Cornelia Rumpel

French National Centre for Scientific Research | CNRS

Mangroves are coastal hotspots for carbon storage and yet face multiple threats from anthropogenic activities. Here we explore the role of iron-mediated organomineral interactions (FeOMIs) in soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization and their sensitivity to land use change (LUC) in Amazonian mangroves. We show that Fe oxides protect more labile SOC...

Salt marshes are among the most efficient blue carbon sinks worldwide. The fate of this carbon is uncertain due to limited knowledge about organic matter (OM) decomposition processes under sea-level rise. In an in-situ manipulative experiment, we compared salt marsh OM decomposition and quality across simulated sea-level scenarios (by modifying the...

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of two carbon (C)-rich carrier materials derived from agricultural residues, spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and composted wheat straw (CWS) for enhancing soil carbon stabilization in an Andisol, with a view towards their future application in smart fertilizer design. We investigated how their contrasting n...

We investigated the potential of earthworm casts to emit N2O, hypothesizing that emission levels are influenced by the species of earthworm and their ecological category. This study examined casts a broad taxonomic and ecological coverage of tropical earthworms, i.e., 16 different species across four ecological categories. We quantified the potenti...

Using a mesocosm experiment, we investigated the individual and interaction effects of two earthworm species with contrasting behaviour on soil structure and water transfers. The anecic species Amynthas zenkevichi (Thai, 1982) and the polyhumic endogeic species Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857) were incubated in repacked soil columns alone or...

Scientists aim to integrate observations from deep-soil-warming experiments worldwide to better understand how ecosystems vital to food security and environmental health will react to climate change.

Environmental conditions play an important role in controlling the fate of organic carbon (OC) in earthworm casts. However, the mechanisms that lead to the destabilization of OC in different land use systems are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of land use on the fate and composition of particulate organic matter (POM) a...

Understanding the relationship between soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes is crucial for sustainable land management. In this study, we examined this relationship in different cropping systems, including annual cropping systems with a legacy of varying durations (3 versus 6 years) of grasslands and continuous grassland...

Grassland management effects on soil organic carbon storage under future climate are unknown. Here we examine the impact of ley grassland durations in crop rotations on soil organic carbon in temperate climate from 2005 to 2100, considering two IPCC scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, with and without atmospheric CO2 enhancements. We used the DailyDayCen...

Compost and biochar are increasingly considered to improve crop growth and soil functioning in agriculture. However, their combined application has shown contrasting results, probably resulting from the use of different biochar/compost ratios and divergent (synergistic or antagonist) impacts on nutrient availability, especially nitrogen (N). We aim...

The mechanisms underlying soil organic matter (SOM) accrual in Technosols are still poorly understood. Here we studied a 20-year chronosequence of three Technosols constructed with dolomitic limestone mining waste: two cultivated with sugarcane (for 3 and 7 years) and one under pasture (for ∼20 years). Through a combination of SOM physical fraction...

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) represents a vital and highly dynamic component of organic matter in the environment. Despite its significance, there is still limited knowledge regarding how different base cations and chemical conditions influence the preservation of complex natural DOM through adsorption. This study aimed to investigate the adsorpt...

In this study, we combined Rock-Eval® analysis, analytical pyrolysis, and wet-chemical extractions, assisted by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and measurements of soil heterotrophic respiration. Our objective was to assess the biological and thermal stability of mixed-nature soil organic matter (SOM) derived from grass litter and k...

Surface mining is inherently linked to climate change, but more precise monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is necessary. Here we combined the geolocation of mine sites and carbon stock datasets to show that if all legal active mining sites in Brazil are exploited over the next decades, 2.55 Gt of CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) will be emitted due...

The present study examined the biosynthesis and characterization of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using two contrasting endophytic selenobacteria, one Gram-positive (Bacillus sp. E5 identified as Bacillus paranthracis) and one Gram-negative (Enterobacter sp. EC5.2 identified as Enterobacter ludwigi), for further use as biofortifying agents and/or...

Grassland management practices vary in stocking rates and plant removal strategies (grazing versus mowing). They influence organic matter (OM) inputs, which were postulated as main controls of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and might therefore control SOC stabilization. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis by investigating the...

Increasing CO2 concentrations, higher temperatures and altered precipitation regime affect organic and mineral soil properties, biogeochemical cycling and provision of ecosystem services. These effects may be direct and or indirect through their influence on vegetation and plant growth. Extreme events may affect soil degradation processes through i...

Evidence on the contribution of root regions with varied maturity levels in iron plaque (IP) formation and root exudation of metabolites and their consequences for uptake and bioavailability of chromium (Cr) remains unknown. Therefore, we applied combined nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and synchrotron-based techniques, micro-X...

Biochar is increasingly considered an efficient amendment to improve soil fertility and store carbon in soils for climate change mitigation. However, few field studies have evaluated biochar impacts on soil fauna and especially earthworms in temperate areas despite their importance for soil structure and laboratory-based evidence of potential adver...

Although the use of composts derived from anaerobic digestates as soil amendments is likely to increase in the future, there is little information concerning the fate of their C and N compounds after their incorporation into soil. This work assesses C and N concentrations and the associated changes in δ15N and δ13C during the composting processes o...

Microplastic (MP) input into agroecosystems is of particular concern as their sources are diverse (mulching films, biosolid application, wastewater irrigation, flooding, atmospheric input, road runoff). Compost application, which is needed to sustain soil ecosystem services in the context of a circular economy, may be a source of microplastics. The...

Biochar and compost are increasingly considered sustainable amendments to improve soil fertility, while reducing agrochemical use. However, the efficiency of biochar, compost, and especially their mixtures under field conditions in temperate regions is still poorly studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar/compost...

Soil organic carbon sequestration has received increasing attention due to the important benefits it can have for ecosystem services and in particular food production, climate change mitigation and adaptation. Indeed, soils rich in organic carbon are, in general, more fertile and support plant growth better than carbon-depleted soils. On the other...

In this chapter, we will discuss the effect of different grassland management practices on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. This includes comparison of grasslands with arable croplands, the role of N fertilization, and grazing strategies. Special emphasis will be given to grasslands in rotation with croppi...

As urbanisation continues to increase globally, there is increasing focus on urban soils, their potential for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration as well as the broad range of other ecosystem services they can deliver. Urban soils are heterogeneous ranging from relic soils of ecosystems before urbanisation to soils strongly modified by manageme...

This chapter provides an overview of the contents of the book and highlights key issues in understanding soil carbon sequestration.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is the transfer of CO2 from the atmosphere into soil organic matter. It, therefore, relies on photo- synthesis and plant-derived carbon (C) input, which usually occurs through biomass production. Janzen et al. (2022) reminded us that when calculating SOC sequestration potential, we should recognise the source...

Due to its influence on multiple soil processes, water intervenes in biogeochemical cycles at multiple spatial scales with contrasting effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. On all scales, water availability influences biological processes, such as plant growth and (micro-)biological activity, leading to organic matter input, its decomposit...

Due to increased drought frequency following climate change, practices improving water use efficiency and reducing water-stress are needed. The efficiency of organic amendments to improve plant growth conditions under drought is poorly known. Our aim was to investigate if organic amendments can attenuate plant water-stress due to their effect on th...

In the last decade, our understanding of plant litter decomposition and soil organic matter formation substantially improved but critical blind spots remain. Particularly, the role of detritivores, i.e. soil animals that feed on litter and soil, is poorly understood and notoriously missing from biogeochemical models. This major gap results from met...

The role of earthworms on biogeochemical carbon cycling is a major knowledge gap resulting from the difficulty of isolating and exploring the effects provided by the diversity of organisms. In this study, we investigated the effect of six earthworm species belonging to three ecological categories on soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization. To this...

Time flies, as CO2 and global temperatures continue to rise rapidly. We can no longer rely on expensive and unachievable or long-delayed new technologies, requiring investment and development to reduce carbon emissions in future decades. Current geopolitical uncertainties are looming while climate change and food insecurity are increasing, and the...

Soils have recently received attention in the policy area due to their various connections to climate change, human health and their key role in sustaining human societies in general. In this context, agricultural production and healthy nutritious food are linked to soil health and the diversity of their (micro-)biome, which depend on organic carbo...

Microplastics (MP) are ubiquitous contaminants and their presence in sewage sludge has recently received attention as they may enter agro-ecosystems if sludge is used as organic soil amendment. Indeed, plastic particles (<5 mm) can be transported from wastewater and sewage sludge to the soil environment either directly within the plastic matrix or...

Despite the potential contribution of earthworms to soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization, biophysical controls of SOC dynamics in earthworm casts and SOC residence time under field conditions are poorly known. To this end, we aimed to investigate (1) the kinetics of SOC (de-) protection in earthworm casts deposited in a tropical environment and...

The efficiency of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration as a suitable negative emission technology depends mainly on plant-derived organic carbon input and its allocation to stabilised SOC pools. These processes may be affected by fertiliser use and soil type. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the organic fertiliser poult...

Sustainable agricultural practices are needed to provide food security for a growing global population. Food production is usually associated with high nutrient inputs in the form of mineral fertilisers. Since the beginning of agriculture, such practices have led to soil degradation and the release of environmental contaminants. This book focuses o...

Not only do soils provide 98.7% of the calories consumed by humans, they also provide numerous other functions upon which planetary survivability closely depends. However, our continuously increasing focus on soils for biomass provision (food, fiber, and energy) through intensive agriculture is rapidly degrading soils and diminishing their capacity...

Sustainable soil use in the long-term may be a vital policy goal. In this chapter, we present the role of soil organic matter (SOM) for sustainable soil use and ways to lower the environmental footprint of agricultural production through focusing on (soil) organic matter management. We discuss the role of SOM in the international policy agenda ad t...

Background and aimsGrassland management practices alter plant litter input into soil in terms of quantity and quality via defoliation, nutrient input and trampling. These alterations may impact litter decomposition and soil organic matter (SOM) quality and quantity. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of four grassland management practices (un...

Plant and/or crop growth rely on nutrient dynamics driven by specific soil biota in different environments. This mini-review aims to provide an overview of interactions between soil organisms, nutrient dynamics, and C sequestration. To this end, we investigated published results from three forest plantations (eucalyptus monocultures and mixed plant...

The needs of the growing population of our societies associated with the effects of climate change are increasingly threatening the environment (soil health, ecosystem biodiversity, and forest conservation) and human welfare (food security, agricultural sustainability, access to health and education, gender equity, among others) at the beginning of...

This Special Issue contains articles presenting advances in soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration practices, considering their benefits, trade-offs and monitoring. The studies deal with (1) agricultural practices and climate change, (2) the effect of organic matter amendments, and (3) the development of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV...

Changes in climate, land use, and land management impact the occurrence and severity of wildland fires in many parts of the world. This is particularly evident in Europe, where ongoing changes in land use have strongly modified fire patterns over the last decades. Although satellite data by the European Forest Fire Information System provide large-...

Alley cropping agroforestry systems are complex agroecosystems highlighted for their positive effects on soil quality. However, the potential spatial heterogeneity of soil quality created by tree rows at the plot scale has seldom been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil quality at the plot scale, under tree rows and along transects...

Expansion of farmland with food production as a major service has been largely associated with conversion of natural ecosystems like the Amazon and Savanna into new agricultural land [...]

Interactions of earthworm species with their environment and in particular the soil they inhabit is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to use mid infrared absorption (MIR) spectroscopy of earthworm bodies in combination with discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), in order to investigate if their biogeochemical composition is...

The objective of the study was to characterise co-composting dynamics and maturity of the end products of sewage sludge/ green waste mixtures. We analysed all initial substrates and co-composts, sampled at different composting times for studying (1) physicochemical parameters and (2) organic matter biodegradation and biotransformation using pyrolys...

Microbial use efficiency is thought to greatly influence organic carbon storage in soils through the formation of decomposition products and their stabilization as organo-mineral complexes. Earthworm activity may play a significant role in these processes. Of the three ecological earthworm groups only two (endogeic and anaecic species) are thought...

Poultry manure (PM) is a great nutrients source for plant growth. PM enhances soil properties and increases the crop yield. As an important strategy to decrease the amount of inorganic phosphorus (P) fertilizers, the combined use of rock phosphate (RP) with PM has been found to be more advantageous for sustainable agriculture than their single use....

Soil is considered as a non-renewable resource, which may be lost in sloping land more rapidly than it is formed thus leading to loss of fertility and ecosystem deterioration. We hypothesized that earthworms could counteract this process due to their cast forming activity. To test this hypothesis, we quantified the production of casts in small plot...

Organic amendments may improve the quality of acidic tropical agricultural soils with low organic carbon contents under conventional management (mineral fertilization and irrigation) in Southeast Asia. We investigated the effect of biochar, compost and their combination on maize growth and yield, soil physical, biological and chemical properties at...

Biochar addition to compost is of growing interest as soil amendment. However, little is known about the evolution of material properties of biochar-compost mixtures and their effect on plants after exposure to physical weathering. This study aimed to investigate the physico-chemical characteristics of fresh and weathered biochar-compost mixtures,...

Earthworm cast ageing controls soil ecosystem services such as carbon storage and nutrient availability. To test the hypothesis that biogeochemical changes during casts ageing can be traced by infrared spectroscopy, we collected topsoil aggregates and earthworm casts produced by the anecic earthworm Amynthas khami belonging to five distinct degrada...

The effect of mineral properties on soil organic carbon (SOC) destabilization processes is poorly known. Andisols developed under temperate old-growth rain forest store important amounts of SOC due to strong mineral adsorption capacity. We evaluated the effect of mineral soil properties on microbial activity and native SOC mineralization in an incu...

Introduction of temporary grasslands into cropping cycles could be a sustainable management practice leading to increased soil organic carbon (SOC) to contribute to climate change adaption and mitigation. To investigate the impact of temporary grassland management practices on SOC storage of croplands, we used a spatially resolved sampling approach...

Although 30% of the European surface area is covered with grasslands, little is known about the effect of their management on soil quality and biogeochemical cycling. Here, we analysed soil from an experimental site in Western France, which had been under either grazing or mowing regime for 13 years. We aimed to assess the effect of the two managem...

Lagooning sludge (LS), which is used as soil amendment in Morocco, may contain microplastics (MPs). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of dewatering and co-composting of LS with green waste (GW) on the MPs’ evolution. In this context the present study proposes fast-preliminary steps to detect plastics in lagooning sewage sludge before...

Sustainable soil carbon sequestration practices need to be rapidly scaled up and implemented to contribute to climate change mitigation. We highlight that the major potential for carbon sequestration is in cropland soils, especially those with large yield gaps and/or large historic soil organic carbon losses. The implementation of soil carbon seque...

In a context of global change, soil has been identified as a potential carbon (C) sink, depending on land-use strategies. To detect the trends in carbon stocks after the implementation of new agricultural practices, early indicators, which can highlight changes in short timescales, are required. This study proposes the combined use of stable isotop...

The quality of organic soil amendments such as composts and vermicomposts can be improved by using additives during their production. However, little is known about the impact of these materials on carbon flow in the plant-soil system. We investigated the impact of organic amendments produced through composting and vermicomposting in the presence o...

The Paris Climate Agreements and Sustainable Development Goals, signed by 197 countries, present agendas and address key issues for implementing multi-scale responses for sustainable development under climate change—an effort that must involve local, regional, national, and supra-national stakeholders. In that regard, Continental Carbon Sequestrati...

Silicon (Si) exerts beneficial effects in mitigating aluminum (Al) toxicity in different plant species. These include attenuating oxidative damage and improving structural strengthening as a result of the increased production of secondary metabolites such as phenols. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of Si on phenol production and...

Feeding behavior of large herbivores determines the composition of their dung and together with environmental factors the intensity of decomposition processes leading to the recycling of nutrients in tropical forests. Large herbivore dung and its decomposition has so far been characterized by stoichiometric analyses of elements such as C and N. The...

The fate of organic matter (OM) occluded in earthworm casts during the casts' lifetime is poorly known. We collected casts produced by the anecic earthworm Amynthas khami in tropical woodland in Northern Vietnam at different times after their production. The aim of this study was to assess the (1) the effect of earthworms on biogeochemical OM prope...