Articles | Volume 11, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-793-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-793-2025
Original research article
 | 
09 Oct 2025
Original research article |  | 09 Oct 2025

High biodegradability of water-soluble organic carbon in soils at the southern margin of the boreal forest

Yuqi Zhu, Chao Liu, Rui Liu, Hanxi Wang, Xiangwen Wu, Zihao Zhang, Shuying Zang, and Xiaodong Wu

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-126', Anonymous Referee #1, 31 May 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Yuqi Zhu, 17 Jul 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-126', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Jun 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Yuqi Zhu, 17 Jul 2025

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (17 Jul 2025) by Axel Don
AR by Yuqi Zhu on behalf of the Authors (24 Jul 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (11 Aug 2025) by Axel Don
ED: Publish as is (12 Aug 2025) by Raphael Viscarra Rossel (Executive editor)
AR by Yuqi Zhu on behalf of the Authors (13 Aug 2025)
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Short summary
Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) is crucial in boreal forests, but its behavior across soil depths is poorly understood. Our study found that shallow soils contain complex WSOC molecules with high biodegradability, while deeper soils have simpler molecules that are also highly biodegradable. These results reveal the significant role of WSOC in carbon cycling across soil layers, improving our understanding of carbon dynamics in boreal ecosystems impacted by climate change.
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