Do microbes care about landslides? Using geomorphic models to inform stocks and cycling of soil organic carbon

Soils play a central role in the global carbon cycle and constitute a key component of natural climate solutions that require quantitative predictions of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics at local to regional scales. In hilly and mountainous settings, variations in uplift and stream incision generate gradients in erosion and hillslope morphology that control soil properties and sediment transport processes that impact the abundance and persistence of SOC. We use topography, geomorphic mapping, theoretical models, and soil biogeochemical analyses to inform our understanding of SOC stocks and cycling. Specifically, fast-eroding sites have much less SOC than slow-eroding sites and are dominated by faster-cycling SOC pools.  In addition, landslide deposits that span >6 orders of magnitude in age reveal weathering pathways that modulate SOC abundance. By coupling geomorphic maps and models with field-based soil biogeochemical datasets, we can estimate SOC abundance and persistence in a wide array of landscape settings, facilitating our ability to predict carbon dynamics across a range of scales.

Speaker: Josh Roering, University of Oregon

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