---
DOAJ_listed: '1'
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: gold
_id: '22441'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Warming impacts both net primary production (NPP) and soil organic carbon
    (SOC) decomposition, and consequently, SOC storage. However, the role of warming
    in regulating SOC storage remains debated. Here, we leverage literature data of
    warming experiments and a mechanistic model to explore SOC responses to warming
    by partitioning the effects of air and soil warming. Both the literature data
    and numerical model show that air and soil warming play distinct roles in regulating
    SOC storage, with insignificant SOC responses under air warming and negative responses
    to soil warming. Soil warming decreases SOC storage because of temperature-driven
    increases in decomposition rate. Air warming effects on SOC are more complex.
    In some cases, air warming can lead to a lower NPP and higher decomposition rate.
    In others, air warming can stimulate NPP and enhance soil moisture depletion that
    inhibits SOC decomposition. Once the latter mechanisms dominate, SOC storage increases
    with air warming.
article_number: '394'
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Zhaoyang
  full_name: Luo, Zhaoyang
  last_name: Luo
- first_name: Jianning
  full_name: Ren, Jianning
  last_name: Ren
- first_name: Simone
  full_name: Fatichi, Simone
  id: cf8e546b-a9b0-11f0-a43b-aa89ed1b56d6
  last_name: Fatichi
citation:
  ama: Luo Z, Ren J, Fatichi S. Air and soil warming have different effects on soil
    organic carbon storage. <i>Communications Earth &#38; Environment</i>. 2026;7.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5">10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5</a>
  apa: Luo, Z., Ren, J., &#38; Fatichi, S. (2026). Air and soil warming have different
    effects on soil organic carbon storage. <i>Communications Earth &#38; Environment</i>.
    Springer Nature. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5">https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5</a>
  chicago: Luo, Zhaoyang, Jianning Ren, and Simone Fatichi. “Air and Soil Warming
    Have Different Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Storage.” <i>Communications Earth
    &#38; Environment</i>. Springer Nature, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5">https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5</a>.
  ieee: Z. Luo, J. Ren, and S. Fatichi, “Air and soil warming have different effects
    on soil organic carbon storage,” <i>Communications Earth &#38; Environment</i>,
    vol. 7. Springer Nature, 2026.
  ista: Luo Z, Ren J, Fatichi S. 2026. Air and soil warming have different effects
    on soil organic carbon storage. Communications Earth &#38; Environment. 7, 394.
  mla: Luo, Zhaoyang, et al. “Air and Soil Warming Have Different Effects on Soil
    Organic Carbon Storage.” <i>Communications Earth &#38; Environment</i>, vol. 7,
    394, Springer Nature, 2026, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5">10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5</a>.
  short: Z. Luo, J. Ren, S. Fatichi, Communications Earth &#38; Environment 7 (2026).
das_tickbox: '1'
date_created: 2026-07-27T12:30:23Z
date_published: 2026-05-05T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-08-07T09:28:26Z
day: '05'
doi: 10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5
extern: '1'
intvolume: '         7'
language:
- iso: eng
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03367-5
month: '05'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
publication: Communications Earth & Environment
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 2662-4435
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Nature
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Air and soil warming have different effects on soil organic carbon storage
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: ba8df636-2132-11f1-aed0-ed93e2281fdd
volume: 7
year: '2026'
...