In recent years there has been increasing evidence that besides abiotic drivers, biotic effects may also strongly influence biogeochemical processes. This session aims to highlight the implications of interactions between plants and soil biota for ecosystem carbon (C) and nutrient dynamics, and how these are altered by global change. Topics range from C allocation in the plant-soil system and its consequences for soil respiratory fluxes, nutrient mineralization and soil organic matter turnover (including priming effects), to effects of plant traits and vegetation composition on C and nutrient cycling at local, regional and global scales. The session will include a section particularly dedicated to the biogeochemistry of boreal forest soils.


Keynote speakers: Michael Allen (Riverside), Yakov Kuzyakov (Göttingen), Marie-Charlotte Nilsson (Umeå)