N-Fixing Mixed Plantation Soil Carbon

MAOC up 28%

Enhances stable mineral-associated organic carbon formation via fungal-derived carbon accumulation.

Liu, Qing · Yang, Mei · Yao, Xianyu

Plants 2026

Specifications

Total SOC

{'zh': '22.41', 'en': '22.41'} %

MAOC

{'zh': '28.39', 'en': '28.39'} %

Fungal-derived carbon

{'zh': '51.20', 'en': '51.20'} %

Advantages

More stable carbon gain

MAOC in the surface layer increased by 28.39%, indicating the added carbon is stored in a more persistent pool rather than labile fractions.

Fungi drive sequestration

Fungal-derived carbon rose by 51.20%, and structural equation modeling showed microbial-derived carbon directly contributed to MAOC formation, a stronger effect than the indirect enzyme-mediated pathway.

Applications

• subtropical plantation management：Convert pure Eucalyptus stands by interplanting N-fixing trees to boost long-term soil carbon without extra fertilization.
• carbon-sequestering tree species selection：Select species that enhance mineral-associated carbon via fungal pathways, not just biomass growth.
• soil health assessment：Use MAOC and fungal-derived carbon as indicators of long-term soil carbon sequestration capacity.