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Earth's Systems / Biological processes / Terrestrial ecosystem functioning / Decomposition / Litter quality, climate and fauna control decay / Temperature and moisture regulation of decay

Temperature and moisture regulation of decay

Warmth speeds enzyme-driven decay, dryness slows it, and sunlight can break down litter directly in dry ecosystems; the CO2 released feeds back on warming.

Boundary: where this process starts

Starts with: Warmer soil raises microbial enzyme rates (Q10 about 2)

Boundary: where it ends

Ends after: Extra soil CO2 emission adds to atmospheric warming

PARTICIPANTSRESOURCESBacteriaFungiClimateLitterAtmosphereHeatSoil organicmatterWaterSunlightCarbon dioxideImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact 02 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact 02 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.↻ reinforces · weak · 0.1 soil CO2 adds to wWarmer soil raises microbial enzyme rates (Q10 about 2): uses HeatWarmer soil raises microbial enzyme rates (Q10 about 2): uses up Soil organic matteruses upDrying limits microbial activity but sunlight degrades dry litter: uses WaterDrying limits microbial activity but sunlight degrades dry litter: uses SunlightExtra soil CO2 emission adds to atmospheric warming: uses HeatExtra soil CO2 emission adds to atmospheric warming: makes Carbon dioxidemakeswarming acceleratesenzyme activityHeat: warming accelerates enzyme activitydecomposed faster whenwarmSoil organic matter: decomposed faster when warmdryness slows microbialactivityWater: dryness slows microbial activityUV breaks down driedlitterSunlight: UV breaks down dried litteradds to atmosphericwarmingHeat: adds to atmospheric warmingemitted from warmingsoilCarbon dioxide: emitted from warming soilStart: Temperature andmoisture regulation ofdecaySTARTStart: Temperature and moisture regulation of decayEnd: Temperature andmoisture regulation ofdecayENDEnd: Temperature and moisture regulation of decayWarmer soil raisesmicrobial enzyme rates(Q10 about 2)👍1📄1Warmer soil raises microbial enzyme rates (Q10 about 2)Drying limits microbialactivity but sunlightdegrades dry litter📄1Drying limits microbial activity but sunlight degrades dry litterExtra soil CO2 emissionadds to atmosphericwarming📄1Extra soil CO2 emission adds to atmospheric warming
Line thickness = size of impact (1 to 5)% on a line = chance a fork takes that branch📄 = pieces of evidence on a stepNegative effectLoops backHypothesisResource used up (arrow into the step)Resource used, not used upResource made or released (arrow out of the step)
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Participant
Someone or something that takes part in a process or influences it: a plant, a microbe, a river, a machine, a force. Participants are the rows of a map.
Resource
Something a step uses or uses up: water, oxygen, sunlight, a tool. Each step has an arrow down to the resources it uses.
Step
One thing that happens in a process. Every step has at least one participant and carries evidence.
Decision fork
A step where the process can go several ways. Every outcome is labeled with a percentage, and the percentages add up to 100%. It is not limited to yes or no.
Loop
A line that carries the process back to an earlier step. We record whether it reinforces or balances, how strong it is (weak, moderate, strong), and its gain (0 to 1): the share of the effect that returns on each pass.
Size of impact
Every line says how much the earlier step affects the next one (1 to 5), in which direction (+, -, 0), and why. Thicker lines mean bigger impact.
Evidence
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Boundary
Where a process starts and where it ends. Every process, and every subprocess, has a start and an end.
Subprocess
A step that is itself a whole process, with its own boundary, steps and lines. Click a step marked ↘ to open it. Subprocesses nest as deep as the evidence goes.
Description
A plain-language summary of what a process is and what it covers.
Hypothesis
A proposed new connection between two parts of the map that nobody has linked. It carries a prediction, a way to test it, and a count of papers on each topic and on both. It is an unverified idea until someone tests it.

Every step, with its evidence

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Warmer soil raises microbial enzyme rates (Q10 about 2)
BacteriaFungiHeatSoil organic matter
Evidence (1) · added by Broad
  • Davidson & Janssens 2006, Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate change, Nature, doi:10.1038/nature04514: Decay rates rise roughly twofold per 10 C in kinetic theory and many observations. (confidence 0.7)
Drying limits microbial activity but sunlight degrades dry litter
BacteriaFungiLitterWaterSunlight
Evidence (1) · added by Broad
  • Austin & Vivanco 2006, Plant litter decomposition in a semi-arid ecosystem controlled by photodegradation, Nature, doi:10.1038/nature05038: In a semi-arid ecosystem photodegradation controlled litter decomposition. (confidence 0.75)
Extra soil CO2 emission adds to atmospheric warming
BacteriaFungiAtmosphereCarbon dioxideHeat
Evidence (1) · added by Broad
  • Davidson & Janssens 2006, Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate change, Nature, doi:10.1038/nature04514: Warming-driven loss of soil carbon is a climate-carbon feedback of uncertain size. (confidence 0.65)