NGEE Arctic
Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments
Advancing the predictive power of Earth system models through understanding
of the structure and function of Arctic terrestrial ecosystems
NGEE Arctic and EMSL collaborate to provide molecular-scale insights into SOM degradation
NGEE Arctic and EMSL collaborate to provide molecular-scale insights into SOM degradation
September 12th, 2018
Biochemical composition is proposed to improve process-based models of SOM degradation and climate feedbacks
The Objective:
- Determine chemical composition during degradation of soil organic matter (SOM) in controlled incubation studies.
New Science:
- Biochemical composition is proposed to improve process-based models of SOM degradation and climate feedbacks
The Impact:
- Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) was used to assess SOM molecular composition. Amino sugars, peptides, and carbohydrate-like compounds are disproportionately more susceptible to microbial degradation than others in the Arctic soil under warming.
Molecular-scale investigations reveal the susceptibility of organic carbon stored in Arctic permafrost to microbial degradation with increases in temperature.