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Mineral Availability as a Key Regulator of Soil Carbon Storage Guanghui Yu, Jian Xiao, Shuijin Hu, Matthew L. Polizzotto, FangJie Zhao, Steve P. Mcgrath, Huan Li, Wei Ran, and Qirong Shen Environ. Sci. Technol., Just Accepted Manuscript • DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00305 • Publication Date (Web): 12 Apr 2017 Downloaded from http://pubs.acs.org on April 13, 2017

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Mineral Availability as a Key Regulator of Soil Carbon Storage

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Guanghui Yu,†,ǁ Jian Xiao,† Shuijin Hu,†,¶ Matthew L. Polizzotto,‡ Fangjie Zhao,†,ǂ

3

Steve P. McGrath,ǂ Huan Li,†,¶ Wei Ran,† Qirong Shen†,*

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Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Jiangsu

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Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization,

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Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.

7 8 9 10 11 12 13



Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695,

USA. ‡

Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh,

NC 27695, USA. ǂ

Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden,

Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK. ǁ

Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, ALS Building 3017,

14

Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA.

15

Corresponding Author

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*Phone: +86 25 84396291; fax: +86-25-84395212; e-mail: [email protected]

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Abstract

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Mineral binding is a major mechanism for soil carbon (C) stabilization, and mineral

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availability for C binding critically affects C storage. Yet, the mechanisms regulating

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mineral availability are poorly understood. Here, we showed that organic amendments

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in three long-term (23, 154, and 170 yrs, respectively) field experiments significantly

22

increased mineral availability, particularly of short-range-ordered (SRO) phases. Two

23

microcosm studies demonstrated that the presence of roots significantly increased

24

mineral availability and promoted the formation of SRO phases. Mineral

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transformation experiments and isotopic labelling experiments provided direct

26

evidence that citric acid, a major component of root exudates, promoted the formation

27

of SRO minerals, and that SRO minerals acted as "nuclei" for C retention. Together,

28

these findings indicate that soil organic amendments initialize a positive feedback

29

loop by increasing mineral availability and promoting the formation of SRO minerals

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for further C binding, thereby possibly serving as a management tool for enhancing

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carbon storage in soils.

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TOC Art

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■INTRODUCTION

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Soils are the largest and most stable terrestrial carbon (C) pool, and they are often

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assumed to be a major sink for future C storage.1, 2 Globally, soil organic matter

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(SOM) contains more than three times as much C as either the atmosphere or

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terrestrial vegetation.1 Recent isotopic and spectroscopic studies indicate that

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microbial accessibility to substrates rather than chemical complexity of organic C

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dominantly controls long-term C stability in soils1, 3-5 and that a significant proportion

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of stable SOM is derived from simple C rather than chemically resistant compounds.1,

43 44

6, 7

Such stable SOM mainly results from physical occlusion in microaggregates and

chemical sorption in organo-mineral complexes.1, 8-10

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The majority of studies represent organo-mineral complexes as ‘biogeochemical

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black boxes’, where inputs and outputs of organics and minerals are estimated but the

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underlying mechanisms controlling C stabilization and storage are rarely explored.11

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This is partly due to the inherent physical and biogeochemical complexity of soil

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systems, fluctuation of environmental conditions,1 and the existence of nano-scale

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(~1–100 nm) minerals that may dominate C binding.12 Recently, available minerals

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have been shown to correlate strongly with soil C and its long-term stabilization

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because they are accessible to SOM.13 Here, available minerals are referred to as the

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mineral surfaces available for C binding, and the concentration of a metal in

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water-dispersible colloids is a good proxy for the availability of a mineral. More

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importantly, the availability of mineral surfaces for C binding can be affected by soil

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moisture content,14 organic amendments,15, 16 or land-use change,17 suggesting that

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management practices may in return affect mineral availability for further C binding.

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Two major mechanisms critically control mineral availability for C binding. First,

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soil physiochemical conditions, such as pH18-20 and redox potential,20-22 and

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dissolution-precipitation processes regulate the release of mineral elements from

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primary minerals.22 Second, both plants and microbes also affect mineral availability

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through their exudates and metabolic compounds.20, 22 By delivering a continuous

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supply of individual exudate solutions through an artificial root into unperturbed soil,

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low molecular weight (LMW) acids have been shown to have strong

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metal-complexing

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short-range-ordered (SRO) minerals and metal-organic complexes in the affected

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zone next to roots.23 However, a single LWM acid in artificial root systems is far from

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a real root system. Therefore, direct evidence illustrating the linkage among real root

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exudates and the formation of SRO minerals in soils is still lacking.

abilities,

changing

mineral

availability

by

decreasing

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Here, we present direct evidence from four independent but complementary

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experiments demonstrating that organic acids resulting from long-term organic

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amendments increase soil mineral availability and the formation of SRO minerals, and

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that SRO minerals facilitate C retention. First, we assessed the impacts of long-term

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organic amendments on mineral availability and organic-acid production in three (one

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in China24 and two in England25, 26) well-controlled, long-term (23 yrs, 154 yrs, and

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170 yrs, respectively) field experiments. Second, we designed two microcosm studies

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to test the role of root exudates and organic amendments in the enhancement of

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mineral availability and SRO mineral formation. Third, we conducted an incubation

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experiment to examine the mechanistic role of organic acids in the formation of SRO

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minerals. Finally, we used

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available

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synchrotron-based X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy and scanning

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transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) imaging, as well as nano-scale secondary ion

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mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) were integrated to identify the composition and

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distributions of organic C and soil minerals. Collectively, our results indicate that soil

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organic amendments initialize a positive feedback loop by increasing mineral

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availability and promoting the formation of SRO minerals for further C binding.

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■MATERIALS AND METHODS

minerals.

13

C to directly trace the retention capacity of labile C by

Throughout

our

experiments,

advanced

techniques

of

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Field Studies and Soil Colloid Extraction. The Qiyang Experiment was set up

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on a Ferralic Cambisol soil in 1990 in Hunan Province, China.24 The top soil in 1990

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contained approximately 61.4% clay, 34.9% silt, and 3.7% sand. The Park Grass

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Experiment, the oldest field experiment on permanent grassland in the world, was set

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up in 1856 at the Rothamsted Research Station in Hertfordshire, England.25, 26 The top

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soil (0–23 cm) is a silty clay loam containing 22% clay, 29% silt and 49% sand. The

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Broadbalk Experiment, the oldest continuously running field wheat experiment in the

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world, was set up in 1843 at the Rothamsted Research Station, England.25,

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According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

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classification, the soil at Rothamsted Research Station is classified as a Chromic

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Luvisol.25 Soil samples to 0–20 cm depth, 0–10 cm depth, and 0–23 cm depth were

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collected in September 2013 at the Qiyang Experiment, 2008 at the Park Grass

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Experiment, and 2013 at the Broadbalk Experiment, respectively, using a 5-cm

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internal diameter auger. Each plot was evenly separated into three regions, and 10

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cores were randomly sampled from each region. Fresh soil was thoroughly mixed,

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air-dried, and sieved through a 5-mm screen for further analysis. In all three

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Experiment stations, swine manure, or farmyard manure was used as a long-term

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organic amendment (M). The other fertilization regimes were selected for

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comparison: i) no fertilizer input (Control) and ii) chemical fertilizers of nitrogen,

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phosphorus and potassium only input (NPK). In this study, both manure alone and

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manure plus NPK treatments are collectively called organic fertilization treatments.

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The numbers of plots of a given amendment treatment were 2 and 1 for Qiyang and

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Rothamsted Experiments, respectively. Other detailed information about soil

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sampling and the Experiment stations can be found in Supplementary Information

113

(SI).

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Soil colloids were isolated using the following procedure.27 Briefly, air-dried soil

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was suspended in deionized water at the ratio of 1:5 (W/V), shaken for 8 hrs at 25°C,

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and centrifuged for 6 min at 2,500 g. Aliquots of the supernatant suspensions

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containing the soil colloids were transferred into 50-mL glass vials, stored in the dark

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at 4°C, and analyzed within one week. The isolated water-dispersible colloids

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represent one of the most reactive components in soils.28, 29 7

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Microcosm Experiments. One microcosm experiment with three replicates was

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conducted to determine the effect of root and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF)

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exudates on mineral availability in the USDA-ARS Plant Science Research CO2

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facility at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. The experimental

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microcosm was divided into six compartments with each compartment measuring 13

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× 14 × 15 cm (width × depth × height). Three compartments in a row were designated

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as host compartments (containing host plants and AM) and the three adjacent

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compartments were designated test compartments to assess mycorrhizal functioning.

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The host and test compartments were separated by a replaceable 0.45, 20 or 1000 µm

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mesh fabric panel (Tetko/Sefar mesh, Sefar America, NY) that allowed nothing

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(-Root-AMF), AM fungal hyphae (-Root+AMF) or both roots and AM fungal hyphae

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(+Root+AMF) to grow into the test compartments, respectively.30 Effectiveness of the

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20 mm mesh fabric in preventing root growth into the test compartment was visually

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assessed at the completion of each experiment. Each compartment of the microcosm

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unit was filled with 3.5 kg of an autoclaved quartz sand and sandy loam soil (1 : 1

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w/w) mixture. Ten seeds of Triticumaestivum Linn. (Wheat) were sown into each host

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cell. Microcosms were watered with deionized water daily. Plants were allowed to

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grow for 4 months, and then the soils in the test cells were air-dried.

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Another microcosm experiment with three replicates was conducted to determine

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the effect of root and fertilization treatments on mineral availability in a greenhouse at

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Nanjing Agricultural University. PVC pots (20 cm high, 7.8 cm internal diameter)

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were filled with red soils collected at the Qiyang Experiment in 2014. Each pot was 8

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filled with 1.5 kg of equivalent dry red soil. The pots were sown with corn and every

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treatment had three replicates. Each pot was put into two pore sizes of mesh (30 and

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1000 µm).31 The pore sizes 1000 µm and 30 µm would permit and not permit the

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entry of roots, respectively. The pots were watered with deionized water daily. Plants

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were allowed to grow for 10 weeks, and then the soils were air-dried.

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Incubation Studies for Fe Mineral Transformations. Citric acid solutions

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(SIGMA-ALDRICH, ACS reagent, ≥ 99.5%) were added to the soil colloid

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suspensions from the Qiyang Experiment and stirred. The final concentrations of

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citric acid in the soil colloid suspensions were 10 and 100 mg L−1, and the pH values

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were adjusted to 6.7, which was the same as that of the raw soil colloid solutions.

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After 1 d incubation, the suspensions in the series of reaction solutions and the control

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solutions (i.e., without the addition of citric acid) were analyzed by Fe K-edge

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extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The incubation

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study was performed in duplicate.

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Isotopic Labelling Experiment. Soil colloids with organic amendments in the 13

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Qiyang Experiment were incubated with a

C-labeled amino acid mixture (algal

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amino acids, Isotec, Miamisburg USA; C/N ratio: 2.8; min. 99 atom%

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readily bioavailable C isotopic tracer. The amino acid mixture was suspended in

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deionized water at a concentration of 10 mg L−1. After addition of 13C enriched amino

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acids the samples were incubated for 24 hrs at 20°C and then used for NanoSIMS

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analysis. The incubation study was performed in duplicate.

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Analysis Techniques. The soil colloids were mixed with 10% nitric acid at a

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ratio of 1:1 (v/v) on a heating plate;32 then, the mixture was digested at 150°C for 2

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hrs. After the digestion, the mixture was filtered through a filtration membrane (0.45

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µm) and the metal ions in the supernatant were quantified by inductively coupled

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plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (710/715 ICP-AES, Agilent, Australia)..

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Mineral dissolution in the microcosm experiments was determined by suspending

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air-dried soil in deionized water at the ratio of 1 : 5 (w/v), putting the mixture on a

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horizontal shaker (170 rpm) for 24 h at room temperature, and then centrifuging it at

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3000 g for 10 min. The supernatant was passed through a 0.45-µm

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polytetrafluoroethylene filter. Quantitation of SRO minerals was performed using the

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acid ammonium oxalate extraction method.28 In brief, soil was extracted using 0.275

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M ammonium oxalate at pH 3.25 with a soil : extractant = 1 : 100 (w/v) ratio. The

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main mineral elements, namely Fe and Al, were quantified by ICP-AES (710/715

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ICP-AES, Agilent, Australia). Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was measured using a

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TOC/TN analyser (multi N/C 3000, Analytik Jena AG, Germany).

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Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) were prepared by placing a Chelex-100

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disc on a support, followed by a diffusive gel disc (DGT Research Ltd, Lancaster,

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UK), and then filtering samples through a membrane filter. The upper cover, with a

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window exposed to the sample, was affixed lightly. The calculated concentration

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represents the effective available concentration of Fe in soil. A detailed description of

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analysis techniques is found in the SI.

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Iron K-edge absorption spectra were collected using a Si (111) double crystal

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monochromator at the XAFS station of the BL14W1 beamline of the Shanghai

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Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). The storage ring was working at 3.5 GeV

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with 200 mA as an average storage current. The prepared samples and standard

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samples were recorded in transmission mode. All the samples were mounted in a thin

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custom-built plastic sample holder covered with Kapton tape and placed at 45° to the

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incident X-ray beam. Ten scans were averaged for each sample to obtain a good

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signal-to-noise ratio. The X-ray energy scale was calibrated to the iron K-edge

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(7112.0 eV) using an iron metal foil before XAFS measurements were performed.

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The XAFS data were processed and analyzed using ATHENA software (version

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2.1.1).33 A detailed description of analysis techniques is found in the SI.

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Carbon 1s near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra were

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obtained on the BL08U1 beamline of the SSRF. For specimen preparation, one

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droplet of suspension was deposited at a 100-nm thickness onto a Si3N4 window,

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which was previously glued onto the detection plate of the microscope. The sample

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thickness is important to obtain a good signal-to-noise ratio when using NEXAFS

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spectroscopy.34 The main 1s-p and Rydberg/mixed valence transitions in the fine

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structure regions of the C K-edge spectra were recorded in the energy range from

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284–310 eV. A detailed description of analysis techniques is found in the SI.

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NanoSIMS analyses were performed with a NanoSIMS 50L (Cameca,

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Gennevilliers, France) at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy

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of Sciences, China. Prior to the analysis, the gold coating layer (~10 nm) and possible

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contamination of the sample surface were sputtered using a high primary beam

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current (pre-sputtering).28, 29 During the pre-sputtering step, reactive Cs+ ions were

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implanted into the sample to enhance the secondary ion yields. Secondary ion images

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of

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multipliers with an electronic dead time of 44 ns. We compensated for the charging

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that resulted from the non-conductive mineral particles by employing the electron

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flood gun of the NanoSIMS instrument. For every sample, 4–6 spots were analyzed to

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obtain reliable data. A detailed description of analysis techniques is found in the SI.

12

C−,

13

C−,

27

Al16O− and

56

Fe16O− were simultaneously collected by electron

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Statistical Analyses. Differences between the data were assessed with one-way

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analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the SPSS software version 16.0 for Windows

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(SPSS, Chicago, IL). Significance was determined using one-way ANOVA’s

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followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests, where conditions of normality and

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homogeneity of variance were met. Means ± SE (n = 3) followed by different letters

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in figures and tables indicate significant differences between treatments at P < 0.05.

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Data were log transformed to attain normality and homoscedasticity for regression

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analysis. Regression analyses were performed between two log-transformed variables

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using the OriginPro 9.0 software. Similar to most analyses, a value of P < 0.05 is

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typically considered significant.

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■RESULTS

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Long-term Organic Amendments Increased Soil Mineral Availability and

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SRO Phases. Compared to no fertilizer and chemical fertilizer inputs, long-term

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organic amendments significantly (Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests; P < 0.05) increased

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available minerals (i.e., Al and Fe) (Figure 1) in soil colloids by over two orders of

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magnitude at the Qiyang Experiment and 2–12 times at the Park Grass and Broadbalk

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Experiments. Similarly, results from DGT experiments confirmed that long-term

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organic amendments significantly (Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests; P < 0.05) increased

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bioavailable Fe at the Qiyang Experiment (Figure S1). Based on the results of Fe

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K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) (Figure S2a) and Al 2p3/2 XPS

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(Figure S2b), we found that approximately 17–57% of Fe minerals and 13–28% of Al

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minerals in soil colloids with long-term organic amendments at the three field

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Experiments were SRO minerals (i.e., ferrihydrite and allophane, respectively); these

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values were higher than those in samples receiving no fertilizer and chemical fertilizer

238

inputs. In addition, the extracted minerals and organic carbon in soil colloids

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accounted for approximately 0.02–1.8% and 0.2–1.5% of total soils, respectively

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(Tables S1), with the biggest percentages found in samples from the organic

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amendment treatments, followed by those receiving no fertilizer and chemical

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fertilizer inputs. Taken together, these findings show that long-term organic

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amendments significantly increase the presence of SRO phases.

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The Presence of Roots and the Application of Organic Exudates Increased

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Mineral Availability and Promoted the Formation of SRO Minerals. To explore

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the factors that increase mineral availability, we conducted two microcosm studies 13

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that allowed us to investigate the contribution of root and AMF exudates as well as

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fertilizers on mineral availability and SRO mineral formation (Figure 2). The presence

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of roots increased the release of Al and Fe from soils (P < 0.05) over 2 times for mean

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values with or without the application of fertilizers (Figure 2a,b), but AMF had no

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significant impact on Al and Fe release (P > 0.05) (Figure 2a). Interestingly, both

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microcosm studies demonstrated that the presence of roots also markedly increased

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the concentration of SRO minerals (Figure 2c,d).

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Compared to chemical fertilizers, organic amendments significantly decreased

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mineral mobilization (Figure 2b) but increased (> 20%, p < 0.05) the concentration of

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SRO minerals from 3.7 to 3.9 g kg-1 in the presence of roots (Figure 2d). These results

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indicate that roots, in concert with organic amendments, may be responsible for

258

increasing mineral availability and the formation of SRO minerals.

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Citric Acid—One of the Most Abundant Exudate Classes—Promoted the

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Formation of SRO Minerals. Addition of LMW organic acids (e.g., citric acid—one

261

of the most abundant exudate classes) to soils benefits the formation of SRO

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minerals.23 We used C 1s NEXAFS spectroscopy to identify the composition of

263

organic C in soil colloids from all three field Experiments (Figures 3a and S3).

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Carboxyl C (1–π∗ transition of COOH) was dominant in soluble organic C,

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accounting for approximately 61% of the organic C at the Qiyang Experiment, while

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aromatic C (1s–π∗ transition of conjugated C=C) only constituted less than 5% of the

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organic C in the three field Experiments (Figure 3a, Tables S2 and S3). For the Park

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Grass and Broadbalk Experiments, carboxyl C and aromatic C accounted for 35–44%

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and approximately 3–11% of the organic C, respectively (Figure S3, Table S3). The

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other C forms were present as phenolic C, alkyl C, O-alkyl C, and carbonyl C (Table

271

S3). In addition, long-term organic amendments also markedly increased the

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concentration of dissolved organic C when compared to chemical fertilization in all of

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the three Experiments (Figure S4). LMW organic acids have in other experiments

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shown to consist of approximately 0.5–5% of C in soil solution.35,

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long-term organic amendments may increase production of organic acids, especially

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with LMW components, in soils.

36

Therefore,

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To test the critical role of root exudates in the formation of SRO minerals, we

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designed a simulated study by adding citric acid to soil colloids. The colloids were

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derived from soils with long-term organic amendments at the Qiyang Experiment.

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Iron k3-weighted EXAFS spectra (Figure 3b) showed that two peaks at k = 5.7−6.0 Å

281

and 8.0−8.8 Å, were observed in the raw soil colloids and those with 10 mg L−1 citrate

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addition but disappeared in the soil colloids with 100 mg L−1 citrate addition. These

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two peaks could be observed in goethite mineral standards but were not present in

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ferrihydrite (Figure 3b). Linear combination fitting (LCF) results (Table S4) of the Fe

285

k3-weighted EXAFS spectra further demonstrated that incubation of soil colloids with

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citric acid at a concentration of 10 and 100 mg L−1 for 1 d could decrease goethite

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from 27.6% to 13% and 5.1% of the total Fe mineralogy but increase ferrihydrite from

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39.4% to 49.9% and 74.6% of the iron mineralogy, respectively. The results from no

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fertilizer inputs also support the observation that citric acid drives transformation of 15

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Fe minerals in soil colloids (Figure S5). Because ferrihydrite is more mobile and has a

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higher specific surface area than goethite,37 these results provide spectroscopic

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evidence that citric acid can increase mineral mobilization and promote

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transformation of goethite to ferrihydrite, the most reactive SRO iron (oxyhydr)oxide.

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Retention of Labile C by Available Minerals. To verify the strong retention

295

capability for C by the mobilized Al and Fe minerals, we then designed an isotopic

296

labeling experiment (using

297

observation (Figure 4). Here

298

newly added C (i.e., animal manure) in soils. After 24 hrs of incubation with a

299

amino acid mixture, the composite NanoSIMS image showed a profound enrichment

300

of newly added

301

'nuclei'

302

hue-saturation-intensity (HSI) image of

303

that colloid particles were surrounded by these

13 −

304

further indicated that the distribution patterns of

13 − 12

305

were similar (Figure S6). However, for large soil particles (i.e., approximately 15

306

µm), a part of newly added C was present at the edges of particles (Figure S6). These

307

large particles seemed to retain much more C than small particles. It should be noted

308

that 12C− represents the native C (Figure S6) and it does not impact sorption of amino

309

acids based on the similar slopes between

310

S7). Compared to no fertilizer or chemical fertilizer inputs, the total sorption capacity

for

13

the

C− on

27

13

C-labelled amino acid) combined with NanoSIMS

13

C-labelled amino acids were used as a precursor of

Al16O− and

retention

of

56

13

C

Fe16O− (Figures 4a and S6), which served as

13 −

C. 13

This

is

further

supported

by

the

C/12C− (Figure 4b), which clearly showed C enriched spots. Line profiles C,

13 − 12 −

C,

C−,

C and

27

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Al16O−, and

Al16O−,

56

56

Fe16O−

Fe16O− (Figure

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of organic carbon by soil colloids was significantly increased with organic

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amendments (Figure 4c).

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■DISCUSSION

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Drivers of Mineral Availability and SRO Mineral Formation. Our long-term

315

field studies demonstrate that organic amendments significantly increase the

316

availability of Al and Fe minerals, particularly their SRO phases (Figures 1 and S2).

317

The available Al and Fe minerals decrease C mineralization and increase the potential

318

for SOC sequestration.19, 21 The percentage of SRO minerals in organic-amended soil

319

was higher than that of no fertilizer and chemical fertilizer inputs based on the

320

previous results achieved from selective extraction methods38 and transmission

321

electron microscopy (TEM) analysis24,

322

selective extraction methods give only operationally defined pool of SROs and suffer

323

from intrinsic limitations due to artifacts associated with reagent selectivity and the

324

inability to differentiate specific SROs.40 X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS)

325

spectroscopy complements sequential extraction techniques,41 and in our study

326

provided direct identification of important SROs (Figure S2). These SRO minerals

327

possess structural defects, high specific surface area and charge density, and variably

328

charged surfaces, enabling them to bind and thereby potentially chemically stabilize

329

organic matter.42, 43 Although the importance of SRO minerals in protecting soil C has

330

increasingly been recognized,13, 23, 43 the information about their regulation is still very

39

at the Qiyang Experiment. However,

17

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limited. In this study, having a well-controlled long-term field system and advanced

332

technologies allowed us to identify the formation of SRO minerals.

333

Microbial- or plant-driven increases to mineral availability are believed to be

334

important steps in the formation of SRO minerals in soil.44 Our microcosm

335

experiments show that plant roots and their exudates may play a bigger role than

336

mycorrhiza in the development of mineral availability and subsequent formation of

337

SRO minerals (Figure 2). This result also challenges the long-standing conceptual

338

view that the weathering of minerals and the formation of SRO minerals are very slow

339

processes and cannot be detected in short-term systems.22, 45 We therefore suggest that

340

the formation of SRO minerals can be accelerated or regulated by plant roots and

341

some agricultural practices (e.g., organic amendments), a notion which is also

342

supported

343

exudate-induced effects on SRO minerals.23

by

previous

microcosm

experiments

that

have

demonstrated

344

Furthermore, our mineral transformation experiments provide direct evidence that

345

the formation of SRO minerals is promoted by LMW organic acids (Figure 3), which

346

may be produced by roots or the degradation of organic amendments. Similarly,

347

oxalate, another common root exudates or intermediate of soil microbes, was also

348

found to have the same effect on the dissolution of goethite20, 46 and Al minerals47.

349

Although these organic acids only account for a small percentage of soil soluble C,36

350

they represent the most reactive forms of organic matter and exist widely in soils,

351

especially in the rhizosphere.47 Since ferrihydrite is more available than goethite,37

18

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this transformation is particularly important because the absence of iron in an

353

available form limits C storage in many soils.

354

Newly formed SRO minerals may adsorb or precipitate on soil aggregates and

355

promote soil aggregation.48 The aggregation role of newly formed SRO minerals is

356

also supported by the results from high-resolution TEM combined with EDS analysis

357

that Al and Fe are enriched on the surface of soil particles with long-term organic

358

amendments.24, 29, 39 The driving force for this aggregation may be the decrease in

359

surface energy that appears to be low enough for SRO minerals.49 This increased soil

360

aggregation lowers rates of respiration per unit of soil C, one of the main mechanisms

361

of soil C storage and preservation.19

362

In addition to microbes or plants, other parameters, i.e., pH, complexation or,

363

most important, redox variation, also affect mineral availability19, 21 and the formation

364

of SRO minerals39. Our previous results from the Qiyang Experiment indicated that

365

compared with chemical fertilization, organic fertilization significantly (P < 0.05)

366

increased soil pH, the concentration of Al and Fe, and amorphous Al, but decreased

367

exchangeable Al.24,

368

treatments ondesert soil and showed that compared to a Control, an NPK treatment

369

significantly decreased the soil pH (P < 0.05), whereas a manure treatment maintained

370

the soil pH.50 Meanwhile, the addition of manure significantly (P < 0.05) increased

371

the content of SOC, with SOC content ranked by descending order as M > NPKM >

372

NPK > Control.50 In addition, our unpublished data (paper in review) show that there

38

Wang et al. (2016) investigated the effect of fertilization

19

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was a significantly positive relationship between poorly crystalline Fe minerals and

374

SOC, as well as aromatic C, in gray desert soil; attachment of aromatic functional

375

groups to the poorly crystalline Fe minerals could also protect the poorly crystalline

376

Fe minerals from transforming to their more crystalline counterparts.51

377

Impacts of Organic Amendments on Carbon Retention in Soils. We

378

hypothesized that the mobilized mineral particles in soils with organic amendments

379

have a strong capability to retain C in soils. To test this hypothesis, we examined the

380

distribution patterns of native C, newly added C, and minerals in soil colloids to

381

support the C storage potential of the mobilized mineral particles in soil colloids. Our

382

NanoSIMS results indicate that native C and newly added C are co-localized with

383

minerals (Figure 4). Also, we provide direct evidence demonstrating that these

384

mineral particles can act as 'nuclei' to preferentially retain new labile C (Figures 5 and

385

S6). By contrast, it has recently been shown that only a limited proportion (< 19%) of

386

the clay-sized surfaces contributes to organic C stabilization,52 indicating that using

387

the amount of clay as a proxy to predict the storage potential of soil C is not

388

sufficient. Meanwhile, some authors demonstrated that the particle surface area

389

covered by SOM decreased with increasing fraction density, as the proportion of

390

aggregated particles decreased.53 Together, our NanoSIMS results indicate that the

391

mobilized mineral particles in soil colloids have a strong capability to retain labile C

392

in soils.

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By combining long-term data from a grassland biodiversity experiment and

394

radiocarbon (14C) modelling, some investigators demonstrated that the increase in soil

395

C storage is mainly limited by the integration of new C into soil and less by the

396

decomposition of pre-existing soil C,54 suggesting that the protection of new C plays a

397

major role in soil C storage. This mineral binding of labile C has recently been shown

398

to markedly contribute to the formation of SOM,55 and it has been described in terms

399

of a layer-by-layer 'onion' model.56 Due to the surface reactivity of mineral particles

400

varying as a function of particle size,12 we suggest that soil colloids, composed of the

401

mobilized submicron- and nano- scale mineral particles with high reactivity, deserve

402

more attention.

403

Based on the well-controlled long-term field experiments, microcosm

404

experiments, mineral transformation experiments, and isotopic labelling experiments,

405

we propose that soil organic amendments initialize a positive feedback loop by

406

increasing mineral availability and promoting the formation of SRO minerals for

407

further C binding (Table 1 and Figure 5). Production of root or microbial LMW

408

exudates following long-term organic amendments may be a critical step in this

409

process (Figures 2 and S3). The produced acids act as complexing and reducing

410

agents for mineral mobilization and acquisition,20 further promoting the formation and

411

stability of SRO minerals via four potential mechanisms (Figure 5). First, the

412

mobilized mineral elements (e.g., Al and Fe) can act as the precursors for formation

413

of SRO minerals.12,

414

promote transformation of minerals or oxides from more crystalline to SRO phases

37

Second, LMW organic acids, common root exudates, can

21

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(Figure 3b), a process known as 'rejuvenation' in soil and ecology sciences.37 Third,

416

after the formation of SRO minerals, LMW organic acids can incorporate, through

417

precipitation from solution,57 into the network structure of SRO minerals58 and

418

prevent their growth or transformation to crystalline forms.59 And finally, some

419

biopolymers with soil particles can also limit the dispersal of SRO minerals that may

420

otherwise be transported away from their source via leaching, surface runoff, or

421

drainage in natural ecosystems60 adding to carbon storage (Figure S8). Although the

422

addition of organic acids to soil can lead to the release of old carbon23 or the

423

formation of SRO minerals that enhance soil carbon storage,61 it appears that a

424

long-term effect of organic-acid addition through organic amendments is increased

425

soil carbon storage.

426

Environmental Implications. Our results provide direct evidence illustrating

427

linkages among organic acids from both root exudates and organic amendments, SRO

428

minerals, and soil C stability within field and incubation experiments. Continuous

429

organic amendments initialize a positive feedback loop, in which high organic inputs

430

liberate minerals that can promote C sequestration in soils. The liberated minerals in

431

the soil colloids, and hence the high content of SRO minerals formed by organically

432

growth-limited precipitation, are therefore expected to be key factors that control the

433

storage of soil C. More importantly, our findings also provide a pathway for regulating

434

mineral availability and the formation of SRO minerals in the field, which will be

435

beneficial for managing the global C cycle. Therefore, organic amendments may

436

represent practical tools for managing and increasing global terrestrial C stocks. In 22

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summary, these findings may prove vital in our understanding of C cycling in a

438

changing climate.

439

■ASSOCIATED CONTENT

440

The Supporting Information is available free of charge on the ACS Publications

441

website at http://pubs.acs.org.

442

Associated content in support of the main manuscript includes additional methods, eight

443

figures, and four data tables.

444

■AUTHOR INFORMATION

445

Corresponding Author

446

*Phone: +86 25 84396291; fax: +86-25-84395212; e-mail: [email protected]

447

Notes

448

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

449

■ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

450

We thank Xiangzhi Zhang and Lijuan Zhang for help and support at the BL08U1

451

beamline and Jingyuan Ma at the BL14W1 beamline of the Shanghai Synchrotron

452

Radiation Facility (SSRF). This work was funded by the Ministry of Science and

453

Technology of China (973 Program, 2015CB150500), the National Natural Science

454

Foundation of China (41371248 and 41371299), the Natural Science Foundation of

455

Jiangsu Province of China (BK20150059), and the Qing Lan Project. The Rothamsted

23

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Long-term Experiments National Capability is supported by the UK Biotechnology

457

and Biological Research Council and the Lawes Agricultural Trust.

458

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Figures Caption

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Figure 1. Effects of long-term organic amendments on the Al and Fe concentrations

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in soil colloids at the Qiyang (a), Park Grass (b), and Broadbalk (c) Experiments.

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Control, no fertilizer inputs; NPK, chemical fertilizer inputs; NPK1, (NH4)2PKNaMg;

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NPK2, (NO3)2PKNaMg; M, manure inputs; NPKM, chemical fertilizer plus manure

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inputs; NPKS, chemical fertilizer plus straw inputs; NPKMS, chemical fertilizer plus

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manure plus straw inputs. Significant differences between fertilization practices were

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determined using one-way ANOVA’s followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests at P