Emerging multiscale insights on microbial carbon use efficiency in the land carbon cycle
Résumé
Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) affects the fate and storage of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems, but its global importance remains uncertain. Accurately modeling and predicting CUE on a global scale is challenging due to inconsistencies in measurement techniques and the complex interactions of climatic, edaphic, and biological factors across scales. The link between microbial CUE and soil organic carbon relies on the stabilization of microbial necromass within soil aggregates or its association with minerals, necessitating an integration of microbial and stabilization processes in modeling approaches. In this perspective, we propose a comprehensive framework that integrates diverse data sources, ranging from genomic information to traditional soil carbon assessments, to refine carbon cycle models by incorporating variations in CUE, thereby enhancing our understanding of the microbial contribution to carbon cycling.
Earth System Models (ESMs) are indispensable tools for predicting the planetary response to climate change 1 . The accuracy and reliability of ESMs are crucial for informing climate projections that guide policy decisions. Soils store more carbon (C) than plants, the surface ocean or the atmosphere, and thus are critical for the functioning of the Earth system 2 . While ESMs are becoming increasingly complex, their predictions of soil organic C (SOC) stocks have improved only marginally in recent decades 3,4 .
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