Longest-Running Soil Warming Experiment Exposes Hidden Climate Feedback
A nearly four-decade-long soil warming experiment has yielded findings that challenge existing climate models. The world's longest-running study of its kind shows that prolonged warming causes soil microbes to decompose carbon compounds previously thought to be largely protected from decay.
Researchers found that as temperatures rise, microorganisms become more active and break down stable organic carbon in the soil. This process releases additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, creating a feedback loop that could accelerate global warming beyond current projections.
The implications for climate science are significant. Models estimating soil carbon storage may need to account for this previously underestimated vulnerability of stable carbon pools. Understanding this mechanism could improve predictions of how terrestrial ecosystems will respond to continued warming.