Hidden Role of Trophic Cascade Effects for Soil Carbon Sequestration in Alpine Tundra

C uptake. This predator-driven energy dissipation was 2-14 times greater in HM than in NM soils and constituted an inefficient carbon sequestration pathway that limited the formation of stable carbon pools. As a result, SOC turnover in HM soils was more than 50% lower than in NM soils, indicating a shift toward less stable organic matter forms and reduced net carbon accumulation. Overall, our findings demonstrate that soil food webs play a pivotal role in both "belowground shaping" and "aboveground feedback" processes during herbaceous plant migration and that strengthened trophic cascade effects redirect carbon flow toward inefficient pathways, thereby constraining SOC sequestration in alpine tundra ecosystems.