title: Plant-derived compounds stimulate the decomposition of organic matter in arctic permafrost soils.
abstract: Arctic ecosystems are warming rapidly, which is expected to promote soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. In addition to the direct warming effect, decomposition can also be indirectly stimulated via increased plant productivity and plant-soil C allocation, and this so called "priming effect" might significantly alter the ecosystem C balance. In this study, we provide first mechanistic insights into the susceptibility of SOM decomposition in arctic permafrost soils to priming. By comparing 119 soils from four locations across the Siberian Arctic that cover all horizons of active layer and upper permafrost, we found that an increased availability of plant-derived organic C particularly stimulated decomposition in subsoil horizons where most of the arctic soil carbon is located. Considering the 1,035 Pg of arctic soil carbon, such an additional stimulation of decomposition beyond the direct temperature effect can accelerate net ecosystem C losses, and amplify the positive feedback to global warming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.|Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.|Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gentsch
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Biology, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Čapek
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Biology, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Kateřina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Diáková
authors.affiliation: Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.|Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Ricardo J Eloy
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Biology, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiři
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bárta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Bioscience, Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gittel
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gustaf
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hugelius
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.|Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knoltsch
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuhry
authors.affiliation: Central Siberian Botanical Garden, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lashchinskiy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany.|Soil Science and Soil Protection, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mikutta
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Juri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palmtag
authors.affiliation: Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.|Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schleper
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.|Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.|Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schnecker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany.|VN Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shibistova
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.|Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.|Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
authors.forename: Mounir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takriti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Vigdis L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Torsvik
authors.affiliation: Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.|Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.|Institute of Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urich
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Margarete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watzka
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Biology, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Šantrůčková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany.|VN Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guggenberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.|Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richter