Integrating microbial physiology and physio-chemical principles in soils with the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model
A growing body of literature documents the pressing need to develop soil biogeochemistry models that more accurately reflect contemporary understanding of soil processes and better capture soil carbon (C) responses to environmental perturbations. Models that explicitly represent microbial activity o...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-07-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/3899/2014/bg-11-3899-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818444955856666624 |
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| author | W. R. Wieder A. S. Grandy C. M. Kallenbach G. B. Bonan |
| author_facet | W. R. Wieder A. S. Grandy C. M. Kallenbach G. B. Bonan |
| author_sort | W. R. Wieder |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A growing body of literature documents the pressing need to develop soil
biogeochemistry models that more accurately reflect contemporary
understanding of soil processes and better capture soil carbon (C) responses
to environmental perturbations. Models that explicitly represent microbial
activity offer inroads to improve representations of soil biogeochemical
processes, but have yet to consider relationships between litter quality,
functional differences in microbial physiology, and the physical protection
of microbial byproducts in forming stable soil organic matter (SOM). To
address these limitations, we introduce the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon
Stabilization (MIMICS) model, and evaluate it by comparing site-level soil C
projections with observations from a long-term litter decomposition study and
soil warming experiment. In MIMICS, the turnover of litter and SOM pools is
governed by temperature-sensitive Michaelis–Menten kinetics and the activity
of two physiologically distinct microbial functional types. The production of
microbial residues through microbial turnover provides inputs to SOM pools
that are considered physically or chemically protected. Soil clay content
determines the physical protection of SOM in different soil environments.
MIMICS adequately simulates the mean rate of leaf litter decomposition
observed at temperate and boreal forest sites, and captures observed effects
of litter quality on decomposition rates. Moreover, MIMICS better captures
the response of SOM pools to experimental warming, with rapid SOM losses but
declining temperature sensitivity to long-term warming, compared
with a more conventional
model structure. MIMICS incorporates current microbial theory to explore the
mechanisms by which litter C is converted to stable SOM, and to improve
predictions of soil C responses to environmental change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T19:24:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-59ddc81af3a34ea58bd705a6ce8d363f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T19:24:10Z |
| publishDate | 2014-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-59ddc81af3a34ea58bd705a6ce8d363f2022-12-21T22:50:14ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892014-07-0111143899391710.5194/bg-11-3899-2014Integrating microbial physiology and physio-chemical principles in soils with the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) modelW. R. Wieder0A. S. Grandy1C. M. Kallenbach2G. B. Bonan3National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80307, USADepartment of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USADepartment of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USANational Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80307, USAA growing body of literature documents the pressing need to develop soil biogeochemistry models that more accurately reflect contemporary understanding of soil processes and better capture soil carbon (C) responses to environmental perturbations. Models that explicitly represent microbial activity offer inroads to improve representations of soil biogeochemical processes, but have yet to consider relationships between litter quality, functional differences in microbial physiology, and the physical protection of microbial byproducts in forming stable soil organic matter (SOM). To address these limitations, we introduce the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model, and evaluate it by comparing site-level soil C projections with observations from a long-term litter decomposition study and soil warming experiment. In MIMICS, the turnover of litter and SOM pools is governed by temperature-sensitive Michaelis–Menten kinetics and the activity of two physiologically distinct microbial functional types. The production of microbial residues through microbial turnover provides inputs to SOM pools that are considered physically or chemically protected. Soil clay content determines the physical protection of SOM in different soil environments. MIMICS adequately simulates the mean rate of leaf litter decomposition observed at temperate and boreal forest sites, and captures observed effects of litter quality on decomposition rates. Moreover, MIMICS better captures the response of SOM pools to experimental warming, with rapid SOM losses but declining temperature sensitivity to long-term warming, compared with a more conventional model structure. MIMICS incorporates current microbial theory to explore the mechanisms by which litter C is converted to stable SOM, and to improve predictions of soil C responses to environmental change.http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/3899/2014/bg-11-3899-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | W. R. Wieder A. S. Grandy C. M. Kallenbach G. B. Bonan Integrating microbial physiology and physio-chemical principles in soils with the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model Biogeosciences |
| title | Integrating microbial physiology and physio-chemical principles in soils with the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model |
| title_full | Integrating microbial physiology and physio-chemical principles in soils with the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model |
| title_fullStr | Integrating microbial physiology and physio-chemical principles in soils with the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrating microbial physiology and physio-chemical principles in soils with the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model |
| title_short | Integrating microbial physiology and physio-chemical principles in soils with the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model |
| title_sort | integrating microbial physiology and physio chemical principles in soils with the microbial mineral carbon stabilization mimics model |
| url | http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/3899/2014/bg-11-3899-2014.pdf |
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