Soil organic matter is the dominant carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems, and its
management is of increasing policy relevance. Soil microbes are the main drivers of soil
organic carbon sequestration, especially through accumulation of their necromass.
However, since the direct characterization of microbial necromass in soil is challenging, its
composition and formation remain unresolved. Here we provide evidence that microbial
death pathways (the distinct processes of microbial dying) in soil affect necromass …