Detrital Inputs Regulate Condensed Aromatic Carbon Persistence in Forest Soils
Persistent URL
Author(s)
Shen, Xinyue
Yin, Gege
Cao, Yi-Wen
Zhang, Zongxiao
Lu, Huiyuan
Wang, Ying-Hui
Bowden, Richard D.
Allegheny College
Wrightson, Isla
Simpson, Myrna J.
Lajtha, Kate
Wang, Junjian
Date Issued
August 3, 2026
Abstract
Condensed aromatic carbon (ConAC) is widely recognized as a chemically recalcitrant component of soil organic matter. However, its stock and potential transformation into dissolved condensed aromatic carbon (dConAC) in forest soils may be altered in response to environmental changes that alter forest litter production. Using three decades of detrital input and removal treatments in a temperate forest, we investigated bulk ConAC and dConAC in soil profiles with the benzene polycarboxylic acid method. Doubling litter inputs (Double Litter) did not increase ConAC content or stocks, but instead promoted ConAC oxidation to dConAC in surface soils (0–10 cm), evidenced by the higher benzene hexacarboxylic acid-to-benzene pentacarboxylic acid ratio and increased dConAC proportions in both ConAC and dissolved organic carbon pools. Litter removal (No Litter) and its combination with root exclusion (No Inputs) reduced surface-soil ConAC, consistent with decreased ConAC-carrying aboveground litter inputs; No Inputs lowered ConAC stocks throughout the 0–50 cm profile, likely due to intensified microbial utilization of ConAC under substrate limitation. Overall, forest soil ConAC stocks appear relatively resistant to detrital input changes, but enhanced ConAC-to-dConAC conversion highlights a pathway for increased terrestrial–aquatic ConAC fluxes with implications for ConAC cycling under future climate and land-use change.
Journal
Environmental Science &
Technology
Technology
Citation
Xinyue Shen, Gege Yin, Yi-Wen Cao, Zongxiao Zhang, Huiyuan Lu, Ying-Hui Wang, Richard D. Bowden, Isla Wrightson, Myrna J. Simpson, Kate Lajtha, Junjian Wang; Detrital Inputs Regulate Condensed Aromatic Carbon Persistence in Forest Soils. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2026; https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c05973
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Version of Article
Version of Record
DOI
10.1021/acs.est.6c05973
ISSN
0013-936X
1520-5851
Rights
© 2026 American Chemical Society
Type of Publication
Journal Article
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2026_Bowden_Detrital.pdf
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2.51 MB
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