Microbial models with minimal mineral protection can explain long-term soil organic carbon persistence

Soil organic carbon (SOC) models currently in widespread use omit known microbial processes, and assume the existence of a SOC pool whose intrinsic properties confer persistence for centuries to millennia, despite evidence from priming and aggregate turnover that cast doubt on the existence of SOC with profound intrinsic stability. Here we show that by including microbial interactions in a SOC model, persistence can be explained as a feedback...