A tale of two holy grails: from plant traits to soil organic matter pathways

PÉREZ-HARGUINDEGUY, NATALIA; VAIERETTI, MARÍA VICTORIA; KOWALJOW, ESTEBAN; CONTI, GEORGINA; PESTONI, SOFÍA; NALDINI, BETANIA; POCA, MARÍA

Londres

Congreso; Festival of Ecology; 2020

British Ecological Society

Until recently, the conceptual frameworks behind the study of the first phases of plant decomposition and its relationship with the stabilization of SOM, have been dissociated. Here we review how the consequences of decomposition have been dealt within functional ecology, how the knowledge on the mechanisms of SOM stabilisation have evolved, how those areas of knowledge have been touched, and where research challenges remain. We found conceptual consensus on higher litter quality promoting higher accumulation of SOM in more stable forms, derived from microbial activity, with higher N requirements, and limited by soil carbon saturation capacity. Also, lower litter quality would promote accumulation of SOM in less stable forms derived from plant material, with variable N contents, and which do not saturate in soils. However, empirical studies are still scarce, and its results show some unexpected outcomes not completely explained by present conceptual frameworks.