A generic hierarchical model of organic matter degradation and preservation in aquatic systems
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Date
2023-01
Authors
Shang, Haitao
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nature Communications
Abstract
Organic matter degradation and preservation are crucial components of Earth’s carbon cycle. Empirical and phenomenological models usually contain parameters determined by site-specific data and focus on different aspects of the decay and accretion characteristics. To investigate more fundamental mechanisms, this study suggests a hierarchical model that links microscopic physical quantities to macroscopic degradation and preservation patterns. This mechanistic model predicts several commonly observed phenomena, including the lognormal distribution of degradation rate constants, the recalcitrance-dependent sensitivity to temperature, the dependence of a heterogeneous organic-matter system’s persistence on its complexity, logarithmic-time decay, and power-law degradation behavior. The theoretical predictions of this model are consistent with the observational data from marine and lake environments. This hierarchical model may provide a step towards a fundamental theory of organic matter degradation and preservation in aquatic and other ecosystems.
Description
10 pages
Keywords
Carbon cycle, Limnology, Geochemistry, Marine chemistry
Citation
Shang, H. A generic hierarchical model of organic matter degradation and preservation in aquatic systems. Commun Earth Environ 4, 16 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00667-4