Evidence for the existence and ecological relevance of fast-cycling mineral-associated organic matter
Longstanding theories and models classify mineral-associated organic matter as the large ( ~ 60%) but slow-cycling and persistent portion of soil organic matter. Strong physico-chemical interactions and diffusion limitations restrict the turnover of mineral-associated organic matter, allowing carbon and nitrogen bound therein to persist in soil for as long as centuries to millennia. However, mineral-associated organic matter is a chemically and functionally diverse pool with a substantial portion cycling at relatively fast (i.e., minutes to years) timescales. Despite a growing body of evidence for the heterogenous and multi-pool nature of mineral-associated organic matter, we lack consensus on how to conceptualize and directly quantify fast-cycling mineral-associated organic matter and its ecological significance. We demonstrate that the dynamic qualities of fast-cycling mineral-associated organic matter vary based on 1) the chemistry of the mineral particles and organic matter, 2) the complex set of interactions between organic matter and the mineral matrix, and 3) the presence and strength of destabilizing forces that lead to decomposition or loss of mineral-associated organic matter (i.e., plant-microbe interactions, agricultural intensification, and climate change). Finally, we discuss potential implications and research opportunities for how we measure, manage, and model the dynamic subfraction of this otherwise persistent pool of soil organic matter. The dynamic qualities of fact-cycling mineral-associated organic matter depend on chemistry between minerals and organic matter, their interactions, and the destabilizing forces causing decomposition, according to a review of recent studies on mineral-associated organic matter across ecosystems
Authors
- A. Stuart Grandy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3214-2295)
- Katerina Georgiou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2819-3292)
- Marco Keiluweit (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7061-8346)
- Noah W. Sokol (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0239-1976)
- Katherine Heckman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2265-4542)
- Rachel Hestrin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1315-8870)
- Amanda B. Daly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4926-419X)
- Katherine S. Rocci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4235-6833)
- Angela R. Possinger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2518-0979)
- Anna M. Cates (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1206-6069)
- Richard P. Phillips (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1345-4138)
- Katherine A. Dynarski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5101-9666)
- Emily D. Whalen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9269-289X)
- Rose Abramoff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3393-3064)
- Itamar Shabtai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0593-0146)
- Ashley K. Lang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6080-1681)
- Andrea Jilling (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9215-0289)
- Madison Annis
Institutions
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US)
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Oregon State University (US)
- Washington State Department of Ecology (US)
- University of South Carolina (US)
- University of New Hampshire (US)
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (US)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (US)
- Northern Research Station (US)
- Indiana University Bloomington (US)
- Ecologie microbienne (FR)
- University of Maine (US)
- Virginia Tech (US)
- University of Lausanne (CH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Published
- 2025-08-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02681-8
- Citations
- 19
- Primary Topic
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 22.53
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- University of Michigan
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Division of Environmental Biology
- Biological and Environmental Research
- Laboratory Directed Research and Development
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory