Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-381-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-381-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
SOIL Letters
| Highlight paper
| 
20 May 2025
SOIL Letters | Highlight paper |
| 20 May 2025
| 20 May 2025
Calcium is associated with specific soil organic carbon decomposition products
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
Jasquelin Pena
Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
Matthew A. Marcus
Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
Rachel Porras
Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
Elaine Pegoraro
Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
Cyrill Zosso
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Climate and Agriculture, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland
Nicholas O. E. Ofiti
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Guido L. B. Wiesenberg
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Michael W. I. Schmidt
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Margaret S. Torn
Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
Peter S. Nico
Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Cited
9 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Dynamics of Multiple Elements in Particulate and Mineral-Associated Organic Matter Across Varying Soil Depths Following 13 years of Nitrogen and Water Addition in an Agro-Pastoral Ecotone Grassland H. Ke et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-026-01054-2
- Impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on fractions and fungal communities of mineral-associated organic carbon in subtropical coastal wetlands of China Z. Wu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.109956
- Effects of Fissure Network Morphology on Soil Organic Carbon Pools in Karst Rocky Habitats Y. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010059
- Mineral-bound organic carbon exposed by hillslope thermokarst terrain: case study in Cape Bounty, Canadian High Arctic M. Thomas et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-633-2026
- Using aridity as an overarching factor to advance understanding of soil organic carbon storage at the continental scale J. Lavallee et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-025-01273-0
- Is Coarse Woody Debris Important in Maintaining Soil Phosphorus Availability and Forest Productivity in Wet Tropical Forests? D. Lodge et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18084118
- Sources and drivers of particulate organic matter and mineral-associated organic matter along a calcareous soil chronosequence J. Zhong et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-026-0459-7
- Calcium is associated with specific soil organic carbon decomposition products M. Rowley et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-381-2025
- Organo-mineral interactions in active layer and permafrost soils along aging Arctic landscapes F. Montaño-López et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.110377
9 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Dynamics of Multiple Elements in Particulate and Mineral-Associated Organic Matter Across Varying Soil Depths Following 13 years of Nitrogen and Water Addition in an Agro-Pastoral Ecotone Grassland H. Ke et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-026-01054-2
- Impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on fractions and fungal communities of mineral-associated organic carbon in subtropical coastal wetlands of China Z. Wu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.109956
- Effects of Fissure Network Morphology on Soil Organic Carbon Pools in Karst Rocky Habitats Y. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010059
- Mineral-bound organic carbon exposed by hillslope thermokarst terrain: case study in Cape Bounty, Canadian High Arctic M. Thomas et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-633-2026
- Using aridity as an overarching factor to advance understanding of soil organic carbon storage at the continental scale J. Lavallee et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-025-01273-0
- Is Coarse Woody Debris Important in Maintaining Soil Phosphorus Availability and Forest Productivity in Wet Tropical Forests? D. Lodge et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18084118
- Sources and drivers of particulate organic matter and mineral-associated organic matter along a calcareous soil chronosequence J. Zhong et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-026-0459-7
- Calcium is associated with specific soil organic carbon decomposition products M. Rowley et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-381-2025
- Organo-mineral interactions in active layer and permafrost soils along aging Arctic landscapes F. Montaño-López et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.110377
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 05 Jul 2026
Editorial statement
This study investigates interactions between soil organic carbon (SOC) and calcium (Ca). It reveals that Ca contributes to SOC stability even in acidic soils, a finding that departs from previous assumptions that Ca's role is limited to neutral or alkaline soils. It also investigates the formation mechanisms driving the association of Ca with a characteristic fraction of SOC, highlighting the importance of decomposition processes in its formation. In this work, the authors employ advanced spectromicroscopy and targeted experiments to confirm that Ca binds SOC compounds rich in aromatic and phenolic groups after decomposition, preventing their loss as dissolved organic carbon. The identification of this biogeochemical mechanism has direct implications for improving soil carbon models and guiding Ca amendment practices in agriculture, enhancing soil carbon retention and contributing to climate resilience.
This study investigates interactions between soil organic carbon (SOC) and calcium (Ca). It...
Short summary
This study shows that calcium (Ca) preserves soil organic carbon (SOC) in acidic soils, challenging beliefs that their interactions were limited to near-neutral or alkaline soils. Using spectromicroscopy, we found that Ca was co-located with a specific fraction of carbon, rich in aromatic and phenolic groups. This association was disrupted when Ca was removed but was reformed during decomposition with added Ca. Overall, this suggests that Ca amendments could enhance SOC stability.
This study shows that calcium (Ca) preserves soil organic carbon (SOC) in acidic soils,...
