Effects of plant diversity on soil carbon in diverse ecosystems: a global meta‐analysis

Xinli Chen; Han Y. H. Chen; Chen Chen; Zilong Ma; Eric B. Searle; Zaipeng Yu; Zhiqun Huang

doi:10.1111/brv.12554

journal article Oct 18, 2019

Effects of plant diversity on soil carbon in diverse ecosystems: a global meta‐analysis

Xinli Chen

Han Y. H. Chen

Chen Chen

Zilong Ma Eric B. Searle

Zaipeng Yu Zhiqun Huang

Biological Reviews Vol. 95 No. 1 pp. 167-183 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/brv.12554

Abstract

ABSTRACTSoil organic carbon (SOC) is a valuable resource for mediating global climate change and securing food production. Despite an alarming rate of global plant diversity loss, uncertainties concerning the effects of plant diversity on SOC remain, because plant diversity not only stimulates litter inputsviaincreased productivity, thus enhancing SOC, but also stimulates microbial respiration, thus reducing SOC. By analysing 1001 paired observations of plant mixtures and corresponding monocultures from 121 publications, we show that both SOC content and stock are on average 5 and 8% higher in species mixtures than in monocultures. These positive mixture effects increase over time and are more pronounced in deeper soils. Microbial biomass carbon, an indicator of SOC release and formation, also increases, but the proportion of microbial biomass carbon in SOC is lower in mixtures. Moreover, these species‐mixture effects are consistent across forest, grassland, and cropland systems and are independent of background climates. Our results indicate that converting 50% of global forests from mixtures to monocultures would release an average of 2.70 Pg C from soil annually over a period of 20 years: about 30% of global annual fossil‐fuel emissions. Our study highlights the importance of plant diversity preservation for the maintenance of soil carbon sequestration in discussions of global climate change policy.

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Details

Published: Oct 18, 2019
Vol/Issue: 95(1)
Pages: 167-183
License: View

Authors

X

Xinli Chen

Faculty of Natural Resources Management Lakehead University 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada

H

Han Y. H. Chen

Faculty of Natural Resources Management Lakehead University 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada; Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco‐Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education Fujian Normal University 32 Shangshan Rd, Fuzhou 350007 China

C

Chen Chen

Faculty of Natural Resources Management Lakehead University 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada

Z

Zilong Ma

Faculty of Natural Resources Management Lakehead University 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada

E

Eric B. Searle

Faculty of Natural Resources Management Lakehead University 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada

Z

Zaipeng Yu

Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco‐Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education Fujian Normal University 32 Shangshan Rd, Fuzhou 350007 China; Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University, 32 Shangshan Rd Fuzhou 350007 China

Z

Zhiqun Huang

Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco‐Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education Fujian Normal University 32 Shangshan Rd, Fuzhou 350007 China; Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University, 32 Shangshan Rd Fuzhou 350007 China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China Award: 31625007

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Award: RGPIN‐2014‐04181

Cite This Article

Xinli Chen, Han Y. H. Chen, Chen Chen, et al. (2019). Effects of plant diversity on soil carbon in diverse ecosystems: a global meta‐analysis. Biological Reviews, 95(1), 167-183. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12554

Effects of plant diversity on soil carbon in diverse ecosystems: a global meta‐analysis

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