Tropical forests contain some of the largest soil carbon (C) stocks on Earth, making them broadly relevant to terrestrial-climate feedbacks, yet our understanding of how their soil organic C (SOC) fractions vary over space and time is limited. We studied effects of season, fertility, and mean annual precipitation (MAP) on the C contents of soil fractions across 14 lowland forests in Panama. We measured

Manganese (Mn) is an essential plant micronutrient that influences photosynthesis, ecosystem productivity, and soil carbon storage. Our objective was to quantify how Mn uptake by forest vegetation relates to Mn release into soil solution through mineral dissolution. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to quantify Mn uptake by red maple saplings as a function of mineral solubility to test whether

Recent observations and numerical simulations have profoundly established that the C:N:P ratios in the ocean deviate from the canonical Redfield Ratio (106:16:1). Physical and biogeochemical processes have been hypothesized to be responsible for this deviation. However, a paucity of concurrent observations on biogeochemical and physical parameters have barred us to understand their exact role on the

Droughts are recognized to impact global biogeochemical cycles. However, the implication of desiccation on in-stream carbon (C) cycling is not well understood yet. We subjected sediments from a lowland, organic rich intermittent stream to experimental desiccation over a 9-week-period to investigate temporal changes in microbial functional traits in relation to their redox requirements, carbon dioxide

In the original version the name of the second author was misspelled. The correct name is Ayumi Hyodo.

The interface between lotic and lentic ecosystems is often a zone of intense metabolic activity, as primary production in streams and rivers can be light limited whereas nutrients often limit primary production in lake ecosystems. Our objective was to model the influence that rivermouths (the lotic-lentic interface) could have on the loads of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and dissolved inorganic

The storage and cycling of soil organic carbon (SOC) are governed by multiple co-varying factors, including climate, plant productivity, edaphic properties, and disturbance history. Yet, it remains unclear which of these factors are the dominant predictors of observed SOC stocks, globally and within biomes, and how the role of these predictors varies between observations and process-based models. Here

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition rates affect soil N dynamics, influencing soil respiration (RS) rates. However, for the Mediterranean region, the effect of changes in atmospheric N deposition on RS are not well constrained yet. We investigated the interplay between increased N deposition and tree species composition on RS at a Scots pine—Pyrenean oak ecotone in Central Spain, and whether the observed

Riparian zones of headwater streams have valuable ecosystem functions and are prevalent across many landscapes. Nevertheless, studies of greenhouse gas (GHG; CO2, CH4, N2O) fluxes from these unique ecosystems, with fluctuating water tables and high soil organic matter, remain limited. Our objectives were to (1) to quantify the effects of local riparian groundwater conditions on soil GHG flux rates

There is little knowledge about microbial functional community structures and the relationships between microbial communities and nitrogen transformation processes. Here, we investigated the relationships between soil microbial communities and nitrogen mineralisation potentials in a cool temperate forest throughout the growing season. Microbial communities were assessed by quantification of the total

Water tables in high-latitude peatlands are expected to fall because of climate change, with significant consequences for carbon cycling in these ecosystems. At present, the understanding of how climate-induced changes will affect soil microbial communities and functions in peatlands still remains controversial. In this study, we compared the potential activities of soil oxidase and hydrolytic enzymes

Globally widespread woody encroachment into grass-dominated ecosystems has substantial consequences for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycles. Despite its significance as an essential macronutrient, however, little is known regarding potential changes in the sulfur (S) cycle. We quantified S concentrations, stoichiometric relationships, and δ34S values in the plant-soil environment to

Organic tracers (bulk δ13C and δ15N) are being increasingly used in sediment/particulate organic carbon source apportionment studies at the catchment scale to support sustainable land management decisions. Here, the use of these isotopic tracers in sediment fingerprinting depends on the critical assumption that δ13C and δ15N values remain conservative during the sediment delivery continuum. Such assumption

Phosphorus (P) is considered an indispensable and finite resource that limits crop yields, and soil P is distributed heterogeneously in space. However, a systematic analysis of previous studies indicates that there are large gaps in our knowledge regarding the spatial patterns of soil P due to the lack of sufficient field observations, especially at larger scales. Thus, we explored the spatial patterns

Leaf stoichiometry and its biogeography play vital roles in nutrient cycling of plant communities. To understand the potential drivers of leaf stoichiometry in karst ecosystems, we measured leaf morphological traits (dry mass content (DM), specific leaf area (SLA)), and biochemical traits (C, N, P, K and Ca stoichiometry) of 53 species of different functional groups, as well as soil properties, across

Water pollution disrupts the ecological integrity of urbanized river systems, but its impacts on riverine metabolic processes and carbon fluxes are poorly studied in developing countries. Three seasonal field surveys were combined with two high-resolution measurements and an in situ incubation experiment to investigate the effects of untreated wastewater on organic matter biodegradation and the partial

Estuaries are productive ecosystems that provide important ecosystem functions such as the storage and cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and nutrients. Intermittently closed/open lakes and lagoons (ICOLLs) can significantly impact biogeochemical processing and release of terrestrial nitrogen and carbon into the coastal environment due to longer residence times that can extend nutrient processing

To test the effect of electrolysis and microbial remediation technology in polluted river sediment, we explored the possibility of using electrolysis method to remove ammoniacal nitrogen–nitrogen (NH3–N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3––N) and phosphate ions-phosphorous (PO43−–P). The electrolysis was carried out by double electrolysis reaction system with a pair of a titanium (Ti) mesh cathode, a Ti/Ti dioxide

Global environmental change alters the production, terrestrial export, and photodegradation of organic carbon in northern lakes. Sedimentary biogeochemical records can provide a unique means to understand the nature of these changes over long time scales, where observational data fall short. We deployed in situ experiments on two shallow subarctic lakes with contrasting light regimes; a clear tundra

We investigated soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and the quantitative relationship between SOC and geochemical properties in tropical surface and subsurface soils, where information on various soil geochemical properties remains limited. We used soil samples from 178 sites in Indonesia, Thailand, Cameroon, and Tanzania as tropical soils and 34 sites in Japan as a comparison. The tropical soils were

We investigate the "macronutrient-access hypothesis", which states that the balance between stoichiometric macronutrient demand and accessible macronutrients controls nutrient assimilation by aquatic heterotrophs. Within this hypothesis, we consider bioavailable dissolved organic carbon (bDOC), reactive nitrogen (N) and reactive phosphorus (P) to be the macronutrients accessible to heterotrophic assimilation

Despite multiple pieces of evidence that root-derived carbon (C) can profoundly regulate mineral nitrogen (N) cycling, it is still not elucidated whether tree roots differentially modulate the production and retention of ammonium (NH4+) versus nitrate (NO3−) through the rhizosphere effect (RE). Using the 15N isotope labeling technique, we investigated how plant roots regulated the production and retention

Freeze–thaw (FT) events exert a great physiological stress on the soil microbial community and thus significantly impact soil biogeochemical processes. Studies often show ambiguous and contradicting results, because a multitude of environmental factors affect biogeochemical responses to FT. Thus, a better understanding of the factors driving and regulating microbial responses to FT events is required

Ecosystem nutrient economies are commonly studied from the perspective of primary productivity in relation to nutrient availability, but a plant-specific view limits our ability to predict broader-scale patterns related to nutrient economics, such as ecosystem carbon turnover and storage controlled by soil microbial communities. Viewing nutrient economics from the heterotrophic decomposer community

Climate change is melting glaciers and altering watershed biogeochemistry across the globe, particularly in regions dominated by mountain glaciers, such as southeast Alaska. Glacier dominated watersheds exhibit distinct dissolved organic matter (DOM) characteristics compared to forested and vegetated watersheds. However, there is a paucity of information on how stream DOM composition changes as glaciers

The coupling between chemical weathering (including silicate, carbonate and pyrite weathering) and physical erosion is of high interest in active mountain belts. Participation of pyrite weathering which, results in CO2 emission to the atmosphere, also is of great research attention. Nevertheless, the responses of the (de-)couplings to landslide and typhoon are unclear. We used records of riverine TDS

Slower leaf litter decomposition rates for trees associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi compared to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may lead to the development of conservative nitrogen cycling and accumulation of soil organic matter in surface soils of ECM-dominated forests. Slower decomposition is hypothesized to occur via two often-confounded mechanisms: production of lower quality litter

Wildfires cause direct and indirect CO2 emissions due to combustion and post-fire decomposition. Approximately half of temperate forest carbon (C) is stored in soil, so post-fire soil C cycling likely impacts forest C sink strength. Soil C sink strength is partly determined by soil microbial anabolism versus catabolism, which dictates the amount of C respired versus stored in microbial biomass. Fires

Heterotrophic bacteria typically take up directly dissolved organic matter due to the small molecular size, although both particulate and dissolved organic matter have labile (easily consumed) compounds. Tropical coastal waters are important ecosystems because of their high productivity. However, few studies have determined bacterial cycling (i.e. carbon uptake by bacteria and allocation for bacterial

Micrometer sized stromatolitic structures called Frutexites are features observed in samples from the deep subsurface, and hot-spring environments. These structures are comprised of fine laminations, columnar morphology, and commonly consist of iron oxides, manganese oxides, and/or carbonates. Although a biological origin is commonly invoked, few reports have shown direct evidence of their association

Low-lying coastal ecosystems are rapidly salinizing due to sea level rise and associated saltwater intrusion (SWI). In agricultural soils, SWI can alter biogeochemical cycling of key nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and iron (Fe). The main objective of this study was to quantify the amount of nitrate–N (NO3–N), ammonium–N (NH4–N), soluble reactive P (SRP), and total dissolved iron (TDFe)

Conserving soil carbon (C) and harnessing the potential for soil C sequestration requires an improved understanding of the processes through which organic material accumulates in soil. Currently, competing hypotheses exist regarding the dominant mechanisms that control soil C accumulation and transfers to mineral-associated pools. Long-standing hypotheses rely upon an assumed strong relationship between

Coastal freshwater forested wetlands are rapidly transitioning from forest to marsh, leaving behind many standing dead trees (snags) in areas often called ‘ghost forests’. Snags can act as conduits for soil produced greenhouse gases (GHG) and can also be sources as they decompose. Thus, snags have the potential to contribute GHGs to the atmosphere, but emissions are not well understood. We assessed

Litter decomposition produces labile and recalcitrant forms of dissolved organic matter (DOM) that significantly affect soil carbon (C) sequestration. Chemical analysis of this DOM can provide important knowledge for understanding soil DOM dynamics, but detailed molecular analyses on litter derived DOM are scarce. Here we use ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) to characterize the molecular

Organic matter (OM) loading drives benthic metabolism and controls nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C) cycling in coastal sediments. To better understand the influence of OM on benthic metabolism, we conducted sediment core incubations in Long Island Sound, NY (USA), an estuary heavily influenced by anthropogenic nutrient loading. Cores were collected during the summer and winter at five stations

In freshwater ecosystems, phosphorus (P) is often considered a growth-limiting nutrient. The use of fertilizers on agricultural fields has led to runoff-driven increases in P availability in streams, and the subsequent eutrophication of downstream ecosystems. Isolated storms and periodic streambed dredging are examples of two common disturbances that contribute dissolved and particulate P to agricultural

Soil organic nitrogen (N) is a critical resource for plants and microbes, but the processes that govern its cycle are not well-described. To promote a holistic understanding of soil N dynamics, we need an integrated model that links soil organic matter (SOM) cycling to bioavailable N in both unmanaged and managed landscapes, including agroecosystems. We present a framework that unifies recent conceptual

Intensive management practices in large-scale oil palm plantations can slow down nutrient cycling and alter other soil functions. Thus, there is a need to reduce management intensity without sacrificing productivity. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of management practices on gross rates of soil N cycling and soil fertility. In Jambi province, Indonesia, we established a management

We evaluated long-term trends and seasonal variations in the major physical–chemical properties of the circum-neutral Slapy reservoir (Vltava, Czech Republic) from 1960 to 2019. Mean annual water temperature increased by 2.1 °C, flow maxima shifted by ~ 13 days from the early April to mid-March, and the onset of thermal stratification of water column and spring algal peaks advanced by 19 and 21 days

Mercury is a global pollutant of critical concern but its movement through terrestrial upland systems is poorly understood. We investigated whether forest harvesting practices and varying hydrological conditions resulted in different subsurface transport pathways, fluxes and proportions of recent vs. ambient mercury in runoff. In a multiyear field experiment, we measured subsurface lateral mercury

Soil organic matter (SOM) stocks, decomposition and persistence are largely the product of controls that act locally. Yet the controls are shaped and interact at multiple spatiotemporal scales, from which macrosystem patterns in SOM emerge. Theory on SOM turnover recognizes the resulting spatial and temporal conditionality in the effect sizes of controls that play out across macrosystems, and couples

Human actions through land-use can alter soil phosphorus (P) distribution over time and space as vegetation is altered and added fertilizer P is translocated downslopes by runoff and erosion, or through the soil profile by leaching. In the southeastern US Piedmont, a more than 100-year period of human land-use of forest clearing and farming, which included P fertilization, caused severe surface erosion

Soil redox conditions exert substantial influence on biogeochemical processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Humid tropical forest soils are often characterized by fluctuating redox, yet how these dynamics affect patterns of organic matter decomposition and associated CO2 fluxes remains poorly understood. We used a 13C-label incubation experiment in a humid tropical forest soil to follow the decomposition

Aboveground litter not only is an important source of nutrients to soil microbes but also regulates the microclimate in topsoil. How the changes in aboveground litter quantity would affect the microbial biogeochemical cycles is still unclear. Here we conducted a litter input manipulation experiment in a temperate mixed forest to investigate how different amounts of litter input affect soil organic

Freshwater salinization is an emerging global problem impacting safe drinking water, ecosystem health and biodiversity, infrastructure corrosion, and food production. Freshwater salinization originates from diverse anthropogenic and geologic sources including road salts, human-accelerated weathering, sewage, urban construction, fertilizer, mine drainage, resource extraction, water softeners, saltwater

The impacts of changes in rainfall regimes and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on the biogeochemical cycles of tropical dry forests (TDF) remain unclear. To analyze whether amounts of mean annual rainfall (1240 mm year−1 in subhumid vs. 642 mm year−1 in semiarid forests) and rates of atmospheric N deposition affect the N cycle in TDF, we examined N concentrations in (i) green leaves, (ii) forest

Geochemical indicators are emerging as important predictors of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics, but evidence concerning the role of calcium (Ca) is scarce. This study investigates the role of Ca prevalence in SOC accumulation by comparing otherwise similar sites with (CaCO3-bearing) or without carbonates (CaCO3-free). We measured the SOC content and indicators of organic matter quality (C stable

Pollen shedding can produce rapid, abundant exchanges of nutrient-rich biomass from plant canopies to the surface. When pollen deposits onto understory plants, it can be washed off during storms via throughfall (a drip flux) and stemflow (a flux down plant stems). Pollen deposition may also alter the organismal community on plant surfaces, changing other biological particulates transported by throughfall

To identify the soil carbon stock changes from croplands/grasslands to forestlands in Japan, we compared the soil carbon stock of a cropland/grassland with that of an adjacent forestland at 22 different sites. With respect to a 0–30-cm depth basis, the soil carbon stock in the cropland/grassland was the same as that in the forestland; however, it was less than that in the forestland when an equivalent

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-021-00785-9

The restoration of drained afforested peatlands, through drain blocking and tree removal, is increasing in response to peatland restoration targets and policy incentives. In the short term, these intensive restoration operations may affect receiving watercourses and the biota that depend upon them. This study assessed the immediate effect of ‘forest-to-bog’ restoration by measuring stream and river

Soil organic carbon (SOC) constitutes an important reservoir in the global carbon cycle that is vulnerable to transformation and loss from land use and climate change. Anoxic conditions protect SOC from microbial degradation through limiting the energetics of respiration and inhibiting extracellular oxidative enzymes. Given growing evidence of prevalent anaerobic microsites in upland soils, we designed

Many forest soils are acidic and have very low plant-available pools of magnesium. Past and present sylvicultural, nutritional and/or climatic pressures endured by forest ecosystems can result in net losses of nutrients and ecosystem function losses. Liming with a carbonate product is an alternative to counteract these degradations but the effects of liming on the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients

Anthropogenic nutrient inputs fuel eutrophication and hypoxia ([O2] < 2 mg L−1), threatening coastal and near shore environments across the globe. The world’s second largest anthropogenic coastal hypoxic zone occurs annually along the Louisiana (LA) shelf. Springtime loading of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) from the Mississippi River, combined with summertime stratification and increased water

In many watersheds, nitrogen (N)-fixing alder (Alnus spp.) provides key nutrient subsidies to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The importance of these subsidies may increase as alder cover expands under climate warming at high latitudes. We assessed how landscape features and meteorological conditions affect aquatic N and phosphorus (P) availability and stoichiometry in 26 streams across natural

Methane emissions from plants in wetlands are mainly due to internal transport, from the anoxic soil layers where methane is produced, to the atmosphere. This pathway has not yet been clearly demonstrated for upland forest vegetation, where methane can be produced in deep soil layers. We developed a new method to trace methane transfer from the deep soil. We conducted a 13CH4 pulse labelling at 40-cm

Photodegradation helps explain why leaf litter mass loss rates are comparable between mesic environments and drylands, despite water availability limiting decomposer activity in drylands. With photodegradation, light energy directly mineralizes photoreactive organic molecules such as lignin, which contrasts with biotically-driven decomposition where lignin persists in decomposing leaf litter relative

The hydrogen isotopic composition of leaf wax–derived n-alkane (δ2Hn-alkane) and oxygen isotopic composition of hemicellulose–derived sugar (δ18Osugar) biomarkers are valuable proxies for paleoclimate reconstructions. Here, we present a calibration study along the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia to evaluate how accurately and precisely the isotopic composition of precipitation is imprinted in these biomarkers