Summary
This perspective paper synthesises current understanding of microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and its role in the terrestrial carbon cycle, highlighting critical uncertainties in global modelling. The authors propose an integrated framework combining genomic information with traditional soil carbon assessments to better account for variations in microbial CUE and the stabilisation of microbial necromass in soil aggregates and mineral associations. The work emphasises that accurate carbon cycle predictions require reconciling inconsistent measurement techniques and accounting for multiscale interactions between climatic, edaphic and biological factors.
UK applicability
The proposed framework is broadly applicable to UK soil carbon research and climate mitigation strategies, particularly for refining predictive models used in agricultural and land management policy. UK studies on temperate grasslands and arable soils could benefit from adopting the integrated measurement and modelling approach, though the paper does not address UK-specific conditions directly.
Key measures
Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE); microbial necromass stabilisation; soil organic carbon; climatic, edaphic and biological factors affecting CUE across scales
Outcomes reported
The study proposes a comprehensive framework integrating genomic data and soil carbon assessments to refine global models of microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and its contribution to terrestrial carbon cycling. The work addresses inconsistencies in CUE measurement techniques and identifies the need to integrate microbial processes with stabilisation mechanisms in carbon cycle models.
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