Mammal and tree diversity accumulate different types of soil organic matter in the northern Amazon
DATE:
2023-03-17
UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER: http://hdl.handle.net/11093/5009
EDITED VERSION: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2589004223001657
UNESCO SUBJECT: 2499 Otras Especialidades Biológicas
DOCUMENT TYPE: article
ABSTRACT
Diversity of plants and animals influence soil carbon through their contributions
to soil organic matter (SOM). However, we do not know whether mammal and
tree communities affect SOM composition in the same manner. This question is
relevant because not all forms of carbon are equally resistant to mineralization
by microbes and thus, relevant to carbon storage. We analyzed the elemental
and molecular composition of 401 soil samples, with relation to the species richness
of 83 mammal and tree communities at a landscape scale across 4.8 million
hectares in the northern Amazon. We found opposite effects of mammal and
tree richness over SOM composition. Mammal diversity is related to SOM rich
in nitrogen, sulfur and iron whereas tree diversity is related to SOM rich in
aliphatic and carbonyl compounds. These results help us to better understand
the role of biodiversity in the carbon cycle and its implications for climate change
mitigation.