Soil carbon feedbacks increase with warming

[Tom Goreau]

Soil contains many times more carbon than the atmosphere or vegetation, so increased soil organic matter decomposition caused by increased temperature is a powerful positive feedback increasing global warming (along with uncontrolled oxidation by fires).

1. nature  
2. communications earth & environment  

• Article
• Open access

• Published: 18 June 2025

Various responses of global heterotrophic respiration to variations in soil moisture and temperature enhance the positive feedback on atmospheric warming

• Jingyu Zeng, 
• Tao Zhou, 
• Li Cao, 
• Ying Yu, 
• E. Tan, 
• Yajie Zhang, 
• Xuemei Wu, 
• Jingzhou Zhang, 
• Qi Zhang, 
• Yancheng Qu, 
• Jian Liu, 
• Peixia Liu, 
• Xia Liu & 
• Hui Luo 

Communications Earth & Environment volume 6, Article number: 475 (2025) 

Abstract

The ratio of soil heterotrophic respiration to total soil respiration (R_h/R_s) is critical for soil carbon pool stability and atmosphere-biosphere exchanges, yet its spatiotemporal dynamics and responses to environmental drivers remain poorly constrained. Here, we estimate global soil and heterotrophic respiration by integrating ground observations with machine learning models. From 1980 to 2022, annual increases reached 0.76 and 0.54 g C m⁻² yr⁻² for soil and heterotrophic respiration, respectively. Globally, R_h/R_s averaged 61.30 ± 0.54% with a decadal rise of 0.13%. Rising soil temperature enhances R_h/R_s, while soil moisture suppresses it, exhibiting stronger global-scale influence. Temperature dominates R_h/R_s regulation in forests and shrublands, whereas moisture controls this ratio in grasslands and croplands. These findings elucidate ecosystem-specific mechanisms governing R_h/R_s dynamics, advancing predictions of soil carbon-climate feedbacks essential for carbon neutrality strategies.

 

Thomas J. F. Goreau, PhD
President, Global Coral Reef Alliance

Chief Scientist, Biorock Technology Inc., Blue Regeneration SL

Technical Advisor, Blue Guardians Programme, SIDS DOCK

37 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

gor...@globalcoral.org
www.globalcoral.org
Phone: (1) 857-523-0807 (leave message)

 

Books:

Geotherapy: Innovative Methods of Soil Fertility Restoration, Carbon Sequestration, and Reversing CO2 Increase

https://www.routledge.com/Geotherapy-Innovative-Methods-of-Soil-Fertility-Restoration-Carbon-Sequestration-and-Reversing-CO2-Increase/Goreau-Larson-Campe/p/book/9781466595392

 

Innovative Methods of Marine Ecosystem Restoration

http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466557734

 

Geotherapy: Regenerating ecosystem services to reverse climate change

 

No one can change the past, everybody can change the future

 

It’s much later than we think, especially if we don’t think

 

Those with their heads in the sand will see the light when global warming and sea level rise wash the beach away

 

“When you run to the rocks, the rocks will be melting, when you run to the sea, the sea will be boiling”, Peter Tosh, Jamaica’s greatest song writer

 

“The Earth is not dying, she is being killed” U. Utah Phillips

 

“It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies” Noam Chomsky