Fig. 8: Synoptic overview on which properties varied with the soil moisture regime.

C loss from particulate organic matter (POM) and the redistribution of C in the soil matrix at the µm scale were mainly (but not exclusively) governed by soil moisture regime. The remaining properties (macroporosity, mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) and POM content, POM distribution at the mm scale, bioavailability, and biodegradability) were influenced by other factors, among them mineralogy, land use, and productivity. The size of gray circles represents the magnitude of macroscale properties. Morphological POM types are interpreted towards the decomposition stage (fresh, decomposed). Different shades of brown and gray represent C contents in MAOM and POM, respectively. The microscopy icon, \({{{{{\boldsymbol{\propto }}}}}}\), and \({{{{{\boldsymbol{\approx }}}}}}\) represents image-derived properties, “proportional” and “approximately”, respectively.