Simulating decomposition of labile soil organic carbon: Effects of pH
Abstract
Based on previous studies we suppose common soil carbon turnover modelling approaches to fail to accurately simulate the fate of labile organic carbon in acidic soils possibly because pH effects on decomposition are not accounted for. For mountainous permanent grasslands with higher shares of particulate carbon, turnover times of this fraction were calculated by means of radiocarbon dating and compared with rate constants of the RothC model. The model rate constant for plant litter decomposition was adjusted by pH response functions derived from (i) published data of litter decomposition or soil N dynamics and (ii) a best fit through the radiocarbon-derived turnover rates. After parameterization, the match of radiocarbon-based and model-based values was significantly improved for both rate constants and pool sizes. The results suggest that ignoring soil pH effects in models might produce misleading projections on soil carbon stocks under warming.
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Simulations were greatly improved when decomposition rates were calibrated using labelled C measurements and applied to experimental evidence for poplar litter.
“Simulations were greatly improved when decomposition rates were calibrated using labelled C measurements [173–175] and applied to the experimental evidence presented for poplar litter [78, 109].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [174]
Limitations of process-based models become more apparent at larger scales regarding soil depth, temporal resolution, and surface litter decomposition.
“However, the limitations of process-based models become more apparent when simulating at larger scales with regard to their limits to consider the effect of soil depth [168], adequate temporal resolution [171] and surface litter decomposition [173, 174].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [174]
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Brunmayr, A. S. (2024) · Geoscientific model development · doi:10.5194/gmd-2023-242-ac3
Controls on soil respiration in alpine tundra
Schliemann, S. A., Grevstad, N., & Parr, D. A. (2025) · Geoderma Regional · doi:10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00987
Spatial Distribution and Driving Mechanisms of Soil Organic Carbon in the Yellow River Source Region
Zhou, Z., Su, J., Ma, H., Wang, X., & Lin, H. (2025) · Land · doi:10.3390/land15010065
Yeung, C. C., Hagedorn, F., Díaz‐Yáñez, O., & de Broek, M. V. (2026) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110306
Duborgel, M. M., Guidi, C., Flury, R., Gosheva-Oney, S., González‐Domínguez, B., Brühlmann, M., Minich, L., Haghipour, N., Meusburger, K. D. B., Brunmayr, A. S., et al. (2026) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110265
- Authors
- LEIFELD, J., ZIMMERMANN, M., & FUHRER, J.
- Affiliations
- Agroscope (CH)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- Corresponding author
- LEIFELD, J
- Venue
- Soil Biology and Biochemistry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-12
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2948-2951
- ISSN
- 0038-0717 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1987386510
- Cited by
- 79
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 6.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Soil Biology and Biochemistry (publishedVersion)
- ResearchOnline at James Cook University (James Cook University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Keywords
- labile soil organic carbon, soil carbon decomposition, soil pH effects, particulate organic carbon, RothC model, plant litter decomposition, radiocarbon dating, soil carbon stocks, climate warming projections
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