Plant communities as modulators of soil carbon storage

In this chapter, we evaluate the role of various plant community attributes as determinants of soil carbon cycling and storage. We firstly consider how vegetation composition influences carbon uptake, the molecular forms and stabilization of soil carbon, and losses of carbon while highlighting contrasts across vegetation types. We then discuss the various roles of the soil microbial community in these processes, consider the importance of diurnal and seasonal cycles, and the potential effect of climate change on soil carbon cycling and storage. We also provide case studies to illustrate the mechanisms by which vegetation composition impacts soil carbon storage and identify important gaps in vegetation models that seek to predict soil carbon dynamics at regional and global scales.