Microbial decomposition processes and vulnerable arctic soil organic carbon in the 21st century

<p>This study used a detailed microbial-based soil decomposition biogeochemistry model to examine the fate of large Arctic soil carbon under changing climate conditions. We found that the detailed microbial decomposition biogeochemistry model estimated a much lower carbon accumulation in the region during this century. The size of soil carbon considered in the 21st century simulations determines the regional carbon sink and source strengths, regardless of the complexity of models used. This study highlights the importance of representation of microbial activities and the sizes of soil carbon considered in earth system modeling. The data provided here are in Matlab format.</p>