Acceleration of Organic Matter Decomposition by Tillage

Organic matter is a hallmark of healthy soils and soil functions. It is critical in developing a stable structure and is a significant reserve of resources for soil life. Soil carbon flux is also an essential regulator of atmospheric GHG concentrations and climate. Therefore, the stability and persistence of soil organic matter are considered a critical soil resiliency metric. Although the acceleration of soil carbon loss via disturbances such as tillage is widely recognized, we lack a predictive modeling framework that relates the tillage intensity to mineralization rates. Here, we show a framework that combines a model of soil structure evolution and water-retention-curve-based microbial moisture sensitivity function.