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Cited by 2,477Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsSoil erosion and sediment transportSoil Geostatistics and Mapping

Conceptualizing soil organic matter into particulate and mineral-associated forms to address global change in the 21st century

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Lavallee, Jocelyn M., Soong, Jennifer L., Cotrufo, M. Francesca·2020·Global Change Biology
DOI 10.1111/gcb.14859
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Abstract

Abstract Managing soil organic matter (SOM) stocks to address global change challenges requires well‐substantiated knowledge of SOM behavior that can be clearly communicated between scientists, management practitioners, and policy makers. However, SOM is incredibly complex and requires separation into multiple components with contrasting behavior in order to study and predict its dynamics. Numerous diverse SOM separation schemes are currently used, making cross‐study comparisons difficult and hindering broad‐scale generalizations. Here, we recommend separating SOM into particulate (POM) and mineral‐associated (MAOM) forms, two SOM components that are fundamentally different in terms of their formation, persistence, and functioning. We provide evidence of their highly contrasting physical and chemical properties, mean residence times in soil, and responses to land use change, plant litter inputs, warming, CO 2 enrichment, and N fertilization. Conceptualizing SOM into POM versus MAOM is a feasible, well‐supported, and useful framework that will allow scientists to move beyond studies of bulk SOM, but also use a consistent separation scheme across studies. Ultimately, we propose the POM versus MAOM framework as the best way forward to understand and predict broad‐scale SOM dynamics in the context of global change challenges and provide necessary recommendations to managers and policy makers.

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  • Globally grass and cropland soils are highly degraded and thus have a long-term sequestration potential.

    “However, globally grass and cropland soils are highly degraded and thus have a long-term sequestration potential (Cotrufo et al., 2019;Yang et al., 2019;Lavallee et al., 2020).”

    From Ecosystem Impacts and Productive Capacity of a Multi-Species Pastured Livestock System (2020) · cites this paper as Lavallee et al., 2020

    The discussion of land-use change (Table 2; page unavailable) says cultivation of previously undisturbed soils causes losses of particulate organic matter, and Section 5 discusses ways to sequester soil carbon. It does not establish that grassland and cropland soils globally are highly degraded or that this gives them long-term sequestration potential. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Soil C in grasslands is contained mostly in the MAOM fraction, which is often microbially processed and high in N, making it highly persistent and stable in soils.

    “These authors also showed that soil C in grasslands is contained mostly in the MAOM fraction, which is often microbially processed and high in N, making it highly persistent and stable in soils (Lavallee et al., 2020).”

    From Ecosystem Impacts and Productive Capacity of a Multi-Species Pastured Livestock System (2020) · cites this paper as Lavallee et al., 2020

    The section on MAOM formation says MAOM contains more microbially derived compounds and has a lower C/N ratio than POM; the global-change section describes MAOM as longer lived. But the paper does not establish that most soil carbon in grasslands is in MAOM. Its discussion of a California grassland concerns turnover under elevated CO₂, not the fraction containing most of its carbon. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Lavallee, J. M., Soong, J. L., & Cotrufo, M. F.
Affiliations
  • Colorado State University (US)
  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
Corresponding author
Cotrufo, M. Francesca
ORCID
Venue
Global Change Biology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2019-11-02
Volume
26
Issue
1
Pages
261-273
ISSN
  • 1354-1013 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2486
DOI
10.1111/gcb.14859
OpenAlex
W2977539872
Cited by
2,477
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 714 · 2025: 588 · 2024: 446 · 2023: 314 · 2022: 214 · 2021: 139 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 2
FWCI
82.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Global Change Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Division of Environmental Biology (1743237)
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 › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
Keywords
soil organic matter, particulate organic matter, mineral-associated organic matter, global change, soil carbon, residence time, land use change, litter input, warming, elevated CO2, nitrogen fertilization, soil management
MeSH terms
Carbon, Minerals, Plants, Soil

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