Grazing reverses climate-induced soil carbon gains on the Tibetan Plateau
Abstract Soil carbon stocks on the Tibetan Plateau are widely considered to be increasingly threatened by drastic climate warming and intensified livestock grazing. But it remains elusive due to unconstrained model projections. Here we integrate large-scale soil campaigns, soil incubation with paire...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62332-6 |
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| author | Shuai Ren Tao Wang Xinhui Ji Liang Wei Jianjun Wei Yingfang Cao Jinzhi Ding |
| author_facet | Shuai Ren Tao Wang Xinhui Ji Liang Wei Jianjun Wei Yingfang Cao Jinzhi Ding |
| author_sort | Shuai Ren |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Soil carbon stocks on the Tibetan Plateau are widely considered to be increasingly threatened by drastic climate warming and intensified livestock grazing. But it remains elusive due to unconstrained model projections. Here we integrate large-scale soil campaigns, soil incubation with paired grazing experiments to project impacts of climate change and grazing on soil carbon stocks in a three-pool soil carbon model. While Tibetan soils will act as a carbon sink, over half of the gains occur in active or unprotected pools, making them vulnerable to extreme events and grazing. Although thermokarst processes may not reverse this trend, continued livestock grazing at current levels, or even a transition to a forage-livestock balanced state, could nearly offset climate-induced benefits. We highlight the critical need to optimize grazing to sustain soil carbon sinks on the Tibetan Plateau, and emphasize the importance of incorporating grazing impacts on soil carbon stocks into Earth system models. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f5293c9fa18c43eb92f985d935c4e306 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-f5293c9fa18c43eb92f985d935c4e3062025-08-20T03:05:09ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111010.1038/s41467-025-62332-6Grazing reverses climate-induced soil carbon gains on the Tibetan PlateauShuai Ren0Tao Wang1Xinhui Ji2Liang Wei3Jianjun Wei4Yingfang Cao5Jinzhi Ding6State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesQinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Region, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Soil carbon stocks on the Tibetan Plateau are widely considered to be increasingly threatened by drastic climate warming and intensified livestock grazing. But it remains elusive due to unconstrained model projections. Here we integrate large-scale soil campaigns, soil incubation with paired grazing experiments to project impacts of climate change and grazing on soil carbon stocks in a three-pool soil carbon model. While Tibetan soils will act as a carbon sink, over half of the gains occur in active or unprotected pools, making them vulnerable to extreme events and grazing. Although thermokarst processes may not reverse this trend, continued livestock grazing at current levels, or even a transition to a forage-livestock balanced state, could nearly offset climate-induced benefits. We highlight the critical need to optimize grazing to sustain soil carbon sinks on the Tibetan Plateau, and emphasize the importance of incorporating grazing impacts on soil carbon stocks into Earth system models.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62332-6 |
| spellingShingle | Shuai Ren Tao Wang Xinhui Ji Liang Wei Jianjun Wei Yingfang Cao Jinzhi Ding Grazing reverses climate-induced soil carbon gains on the Tibetan Plateau Nature Communications |
| title | Grazing reverses climate-induced soil carbon gains on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Grazing reverses climate-induced soil carbon gains on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Grazing reverses climate-induced soil carbon gains on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grazing reverses climate-induced soil carbon gains on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Grazing reverses climate-induced soil carbon gains on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | grazing reverses climate induced soil carbon gains on the tibetan plateau |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62332-6 |
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