Skip to main content

The Role of Anaerobic Microsites in Soil Carbon Storage


EMSL Project ID
48910

Abstract

The overarching goal of this project is to quantitatively place the importance of metabolic constraints in anaerobic microsites on the rate of soil organic matter (OM) oxidation, and thus advance our ability to project carbon (C) storage in soils into the future. We propose to use high resolution FT-ICR-MS and two-dimensional NMR capabilities at EMSL to resolve the chemical composition, molecular size, and oxidation state of OM preserved in anaerobic microsites, both in laboratory-based model systems and field samples. The proposed research will be conducted in the context of an existing DOE Terrestrial Ecosystem Science (TES)-funded project focusing on the role of soil architecture in controlling microbial redox processes. The major outcome of the project is the ability to quantitatively incorporate metabolic constraints on OM oxidation (and ultimately C storage) into large-scale ecosystem models. FT-ICR-MS and 2-D NMR experiments at EMSL are critical analytical approaches for accomplishing this goal, providing the ability to resolve OM complexity within different soil biogeochemical environments.

Project Details

Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2015-10-01
End Date
2017-09-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Scott Fendorf
Institution
Stanford University

Co-Investigator(s)

Marco Keiluweit
Institution
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Team Members

Hannah Naughton
Institution
Stanford University

Peter Nico
Institution
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Markus Kleber
Institution
Oregon State University

Related Publications

Boye K.E., A.M. Herrmann, M.V. Schaefer, M.M. Tfaily, and S. Fendorf. 2018. "Discerning Microbially Mediated Processes During Redox Transitions in Flooded Soils Using Carbon and Energy Balances." Frontiers in Environmental Science. PNNL-SA-134588. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2018.00015
Wanzek T., M. Keiluweit, T. Varga, A. Lindsley, P.S. Nico, S. Fendorf, and M. Kleber. 2018. "The Ability of Soil Pore Network Metrics to Predict Redox Dynamics Is Scale Dependent." Soil Systems 2, no. 66:1-25. PNNL-SA-141472. doi:10.3390/soilsystems2040066