The coupled effects of carbon and nitrogen on soil decomposition: A theoretical model

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a crucial role in the carbon (C) cycle, holding 2.5 times more carbon than plant biomass. Ecosystem models predict that climate warming will stimulate decomposition of soil carbon stocks, in turn leading to positive feedbacks on warming. Recent empirical studies and modeling work has revealed the importance of microbial physiology and exoenzyme kinetics in driving SOM decomposition. Existing mathematical models describe the microbial processes and biophysics involved in the decomposition. However, although decomposition by nitrogen-degrading enzymes is included in some models, nitrogen (N) does not drive model behavior and there are no reaction kinetics associated with the depolymerization or uptake of N. Additionally, very few empirically measured kinetic values exist for N-degrading enzymes or the uptake of N by microbes. This study proposes a theoretical model of SOM decomposition based on the principles of exoenzyme kinetics and microbial biophysics that explicitly links C and N through microbial uptake and SOM decomposition kinetics and by placing stoichiometric constraints on microbial growth and exoenzyme production. After constructing the model framework, the model was then used to test soil-carbon responses to warming, and to explore the importance of N uptake and depolymerization kinetics in driving decomposition. The model predictions suggest that the response of kinetics to temperature are more important than microbial responses in determining decomposition rates. Additionally, variations in the kinetics of N depolymerization affected decomposition rates, whereas N uptake kinetics and their effect on enzyme production had almost no effect. The model outputs were also compared to a C-only model framework in order to assess the effects of N on model behavior. The incorporation of N into a SOM decomposition model produced different, and in some cases, contradictory results as compared to a C-only model. Overall, these results suggest that N is an important factor in driving decomposition, but in order to better understand this mechanism, more research is needed to provide information for the N kinetic parameters.