Differential responses of soil organic carbon pools to warming: A global meta-analysis

Abstract

Soil, as the largest terrestrial carbon (C) reservoir, plays a pivotal role in the global C cycle. However, predicting how warming affects soil organic C (SOC) remains challenging, partly due to the diverse vulnerabilities of its constituent pools. To address this gap, we conducted a global meta-analysis based on 155 peer-reviewed studies, systematically assessing the responses of key SOC pools to field warming and their underlying drivers. Our results showed that, warming did not significantly change the contents of bulk SOC, particulate organic C (POC), or mineral-associated organic C (MAOC). However, responses of dissolved organic C (DOC) and microbial biomass C (MBC) depended on warming duration, magnitude, method, and ecosystem type. Under long-term warming (⩾5 years), both DOC and MBC increased significantly, while infrared heating produced stronger positive responses than other methods. Subgroup analyses further revealed that warming increased MBC by 6.1% in croplands and DOC by 4.7% in grasslands. The responses of DOC and MBC intensified with increasing soil pH. Overall, these findings reveal divergent sensitivities among SOC pools, with physical SOC fractions remaining largely unchanged, whereas biological active SOC pools exhibited context-dependent responses to warming. Distinguishing among SOC pools is therefore important for evaluating soil C–climate feedbacks.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

warming / carbon fractions / meta-analysis / duration / pH

Highlight

	● Global warming shows no overall change in bulk SOC.
	● Long-term warming ( \text{textcolor}[RGB]33,148,148⩾ 5 year) increases DOC and MBC.
	● Warming boosts MBC in croplands and DOC in grasslands.
	● Soil pH regulates warming effects on SOC fractions.

References

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