Managing ecosystems to sequester soil carbon requires a thorough understanding of complex soil processes. Here, we integrate these soil processes through the metaphor of a game—one that moves through multiple dimensions (from macro-aggregates to micropores and clay particles) and scales (from centimeters to nanometers) of the soil. The rules of the game are based on current understanding of soil carbon persistence, which differs from the classic humus concept of molecular complexity. The game's objective is to win points, by keeping “tokens” (plant-derived organic compounds) within the soil organic matter for as long as possible. The game begins when tokens enter different “pool-levels” (plant litter, particulate organic matter, dissolved organic matter, and mineral-associated organic matter) of the soil, either directly or after metabolic transformation by soil biota. Points are lost through either respiration by soil biota or leaching. We invite readers to play this game and explore different natural ecosystems and land-use scenarios to better comprehend complex soil processes.

中文翻译：

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从植物凋落物到土壤有机质：了解碳动态的游戏

管理生态系统以固存土壤碳需要彻底了解复杂的土壤过程。在这里，我们通过游戏的隐喻来整合这些土壤过程——游戏在土壤的多个维度（从宏观骨料到微孔和粘土颗粒）和尺度（从厘米到纳米）中移动。游戏规则基于当前对土壤碳持久性的理解，这不同于分子复杂性的经典腐殖质概念。游戏的目标是通过尽可能长时间地将“代币”（植物来源的有机化合物）保留在土壤有机质中来赢得积分。当代币直接或在土壤生物群代谢转化后进入土壤的不同“池层”（植物凋落物、颗粒有机物、溶解有机物和矿物相关有机物）时，游戏开始。分数通过土壤生物群的呼吸或淋滤而损失。我们邀请读者玩这个游戏，探索不同的自然生态系统和土地利用场景，以更好地理解复杂的土壤过程。