Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-343
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-343
29 Aug 2024
 | 29 Aug 2024
Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.

Global patterns and drivers of soil dissolved organic carbon concentrations

Tianjing Ren and Andong Cai

Abstract. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the most active carbon pool in soils, which plays critical roles in soil carbon cycling, plant productivity, and global climate change. An accurate assessment of the quantity of DOC in the soil is essential for the detailed elucidation of ecosystem functions and services. Nevertheless, the global driving factors and distribution of soil DOC remain inadequately quantified due to the scarcity of large-scale data. Here, a comprehensive global database of 12807 soil DOC concentrations derived from 975 target papers in the literature was compiled. Detailed geographic locations, climate, and soil properties were also recorded as predictors of soil DOC. Machine learning techniques were employed to assess the relative importance of various predictors in the determination of soil DOC concentrations, which were subsequently extended for their prediction on a global scale. The worldwide soil DOC concentration spanned a wide range (0.04 to 7859 mg kg-1), averaging 222.78 mg kg-1. The 12 selected variables (including soil properties, month, climate, and ecosystem) explained 65 % of the variance in soil DOC concentrations. Elevation, soil clay, and soil organic carbon were three of the most important predictors. Global soil DOC concentration increased from the equator to the poles. The soil DOC stocks in the topsoil layer (0–30 cm) amounted to 12.17 Pg, with significant variations observed across different continents. These results are instrumental for informing strategies on soil management practices, ecosystem services, and the mitigation of climate change. Furthermore, our database can be combined with other carbon pools to explore the total soil carbon turnover and constrain Earth carbon models. The dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.26379898 (Ren and Cai, 2024).

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Tianjing Ren and Andong Cai

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on essd-2024-343', Anonymous Referee #1, 10 Oct 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on essd-2024-343', Anonymous Referee #2, 18 Nov 2024
Tianjing Ren and Andong Cai

Data sets

Global patterns and drivers of soil dissolved organic carbon concentrations Andong Cai https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.26379898

Tianjing Ren and Andong Cai

Viewed

Total article views: 488 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
392 87 9 488 50 4 7
  • HTML: 392
  • PDF: 87
  • XML: 9
  • Total: 488
  • Supplement: 50
  • BibTeX: 4
  • EndNote: 7
Views and downloads (calculated since 29 Aug 2024)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 29 Aug 2024)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 462 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 462 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 05 Dec 2024
Download
Short summary
This study compiles a global database of soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, a key factor in soil health and climate change. Using machine learning, it identifies the most influential factors affecting soil DOC levels and maps global patterns. The findings help guide soil management and climate strategies, with the dataset available for further research.
Altmetrics