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
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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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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,...
