Abstract
Sequestering carbon (C) in soils is recognised as one of a few pragmatic strategies to offset anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Soil C is, furthermore, key to a range of soil characteristics supporting land economic and environmental sustainability. However, our ability to predict future changes in soil C stocks under changing climate and to promote land-use leading to soil C sequestration depends on our ability to tackle fundamental challenges currently hindering full understanding of soil C cycling. Recent scientific evidence is changing our understanding of the role of soil microbes in regulating the soil C cycle. Soil microbes have long been considered to simply decompose C in soil, releasing C from the soil to the atmosphere. However, it is now emerging that their activity also contributes to the stabilisation of plant C inputs, leading to soil C increase. Research investigating the mechanisms regulating C stabilisation has, to date, largely overlooked this positive role of microbial communities. We propose to investigate the role of soil microbial communities in regulating the stabilisation of plant C inputs. Through a series of complementary laboratory experiments manipulating the composition of microbial communities and plant inputs, the project explores the role of ecological interactions in mediating the fate of plant C inputs and their role in contributing to stabilise C in interaction with soil mineral constituents. In a final experiment we will test the fundamental knowledge at higher spatial scale in experimental grasslands with varying plant diversities. The research will contribute new insights towards improved mechanistic understanding of soil carbon cycling, informing scientists as they refine predictions of the effects of climate and land management on soil C stocks and directly informing farmers and policy makers of the potential benefits of increasing the diversity of managed grasslands for improved climate change mitigation and sustainable production.
Netherlands