<b>Soil extracellular enzymes explain soil carbon accumulation under elevated CO</b>_{<strong>2</strong>}-data and figure code from YZhang

Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to evaluate the potential capacity of the soil microbiome to degrade organic matter under eCO₂. We also evaluated the relative capacity of the soil microbiome to degrade labile versus recalcitrant carbon sources after different periods of eCO₂ exposure. For this, we built a database of 272 observations of soil carbon-degrading extracellular enzymes from 71 eCO₂ studies across four continents. Classic meta-analysis and random forest analysis were combined to quantify the relative importance of potential predictors in explaining the effects of eCO₂ on EEAs and SOC. This approach allowed us to assess the role of EEAs in affecting SOC under eCO2 across a wide range of climatic, edaphic, and experimental conditions. Specifically, our study aimed (a) to quantify the effects of eCO₂ on cellulase and ligninase activities, (b) to identify the edaphoclimatic factors affecting the responses of cellulase and ligninase activities to eCO₂, and (c) to explore links between eCO₂-induced shifts in cellulase and ligninase activities and changes in SOC.