Microbial diversity drives carbon use efficiency in a model soil - fungal component

Soils contain the largest organic carbon pool in the terrestrial biosphere and represent a crucial source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Microbial carbon use (CUE) efficiency is a central determinant of how much carbon is able to be retained in soil, yet it remains unclear how CUE is affected by biotic and abiotic conditions. Here, we manipulated fungal diversity to evaluate microbial community CUE under different temperature and moisture regimes in a model soil system.