbon has not been fully established. Here, we demonstrate that earthworms function like biochemical reactors by converting labile plant compounds into microbial necromass in stabilised carbon pools without altering bulk measures, such as the total carbon content. We show that much of this microbial carbon is not associated with mineral surfaces and emphasise the functional importance of particulate organic matter for long-term carbon sequestration. Our findings suggest that while earthworms do not necessarily affect soil organic carbon stocks, they do increase the resilience of soil carbon to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Our results have implications for climate change mitigation and challenge the assumption that mineral-associated organic matter is the only relevant pool for soil carbon sequestration.

AB - Earthworms co-determine whether soil, as the largest terrestrial carbon reservoir, acts as source or sink for photosynthetically fixed CO2. However, conclusive evidence for their role in stabilising or destabilising soil carbon has not been fully established. Here, we demonstrate that earthworms function like biochemical reactors by converting labile plant compounds into microbial necromass in stabilised carbon pools without altering bulk measures, such as the total carbon content. We show that much of this microbial carbon is not associated with mineral surfaces and emphasise the functional importance of particulate organic matter for long-term carbon sequestration. Our findings suggest that while earthworms do not necessarily affect soil organic carbon stocks, they do increase the resilience of soil carbon to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Our results have implications for climate change mitigation and challenge the assumption that mineral-associated organic matter is the only relevant pool for soil carbon sequestration.

U2 - 10.1038/s42003-019-0684-z

DO - 10.1038/s42003-019-0684-z

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31815196

AN - SCOPUS:85075759894

VL - 2

JO - Communications Biology

JF - Communications Biology

SN - 2399-3642

IS - 1

M1 - 441

ER -

ID: 238948598