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Shifts in Microbial Thermal Traits Mitigate Heat-Induced Carbon Losses in Soils

Brangarí, Albert C LU orcid ; Knorr, Melissa A ; Frey, Serita D and Rousk, Johannes LU orcid (2025) In Global Change Biology 31(11).
Abstract

Global warming is expected to transfer carbon from soil organic matter to atmospheric CO
2, with microbial communities playing a crucial role in regulating this exchange. While the immediate impact of temperature on microbial functions is well understood and causes soil carbon losses, the long-term response remains unclear, with losses stabilising over time, reducing the overall effect of chronic warming on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Here, we examined the temperature dependence of microbial respiration and growth after 9 years of +5°C warming in a temperate forest. Using these temperature dependences and field temperature data, we modelled in situ carbon fluxes and changes in SOC stocks. Results showed that the direct effect... (More)

Global warming is expected to transfer carbon from soil organic matter to atmospheric CO
2, with microbial communities playing a crucial role in regulating this exchange. While the immediate impact of temperature on microbial functions is well understood and causes soil carbon losses, the long-term response remains unclear, with losses stabilising over time, reducing the overall effect of chronic warming on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Here, we examined the temperature dependence of microbial respiration and growth after 9 years of +5°C warming in a temperate forest. Using these temperature dependences and field temperature data, we modelled in situ carbon fluxes and changes in SOC stocks. Results showed that the direct effect of temperature initially increased respiration and growth, projecting a potential 31% SOC stock loss if the trend had persisted. However, the gradual optimisation of microbial traits to warming balanced the direct temperature effects, enhanced carbon use efficiency and offset CO
2 emissions. Together, these microbial trait shifts limited the heat-induced SOC loss to 15%, closely aligning with empirical observations. These findings suggest that microbial trait optimisation can moderate carbon emissions, providing a parsimonious mechanistic explanation for observations worldwide and underscoring the need to integrate microbial dynamics into models.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Soil Microbiology, Soil/chemistry, Hot Temperature, Carbon/metabolism, Global Warming, Carbon Cycle, Carbon Dioxide/metabolism, Forests
in
Global Change Biology
volume
31
issue
11
article number
e70579
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:105020479855
  • pmid:41168937
ISSN
1354-1013
DOI
10.1111/gcb.70579
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2025 The Author(s). Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
id
2d4d217d-861c-40b7-8985-09c98671dd64
date added to LUP
2025-11-01 22:15:31
date last changed
2025-11-23 05:08:43
@article{2d4d217d-861c-40b7-8985-09c98671dd64,
  abstract     = {{<p>Global warming is expected to transfer carbon from soil organic matter to atmospheric CO<br>
 2, with microbial communities playing a crucial role in regulating this exchange. While the immediate impact of temperature on microbial functions is well understood and causes soil carbon losses, the long-term response remains unclear, with losses stabilising over time, reducing the overall effect of chronic warming on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Here, we examined the temperature dependence of microbial respiration and growth after 9 years of +5°C warming in a temperate forest. Using these temperature dependences and field temperature data, we modelled in situ carbon fluxes and changes in SOC stocks. Results showed that the direct effect of temperature initially increased respiration and growth, projecting a potential 31% SOC stock loss if the trend had persisted. However, the gradual optimisation of microbial traits to warming balanced the direct temperature effects, enhanced carbon use efficiency and offset CO <br>
 2 emissions. Together, these microbial trait shifts limited the heat-induced SOC loss to 15%, closely aligning with empirical observations. These findings suggest that microbial trait optimisation can moderate carbon emissions, providing a parsimonious mechanistic explanation for observations worldwide and underscoring the need to integrate microbial dynamics into models.<br>
 </p>}},
  author       = {{Brangarí, Albert C and Knorr, Melissa A and Frey, Serita D and Rousk, Johannes}},
  issn         = {{1354-1013}},
  keywords     = {{Soil Microbiology; Soil/chemistry; Hot Temperature; Carbon/metabolism; Global Warming; Carbon Cycle; Carbon Dioxide/metabolism; Forests}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Global Change Biology}},
  title        = {{Shifts in Microbial Thermal Traits Mitigate Heat-Induced Carbon Losses in Soils}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70579}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/gcb.70579}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}