Carbon flux from plants to soil: roots are a below-ground source of phenolic secondary compounds in an alpine ecosystem

1 Phenolics are an important, biologically reactive component of the carbon (C) pool that moves from plants to soil. Once in soil, phenolics can regulate plant?soil feedbacks because of their influence on soil nitrogen biogeochemistry. 2 Roots are a largely overlooked potential source of below-ground phenolic C. We examined phenolic fluxes from plants to soil in an alpine ecosystem, where phenolics are associated with slow rates of nutrient cycling. Using a phenolic-rich forb (Acomastylis rossii) and a grass with low tissue phenolics (Deschampsia caespitosa), we asked whether leaves, leaf litter or roots are the dominant source of soil phenolics during the growing season. We also determined whether the composition...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Journal of Ecology, decomposition, phenolics, plant litter, plant secondary compounds, All tags... plant?soil interactions, rhizodeposition, root exudation, soil nitrogen, tannins, Fewer tags