A new scientific publication developed through the work of CONCERTO partners from CREAF has been published in the Science Advances journal, offering new insights into how soil microorganisms regulate carbon storage across ecosystems worldwide.

The study, titled “Productivity-driven decoupling of microbial carbon use efficiency and respiration across global soils”, investigates the relationship between microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and soil respiration - two key processes that influence the global carbon cycle and climate regulation.

Soil microorganisms play a central role in determining whether carbon is stored in soils or released back into the atmosphere. However, understanding how efficiently microbes use carbon, and how this relates to long-term soil carbon storage, has remained a major scientific challenge.

To address this, the researchers applied a stoichiometry-based approach that considers how microbial communities adapt to resource availability and environmental constraints over time. By analysing 1,094 paired observations across natural ecosystems worldwide, the study identified a nonlinear relationship between microbial carbon use efficiency and soil respiration rates.

The findings reveal clear differences between ecosystems. In low-productivity environments such as arid and cold regions, microbial carbon use efficiency decreases as respiration increases. In contrast, highly productive tropical and temperate ecosystems show a stabilisation of microbial efficiency at relatively low levels, even when respiration rates continue to rise.

According to the study, this pattern reflects a trade-off between microbial growth and the maintenance of internal nutrient balance, leading to a decoupling between microbial growth and respiration processes. As a result, productive ecosystems may have a more limited capacity to store additional soil carbon than previously assumed.

These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of global soil carbon dynamics and provide valuable knowledge for improving climate and ecosystem models. The publication further highlights the important scientific contribution of CONCERTO partners from CREAF in advancing research on ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycles, and climate change interactions.

A new scientific publication developed through the work of CONCERTO partners from CREAF has been published in Nature Communications journal, providing important new insights into how terrestrial plants respond to water stress under changing climate conditions.

The study, titled “Global distribution and changes of leaf-level intrinsic water use efficiency and their responses to water stress”, explores the global patterns and long-term changes in intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) — a key indicator of how efficiently plants use water during photosynthesis. Understanding these dynamics is essential for improving climate predictions and assessing ecosystem resilience in a warming world.

Using machine-learning models combined with carbon isotope observations in C3 plant foliage, the researchers analysed global patterns of leaf-level iWUE between 2001 and 2020. The findings reveal that plants in colder and drier regions tend to use water more efficiently, while lower efficiency is observed in warm and humid environments.

The study also shows that global iWUE has steadily increased over the past two decades, although significant differences exist between ecosystems. Grasslands displayed the highest average iWUE values but experienced the slowest rate of increase, while evergreen broadleaf forests showed lower average efficiency yet the fastest growth over time.

Importantly, the research demonstrates that plant water-use efficiency increases under greater water stress, although this response weakens as stress intensifies. The analysis further identifies vapor pressure deficit, a measure linked to atmospheric dryness, as a more influential driver of iWUE changes than soil moisture.

The CONCERTO project is launching a new video interview series, “CONCERTO – Through the Eyes of the Experts”, offering audiences a closer look at the people, ideas, and scientific goals driving the project forward. 

The campaign begins with an introductory video that presents the experts behind the project and explores what makes CONCERTO exciting and meaningful for them. Featuring Stefano Materia (BSC), Simone Mantovani (MEEO), Catherine Morfopoulos (ICL), Sébastien Garrigues (ECMWF), Pier Luigi Vidale (UREAD), and Daniele Peano (CMCC), the first episode highlights the collaborative spirit of the project and the shared motivation to improve our understanding of the Earth’s complex systems.

The introductory video marks the beginning of a broader communication campaign that will continue with six follow-up episodes. Each upcoming video will focus on a specific topic and objective within the project, explaining key scientific concepts and demonstrating their relevance to real-world environmental challenges. Topics explored throughout the series will include data sharing platform, Earth observation, Earth system models, photosynthesis and ecosystem processes, the carbon cycle, and land system models.

By combining expert insights with accessible storytelling, the series aims to create an engaging and informative experience for viewers from both scientific and non-scientific backgrounds. Through these conversations, CONCERTO hopes to inspire greater awareness of the importance of collaborative environmental research and the role science plays in understanding and protecting the planet.