Contribution of microbial necromass to soil organic carbon formation during litter decomposition under incubation conditions.

ABSTRACT

We conducted a 512-day incubation experiment to study the dynamics of microbial necromass and soil carbon fraction in the 'litter-soil' transformation interface soil layer (TIS) during litter decomposition, using a perennial C3 herb, Stipa bungeana, in the loess hills. The results showed that soil microbial necromass was dominated by fungi in the early and middle stages, and by bacteria in the late stage. The contribution of fungal necromass C to mineral-associated organic C (MAOC) was significantly higher (38.7%-75.8%) than that of bacteria (9.2%-22.5%) and 2-3 times more than the contribution rate of bacterial necromass. Soil organic C (SOC) content was decreasing during litter decomposition. The input of plant C resources stimulated microbial utilization of soil C fractions. The continuous decrease in particulate organic C during the early and late stages of decomposition was directly responsible for the decrease in SOC content. In contrast, the fluctuating changes in microbial necromass C and MAOC played an indirect role in the reduction of SOC. The increase in soil microbial necromass C caused by a single exogenous addition of litter did not directly contribute to SOC accumulation.