The interactions of minerals, organic matter, and microorganisms directly and indirectly control key functions of soil, including plant nutrition and carbon preservation. Despite extensive research over the last decades, several aspects are still either not fully understood or under debate. In particular, the roles of microorganisms in the formation and breakdown of mineral–associated organic matter (MAOM) under changing environmental conditions are a focal point of recent research activities. Similarly, the potential maximum carbon storage potential of the soil mineral fraction is unresolved, as are drivers of the relative importance of plant- versus microbial derived carbon accumulation on mineral surfaces, the role of biodiversity, and how the formation and turnover of MAOM will be affected by various global change drivers.
We invite contributions reporting on conceptual, experimental, and modelling approaches on how mineral composition and microorganism jointly drive the formation and stability of mineral associated organic matter and how they are influenced by land use, vegetation type, and the abiotic soil environment. Also, studies considering the role of mineral weathering, and aggregation in this context are welcome.