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Increases in macroaggregate fractions following organic fertilizer application decrease microbial-driven CO2 release
Fertilizer application is key for plant yield promotion, but also has side effects on microbes, organic carbon storage and aggregate size distributions. However, links between these factors and especially how different amounts of organic and mineral fertilizers affect microbial-driven CO2 release at the aggregate scale remains largely unknown.
In this study, we aimed to uncover changes in microbiome functioning with a focus on carbon decomposition at the aggregate level. We illustrate that organic fertilizer application decreases CO2 release via increasing the proportion of macroaggregates, leading to increased carbon storage that can provide a means to lessening atmospheric carbon.