RT Journal Article T1 Species selection determines carbon allocation and turnover in Miscanthus crops: implications for biomass production and C sequestration A1 Iglesias Briones, Maria Jesus A1 Massey, A. A1 Elias, D.M.O. A1 McCalmont, J.P. A1 Farrar, K. A1 Donnison, I. A1 McNamara, N.P. K1 2511.02 Biología de Suelos K1 2401.06 Ecología Animal K1 2401.17 Invertebrados AB Growing Miscanthus species and hybrids has received strong scientific and commercial support, with the majority of the carbon (C) modelling predictions having focused on the high-yield, sterile and noninvasive hybrid Miscanthus × giganteus. However, the potential of other species with contrasting phenotypic and physiological traits has been seldom explored. To better understand the mechanisms underlying C allocation dynamics in these bioenergy crops, we pulse-labelled (13CO2) intact plant-soil systems of Miscanthus × giganteus (GIG), Miscanthus sinensis (SIN) and Miscanthus lutarioriparius (LUT) and regularly analysed soil respiration, leaves, stems, rhizomes, roots and soils for up to 190 days until leaf senescence. A rapid isotopic enrichment of all three species was observed after 4 h, with the amount of 13C fixed into plant biomass being inversely related to their respective standing biomass prior to pulse-labelling (i.e., GIG < SIN < LUT). However, both GIG and LUT allocated more photoassimilates in the aboveground biomass (leaves+stems = 78 % and 74 %, respectively) than SIN, which transferred 30% of fixed 13C in its belowground biomass (rhizomes+roots). Although less fixed 13C was recovered from the soils (<1 %), both rhizospheric and bulk soils were signficantly more enriched under SIN and LUT than under GIG. Importantly, the soils under SIN emitted less CO2, which suggests it could be the best choice for reaching C neutrality. These results from this unique large-scale study indicate that careful species selection may hold the success for reaching net GHG mitigation. PB The Science of The Total Environment SN 00489697 YR 2023 FD 2023-08-20 LK http://hdl.handle.net/11093/4909 UL http://hdl.handle.net/11093/4909 LA eng NO The Science of The Total Environment, 887, 164003 (2023) NO Natural Environment Research Council | Ref. NE/R016429/1 DS Investigo RD 07-feb-2025