Long-term warming drives mineral-associated organic carbon accumulation on the Tibetan Plateau

Siyi Sun; Jiacong Zhou; Carsten W. Mueller; Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo; Yixuan Zhang; Kees Jan van Groenigen; Andrew Nottingham; Wolfram Buss; Xin Chen; Sergio Velasco Ayuso; Jeppe Aagaard Kristensen; Ying Ma; Shuo Liu; Fabián Scholz; Wolfgang Wanek; Jørgen Eivind Olesen; Junji Cao; Ji Chen

doi:10.1111/1365-2435.70351

Long-term warming drives mineral-associated organic carbon accumulation on the Tibetan Plateau

Siyi Sun
, Jiacong Zhou (Corresponding author)
, Carsten W. Mueller
, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
, Yixuan Zhang
, Kees Jan van Groenigen
, Andrew Nottingham
, Wolfram Buss
, Xin Chen
, Sergio Velasco Ayuso
, Jeppe Aagaard Kristensen
, Ying Ma
, Shuo Liu
, Fabián Scholz
, Wolfgang Wanek
, Jørgen Eivind Olesen
, Junji Cao
, Ji Chen (Corresponding author)

Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

Global warming affects both plant growth and soil microbial decomposition, creating uncertainty for the storage and persistence of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock. Limited decomposition rates often characterise cold alpine ecosystems. Yet, warming may increase their microbial activity, affecting SOC sequestration. Here, we present findings from a 14-year field warming study carried out in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Warming significantly increased mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) by 11% in topsoil and 6% in subsoil—primarily through an increase in iron/aluminium-bound organic carbon (Fe/Al-OC) in topsoil and calcium-bound organic carbon (Ca-OC) in subsoil. On the contrary, warming did not affect particulate organic carbon (POC). MAOC content was strongly positively correlated with soil fungal biomass and fungal necromass carbon, highlighting the role of fungal-derived carbon inputs. Our results reveal distinctly different responses of SOC pools to long-term warming and underscore the importance of organo-mineral interactions in shaping SOC dynamics in cold ecosystems under climate change.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1809-1821
Number of pages	13
Journal	Functional Ecology
Volume	40
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.70351
Publication status	Published - 28 Apr 2026

Funding

Ji Chen acknowledges support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32471685, 42361144886), Shaanxi Province Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholar (2024JC‐JCQN‐32). Jiacong Zhou acknowledges support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32301405). Yixuan Zhang acknowledges support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42401078) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2024T170909). Manuel Delgado‐Baquerizo acknowledges support from GRASS4FUN (Biodiversa+2022)/MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/Unión Europea. Andrew Nottingham was supported by UK NERC grant NE/T012226.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

106022 Microbiology
106026 Ecosystem research

Keywords

calcium-bound organic carbon
iron/aluminium-bound organic carbon
long-term experimental warming
mineral-associated organic carbon
particulate organic carbon
Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Access to Document

10.1111/1365-2435.70351Licence: CC BY 4.0

Cite this

Sun, S., Zhou, J., Mueller, C. W., Delgado-Baquerizo, M., Zhang, Y., van Groenigen, K. J., Nottingham, A., Buss, W., Chen, X., Velasco Ayuso, S., Kristensen, J. A., Ma, Y., Liu, S., Scholz, F., Wanek, W., Eivind Olesen, J., Cao, J., & Chen, J. (2026). Long-term warming drives mineral-associated organic carbon accumulation on the Tibetan Plateau. Functional Ecology, 40(6), 1809-1821. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.70351

@article{b934f9b182a84d6a83c6e818b1526e84,

title = "Long-term warming drives mineral-associated organic carbon accumulation on the Tibetan Plateau",

abstract = "Global warming affects both plant growth and soil microbial decomposition, creating uncertainty for the storage and persistence of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock. Limited decomposition rates often characterise cold alpine ecosystems. Yet, warming may increase their microbial activity, affecting SOC sequestration. Here, we present findings from a 14-year field warming study carried out in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Warming significantly increased mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) by 11\% in topsoil and 6\% in subsoil{\textemdash}primarily through an increase in iron/aluminium-bound organic carbon (Fe/Al-OC) in topsoil and calcium-bound organic carbon (Ca-OC) in subsoil. On the contrary, warming did not affect particulate organic carbon (POC). MAOC content was strongly positively correlated with soil fungal biomass and fungal necromass carbon, highlighting the role of fungal-derived carbon inputs. Our results reveal distinctly different responses of SOC pools to long-term warming and underscore the importance of organo-mineral interactions in shaping SOC dynamics in cold ecosystems under climate change. ",

keywords = "calcium-bound organic carbon, iron/aluminium-bound organic carbon, long-term experimental warming, mineral-associated organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, Qinghai{\textendash}Tibetan Plateau",

author = "Siyi Sun and Jiacong Zhou and Mueller, \{Carsten W.\} and Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo and Yixuan Zhang and \{van Groenigen\}, \{Kees Jan\} and Andrew Nottingham and Wolfram Buss and Xin Chen and \{Velasco Ayuso\}, Sergio and Kristensen, \{Jeppe Aagaard\} and Ying Ma and Shuo Liu and Fabi{\'a}n Scholz and Wolfgang Wanek and \{Eivind Olesen\}, J{\o}rgen and Junji Cao and Ji Chen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 The Author(s). ",

year = "2026",

month = apr,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1111/1365-2435.70351",

language = "English",

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Sun, S, Zhou, J, Mueller, CW, Delgado-Baquerizo, M, Zhang, Y, van Groenigen, KJ, Nottingham, A, Buss, W, Chen, X, Velasco Ayuso, S, Kristensen, JA, Ma, Y, Liu, S, Scholz, F, Wanek, W, Eivind Olesen, J, Cao, J & Chen, J 2026, 'Long-term warming drives mineral-associated organic carbon accumulation on the Tibetan Plateau', Functional Ecology, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 1809-1821. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.70351

TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term warming drives mineral-associated organic carbon accumulation on the Tibetan Plateau

AU - Sun, Siyi

AU - Zhou, Jiacong

AU - Mueller, Carsten W.

AU - Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel

AU - Zhang, Yixuan

AU - van Groenigen, Kees Jan

AU - Nottingham, Andrew

AU - Buss, Wolfram

AU - Chen, Xin

AU - Velasco Ayuso, Sergio

AU - Kristensen, Jeppe Aagaard

AU - Ma, Ying

AU - Liu, Shuo

AU - Scholz, Fabián

AU - Wanek, Wolfgang

AU - Eivind Olesen, Jørgen

AU - Cao, Junji

AU - Chen, Ji

PY - 2026/4/28

Y1 - 2026/4/28

N2 - Global warming affects both plant growth and soil microbial decomposition, creating uncertainty for the storage and persistence of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock. Limited decomposition rates often characterise cold alpine ecosystems. Yet, warming may increase their microbial activity, affecting SOC sequestration. Here, we present findings from a 14-year field warming study carried out in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Warming significantly increased mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) by 11% in topsoil and 6% in subsoil—primarily through an increase in iron/aluminium-bound organic carbon (Fe/Al-OC) in topsoil and calcium-bound organic carbon (Ca-OC) in subsoil. On the contrary, warming did not affect particulate organic carbon (POC). MAOC content was strongly positively correlated with soil fungal biomass and fungal necromass carbon, highlighting the role of fungal-derived carbon inputs. Our results reveal distinctly different responses of SOC pools to long-term warming and underscore the importance of organo-mineral interactions in shaping SOC dynamics in cold ecosystems under climate change.

AB - Global warming affects both plant growth and soil microbial decomposition, creating uncertainty for the storage and persistence of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock. Limited decomposition rates often characterise cold alpine ecosystems. Yet, warming may increase their microbial activity, affecting SOC sequestration. Here, we present findings from a 14-year field warming study carried out in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Warming significantly increased mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) by 11% in topsoil and 6% in subsoil—primarily through an increase in iron/aluminium-bound organic carbon (Fe/Al-OC) in topsoil and calcium-bound organic carbon (Ca-OC) in subsoil. On the contrary, warming did not affect particulate organic carbon (POC). MAOC content was strongly positively correlated with soil fungal biomass and fungal necromass carbon, highlighting the role of fungal-derived carbon inputs. Our results reveal distinctly different responses of SOC pools to long-term warming and underscore the importance of organo-mineral interactions in shaping SOC dynamics in cold ecosystems under climate change.

KW - calcium-bound organic carbon

KW - iron/aluminium-bound organic carbon

KW - long-term experimental warming

KW - mineral-associated organic carbon

KW - particulate organic carbon

KW - Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105040751891

U2 - 10.1111/1365-2435.70351

DO - 10.1111/1365-2435.70351

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105040751891

SN - 0269-8463

VL - 40

SP - 1809

EP - 1821

JO - Functional Ecology

JF - Functional Ecology

IS - 6

ER -

Long-term warming drives mineral-associated organic carbon accumulation on the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

Access to Document

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Cite this