Comprehensive increase in CO₂ release by drying–rewetting cycles among Japanese forests and pastureland soils and exploring predictors of increasing magnitude

27 January 2025

The authors incubated 10 Japanese soils to study CO₂ release under drying–rewetting cycles (DWCs). CO₂ release was increased by DWCs among all soils, showing soil-by-soil variations in CO₂ release increase magnitude. The organo-Al complex was the primary predictor for the increase magnitude, suggesting vulnerability of carbon protection by reactive minerals against DWCs. Microbial biomass decrease by DWCs was also suggested, although its link with the CO₂ release increase is still unclear.

Please also read the press release by Niigata University (in Japanese).

Contact: Hirohiko Nagano (hnagano@agr.niigata-u.ac.jp)