水热条件对华西雨屏区柳杉人工林土壤氮矿化的影响

采用室内培养方法研究了温度(5、15、25和35℃)和湿度(20、40、60和80%田间持水量(FWC))对华西雨屏区柳杉(Cryptomeria fortunei)人工林表层(0~20 cm)土壤氮素矿化的影响,并探讨了温度和湿度与土壤氮素矿化的关系及土壤氮素矿化的最适温度和湿度。结果表明:在30 d的培养过程中温度和湿度均对华西雨屏区柳杉林土壤氮矿化有显著影响(p0.05);相同水分条件下,土壤净氨化速率和氮净矿化速率均随温度的升高而增加;净硝化速率先随温度的升高而增加,在25℃时达到最大值,之后又随温度的升高而降低。相同温度条件下,土壤净氨化速率、净硝化速率和氮净矿化速率均先随水分含量的升高而增加,在60%FWC时达到最大值,之后又随水分含量的升高而降低。在温度和湿度16个交互处理中,35℃和60%FWC条件下土壤净氨化速率和氮净矿化速率最高,在25℃和60%FWC条件下土壤净硝化速率最高;在5℃和20%FWC条件下土壤净氨化速率、净硝化速率和氮净矿化速率最低。土壤氮净矿化的最适温度和湿度分别为32.9℃和64.1%FWC。研究区各土壤水分含量(x1)和温度(x2)条件下的氮净矿化速率(y7)可用关系式y7=-0.5374+0.05001x2+0.04374x1-0.0009228x22-0.0003749x12+0.000215x1·x2进行估算。土壤氮矿化Q10值在5~35℃内随温度的升高而降低,氮净矿化在5~15℃内对温度敏感性最高。氮净矿化作用产生的无机氮中铵态氮占77.6~87.6%,说明该区柳杉人工林表层土壤氮矿化形成的铵态氮只有少部分转化成了硝态氮,这有利于减少研究区多雨条件下矿质氮的淋失。     

稻田土壤氮素矿化的几种方法比较

结合盆栽实验,对稻田土壤氮素矿化的几种方法进行了比较,结果表明:KC I煮沸法和碱解氮法是很好的测试土壤供氮能力的方法,淹水培养法矿化氮量与植物全氮含量相关性不高;而采用淹水培养间歇淋洗法和淹水密闭连续培养法对稻田土壤进行土壤氮素矿化的淋溶试验,结果表明:淋洗有利于土壤氮素的矿化过程。     

植烟黄壤氮素矿化动态模拟研究

研究不同温度和水分条件下植烟土壤有机氮的矿化动态,为田间土壤氮素矿化的预测提供依据。采用好气间歇淋洗方法,探求不同温度培养模式[恒温20℃,恒温35℃,变温(5、10、15、20、25、30、35、30、25、20℃)],不同温度(5~40℃)与不同土壤含水量(风干土~53%)交互作用下的土壤有机氮矿化动态,并建立回归方程。运用田间土壤氮素矿化数据,进行模型验证。结果显示,变温培养下土壤氮素矿化动态与恒温培养显著不同,变温下土壤矿化氮的累积动态以积温模型的拟合效果最好;指数模型能够较好描述土壤有机氮矿化对土壤水分含量的反应。在土壤氮素矿化积温模型和水分函数的基础上,建立了变化温度与水分条件下的土壤氮素矿化模型。田间实测矿化数据验证了此模型的可行性。因此,可以利用有效积温和土壤含水量来估测田间土壤氮素矿化量。     

有机肥氮素矿化及影响因素研究进展

本文综述了有机肥氮素矿化和影响因素的研究进展。有机肥氮素矿化的研究方法主要有室内培养法和田间原位培养法。非淋洗通气培养法和原状土柱培养法虽不破坏土壤结构,但可能低估有机氮的矿化潜力;间歇淋洗通气培养法可模拟植物吸收不断移除矿质氮,适合大批样品的快速测定,但可能高估有机氮的矿化潜力。田间原位培养法包括聚乙烯袋培养法、顶盖埋管培养法和离子交换树脂法。聚乙烯袋培养法目前使用最广泛,但具有不透水、破坏土壤结构、矿质氮损失等缺点,顶盖埋管培养法虽可透水且不易被损坏,但可引起矿化氮流失。离子交换树脂芯法在不破坏土壤原状的条件下进行培养,虽费时、费力,但对土壤温度、湿度、通气状况反应灵敏,并可消除矿质氮累积的影响。影响有机肥氮素矿化的因素主要包括有机肥特性、温度、水分、土壤质地、施肥等因素。关于畜禽粪便的种类、熟化程度、C/N比、碳氮化合物组成等影响有机肥的矿化量和矿化动力学特征的研究较多。用有效积温来表示有机肥的矿化与温度之间的关系更为合理。目前,关于水分的影响,主要集中在干湿交替对有机氮矿化的影响;关于土壤质地的影响,主要集中在研究粘粒含量与有机质矿化的关系;关于施肥的影响,则重点研究氮肥、钾肥对有机氮矿化和粘土矿物固定氮的影响。今后,研究重点应放在有机肥矿化与有机氮组分关系、与植物有效性关系、有机肥替代化肥当量和替代率以及室内研究结果如何应用到田间指导合理施肥。     

对间隙淋洗长期通气培养条件下黄土高原土壤供氮能力的评价

采用间隙淋洗长期通气培养法,通过对黄土高原物理化学性质差异较大的10种农田土样起始矿质氮、起始提取态总氮、起始可溶性有机氮,以及培养期间淋洗矿质氮、淋洗总氮、可溶性有机氮含量及其与作物吸氮量关系的研究,分析并评价黄土高原主要农田土壤氮素矿化能力以及包括和不包括培养淋洗可溶性有机氮对土壤供氮能力的影响。结果表明,供试土样起始可溶性有机氮平均为N 23.9 mg/kg,是起始提取态总氮的28.8%,土壤全氮的2.4%。在通气培养淋洗总氮中,可溶性有机氮所占比例不高,经过217 d通气培养,淋洗出的可溶性有机氮平均为N 28.8mg/kg,占淋洗总氮量的19.8%。相关分析表明,淋洗可溶性有机氮量与第1季作物吸氮量相关不显著,但与连续2季作物总吸氮量显著相关。淋洗矿质氮、淋洗总氮与两季作物总吸氮量的相关系数明显高于与第一季作物吸氮量的相关系数;与第一季作物吸氮量达显著相关水平,与连续两季作物吸氮量达极显著相关水平。总体上看,可溶性有机氮和土壤全氮、土壤微生物氮不能作为反映短期可矿化氮的指标;间隙淋洗通气培养淋洗液中淋洗矿质氮、淋洗总氮是评价可矿化氮的较好指标,不仅适宜于第一季作物,而且也适用于对连续两季作物土壤供氮能力的评价。     

半湿润地区土垫旱耕人为土不同土层氮矿化的水温效应研究

本论文以半湿润地区土垫旱耕人为土(褐土)为供试土样,应用长期通气培养法,研究了湿度和温度对090cm土壤剖面不同土层(每30.cm为1土层)氮素矿化的影响。每层土壤设11.0、15.0、19.0、23.0、27.0%5个土壤水分等级和8.0、16.0、24.03、2.0、40.0℃5个温度等级,共25个处理,在恒温培养箱中进行培养。培养期间分别在7、14、21、354、9、63和84.d取样测定矿化氮累积量。结果表明,不同土层土壤有机氮的矿化累积量均随温度、水分含量升高而增加,各土层增幅的大小顺序为030.cm3060.cm6090.cm。030.cm土层矿化氮是090.cm土层可矿化氮的主体,其矿化氮占67.9%。不同土层土壤氮素矿化过程不同:在培养期间030.cm土层氮素矿化量与培养时间符合线性关系,而3060.cm和6090.cm土层符合对数函数;不同土层氮素矿化速率k与含水量w间为直线关系,相关系数r在0.93以上,030.cm土层的k值对温度反应最为敏感,其次为3060.cm土层,以6090cm土层反应最小。总体上看,在较高温度培养条件下,随温度增加,土层越深,矿化速率增加越慢;温度和水分对不同土层土壤氮素矿化具有明显的正交互作用。对030.cm土层,在高温情况下水分效果更加突出;而对3060cm和6090.cm土层,温度效应比水分效果更加突出。     

贵州省主要植烟黄壤氮素矿化潜力研究

采用Stanford间歇淋洗好气培养法研究了贵州省9个主要烤烟产区的943份植烟黄壤样品的氮素矿化势,并抽取典型代表样品93份测定了矿化率常数.结果表明,贵州省主要植烟黄壤的氮矿化速率常数平均为0.031 mg kg-1d-1,氮素矿化势平均为92.8 mg kg-1,变幅在10.2 ～280.5 mg kg-1.不同植烟区域氮素矿化势差异较大,安顺、毕节、贵阳、六盘水、黔东南、黔南、黔西南、铜仁和遵义的土壤矿化势分别为103.5、90.6、71.0、116.2、91.1、89.0、79.6、84.6和99.6 mg kg-1.贵州省主要植烟黄壤的潜在供氮能力以中部地区较低,向四周辐射潜在供氮能力增强,六盘水和黔东南部分烟区潜在供氮能力过高.土壤有机质含量与植烟黄壤潜在供氮能力呈显著正相关,可采用指数函数模型对植烟黄壤氮素矿化势进行初步估测.在宏观上把握贵州省主要植烟黄壤的潜在供氮能力,可以为贵州省烤烟种植的合理布局提供依据.     

温度和水分对典型香型烟区植烟土壤氮素矿化的影响

为探究典型香型烟区植烟土壤氮素矿化特征及其与温度和水分的关系,采用室内培养试验研究了土壤温度(15、28、37℃)和土壤相对含水量(50%、65%、80%田间持水量)对云南大理、贵州毕节、河南许昌3个典型香型产区植烟土壤氮素矿化的影响。结果表明:不同地区植烟土壤矿质氮和矿化速率变化规律与温度和水分密切相关。3个产区植烟土壤的矿质氮含量和矿化速率均随着温度的升高而升高,在同一温度条件下,以土壤有机质含量较高的云南大理土壤矿化量较大,有机质含量较低的河南许昌土壤矿化量较小。不同地区植烟土壤含水量与氮素矿化的关系不尽相同,土壤相对黏重的贵州毕节土壤以50%田间持水量处理土壤氮素矿化量和矿化速率最大,以80%田间持水量处理最不利于氮素矿化;而质地相对较轻的河南许昌土壤和云南大理土壤均为在65%田间持水量条件下最有利于氮素矿化,以50%田间持水量处理氮素矿化量较小。基于一级动力学方程的模拟,3个植烟土壤的潜在矿化氮库(N0)都随温度的增加而提高,总体以28～37℃的培养温度较为适宜,低于15℃不利于土壤有机氮的矿化,3个植烟土壤的N0以云南大理最高,河南许昌最低;土壤矿化速率常数(K)以云南大理最大。土壤相对含水量也对N0有一定影响,且土壤温度和含水量对不同土壤氮素矿化量和矿化速率均存在显著的互作影响,合理调控土壤温度和土壤相对含水量,可以有效调节不同生态烟区土壤氮素矿化动态变化。     

农田黑土氮素转化特征对冻融作用的响应

为了深入了解非生长季农田黑土氮素转化过程,采用室内冻融模拟培养试验研究了不同冻融因子[冻融温度(冻结温度:-3、-6、-9、-12、-15℃;融化温度:2、5℃)、冻融循环次数(1、3、6、10、15;其中在-3℃冻结6 d、2℃融化1 d为1个冻融循环次数)、水分含量(10%、20%、30%)]对农田黑土无机氮组分含量及氮素转化速率的影响。结果表明,较大的冻融温差(-15℃/2～5℃)、适宜的冻融循环次数(1～3)和水分含量(20%～30%)是影响农田黑土氮素转化的主要驱动因子。冻融土壤铵态氮含量、硝态氮含量、净氮矿化速率和硝化速率均随着冻结温度降低显著增加,均随着融化温度升高无显著性变化。随着冻融循环次数增加,冻融土壤铵态氮含量、硝态氮含量、净氮矿化速率和硝化速率均显著降低。随着水分含量增加,冻融土壤铵态氮含量显著增加,这与硝态氮的变化趋势相反,而净氮矿化速率和硝化速率均无显著性变化。可见,冻融作用显著促进非生长季农田黑土氮素转化,有利于土壤有效氮的累积。     

有机肥和化肥长期配合施用对土壤及不同粒级供氮特性的影响

通过间隙淋洗培养试验 ,研究水旱轮作下有机肥与化肥长期配合施用后土壤及不同粒级中氮的矿化特性。结果表明 ,经 14年 2 9茬连续施肥后土壤氮素矿化势明显增加 ,不同处理间的顺序为 :猪粪 化肥 (3 10mgkg- 1) >秸秆 化肥 (2 98mgkg- 1) >化肥 (2 76mgkg- 1) >对照 (2 0 4mgkg- 1)。长期施肥对土壤氮素矿化速率常数影响较小 ,反映了在相同土壤条件下有机氮矿化的共性。经 16周连续培养各处理土壤氮素的矿化率均在 17%左右。土壤不同粒级中氮的矿化量和矿化势均为 0～ 2 μm >2～ 10 μm >50～ 10 0 μm >10～ 50 μm ,有机肥与化肥长期配合施用显著增加了 0～ 2和 2～ 10 μm粒级氮的矿化势和矿化量。与盆栽试验结果相比 ,培养过程矿化释放的氮明显高于同期土壤的供氮量 ,表明在使用矿化氮评价土壤供氮能力时必须加以矫正。     

旱地土壤氮素矿化参数与氮素形态的关系

应用间歇淋洗培养方法 ,以长期不同培肥定位试验土壤为研究对象 ,求得土壤氮素矿化参数 ,并探讨氮素矿化潜势 (N0)、碱解氮、微生物氮、可浸提易矿化氮、全氮之间的关系。结果表明 ,在 35℃和 20℃条件下培养 ,一级动力学模型能够很好的拟合试验数据 ,模拟方程和模拟参数均达到极显著水平。经过 15年的培肥和轮作 ,无论是单施氮肥区 ,还是氮肥与有机肥配合施用区 ,N0均有不同程度的增加 ,这标志着土壤活性有机氮库增加。k值变化范围在0.004628～0.013148d-1之间 ,说明可矿化氮以每天 0.46 %～1.31%的平均速率矿化释放。而且 ,在本试验条件下 ,淋洗液中均含有一定数量的可溶性有机态N ,因此进行氮素矿化研究时 ,同时测定NH4-N、NO3-N和Norg的含量是必要的。 35℃下 ,N0 占全氮的比例为 7.23%～17.36% ,变异系数30.4% ;易矿化有机态氮占全氮的比例为0.27%～0.48% ,变异系数 200% ;碱解氮占全氮的比例为 5.55%～6.54% ,变异系数仅 5.8% ;微生物氮占全氮的比例在 2.16%～5.18%之间 ,变异系数28.8%。从几种指标测得的平均值看 ,N0碱解氮 微生物氮 易矿化氮 ,而变异系数是N0微生物氮 易矿化氮 碱解氮。虽然N0的绝对值远高于田间实际矿化量 ,     

洱海流域减氮施肥条件下水稻产量和土壤剖面氮磷变化特征

[目的]研究实现水稻稳产和土壤氮磷淋失低风险的肥料管理措施,以减少农田养分进入流域水域的风险,并提高农业生产的效益.[方法]田间试验在云南大理国家农田生态系统野外观测研究站进行,种植制度为水稻–大蒜–水稻–蚕豆轮作,试验连续进行了两年.设置8个水稻施肥处理:不施肥(CK);常规施肥(CF);减施20％常规肥(T1);等...     

Regulation of nitrogen mineralization and nitrification in Southern Appalachian ecosystems: Separating the relative importance of biotic vs. abiotic controls

Long-term measurements of soil nitrogen (N) transformations along an environmental gradient within the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory basin in western North Carolina showed a strong seasonal pattern and suggested that vegetation community type—through its influence on soil properties—was an important regulating factor. Our objective was to determine the relative effects of biotic vs. abiotic factors on soil N transformations. During the 1999 and 2000 growing seasons we transplanted soil cores from each of the five gradient plots to all other gradient plots for their 28-day in situ incubation. N mineralization and nitrification rates in soils from the northern hardwood (NH) site were significantly increased when soils were transplanted to warmer sites. N mineralization rates also increased in transplanted soil from the dry mixed-oak/pine site to a wetter site. Multiple regression analysis of N mineralization from all five sites found that biotic (total soil N and C:N ratios) and climatic factors (moisture and temperature) regulate N mineralization. Regression analyses of individual sites showed that N mineralization rates responded to variation in temperature and moisture at only the high elevation northern hardwood site and moisture alone on the dry warm mixed-oak/pine site. N mineralization was unrelated to temperature or moisture at any of the other sites. Results indicate that soil properties plus climatic conditions affect soil N transformations along the environmental gradient at Coweeta. Environmental controls were significant only at the extreme sites; i.e., at the wettest and warmest sites and soils with highest and lowest C and N contents. The high degree of temperature sensitivity for the northern hardwood soils indicates potentially large responses to climatic change at these sites.     

Quantifying soil water effects on nitrogen mineralization from soil organic matter and from fresh crop residues

A loamy sand was incubated with and without addition of carrot leaves at six different water contents ranging from 6% to 20% (g 100 g^-1 dry soil) and N mineralization was monitored during 98 days. We calculated zero- and first-order rates for mineralization in the unamended soil and first-order rates for N mineralization in the residue-amended soil. Although N mineralization was strongly affected by soil moisture, rates were still important at 6% water content (corresponding to permanent wilting point), particularly in the residue-amended soil. Soil water content was recalculated as soil water tension and as percent water-filled pore space (%WFPS) and a parabolic, a logistic and a Gaussian-type function were fitted to the relation between N mineralization rates and water content, %WFPS or pF. Water potential was a less suitable parameter than either %WFPS or water content to describe the soil water influence on N mineralization, because N mineralization rates were extremely sensitive to changes in the water potential in the range of pF values between 1.5 and 2.5. In the residue-amended soil the Gaussian model yielded an optimum %WFPS of 56% for N mineralization, which is slightly lower than optimum values cited in literature. N mineralization in the unamended soil was more influenced by soil water than N mineralization from fresh crop residues. This could be explained by less water limitation of the microbial population decomposing the residues, due to the water content of the residues. The effect of the water contained in the residues was most pronounced in the lowest water content treatments. The water retention curves of both undisturbed and repacked soil were determined and suggested that extrapolation of results obtained during laboratory incubations, using disturbed soil, to field conditions will be difficult unless soil bulk density effects are accounted for, as is the case with the use of %WFPS.     

Soil water effects on the use of heat units to predict crop residue carbon and nitrogen mineralization

Soil heat units (degree days) have previously been shown to predict net N mineralization from crop residues and papermil sludge. The present study was designed to identity the effects of soil water potential on predictions of mineralization with heat units and to compare field and laboratory results of white lupin (Lupinus albus L. cv. Ultra) N mineralization. Lupin-amended soil and unamended controls were incubated at factorial combinations of temperature (15, 20, and 25°C) and soil moisture (-0.30,-0.03, and-0.01 MPa) for 198 days. Incorporation of the lupin residue resulted in net N immobilization. No net N mineralization had been observed for any temperature at a soil moisture level of-0.30 MPa by the close of the incubation study. The number of heat units that accumulated until commencement of net N mineralization did not differ for five of the six remaining temperature x water treatment combinations.The number of heat units that accumulated until net N mineralization began (2058–2814 degree-days) in the present study were similar to those reported in a complementary field study (1990–2360 degree-days). Temperature and moisture interactively affected lupin-residue C mineralization. The cumulative substrate C that had evolved by the time of net N mineralization did not differ for a given temperature between soil moisture levels of-0.03 and-0.01 MPa. Heat units were not useful for describing crop-residue C mineralization in this study. Heat units appear to adequately predict net N mineralization from organic residues at soil water potentials within the-0.03 to-0.01 MPa range, but may not be valid for prolonged drier conditions.     

N mineralization and nitrate leaching from vegetable crop residues under field conditions: a model evaluation

Six different vegetable crop residues were incorporated in the field and N mineralization from the residues and from an unamended plot was followed over 4 months by periodically monitoring mineral N contents of the soil. The crop residues were also fractionated according to a modified Stevenson chemical fractionation. Nitrogen mineralization parameters of the first order kinetic model N(t)=N_A(1−e^−kt) were derived from the chemical fractionation data. The first order model was used in combination with a model describing the temperature dependence of N mineralization and a simple leaching model to predict N mineralization rates and nitrate redistribution after crop residue incorporation under field conditions. Comparison of predicted and measured mineral N contents in the upper soil layer (0–30 cm) before the start of leaching showed that the model was able to predict N mineralization from both soil organic matter and crop residues under field conditions. From the onset of leaching, mineral N contents were slightly overestimated in the upper layer and underestimated in the lower soil layers. Although the Burns leaching model underestimated the leaching rate, the general pattern of nitrate movement was simulated satisfactorily. Statistical analysis using the variance ratio test yielded small but significant F values, indicating that the model can still be improved. The modelling efficiency was rather high and the coefficient of residual mass very close to zero. Linear regression between measured and simulated nitrate contents over the whole profile (0–120 cm) for all samplings yielded Y=9.6+0.876X (r=0.94***) with all deviations smaller than 25 kg N ha⁻¹. Total N mineralization ranged from 48 kg N ha⁻¹ for the control plot to 136 kg N ha⁻¹ for the plots with cauliflower residues and cumulative leaching losses from 26–66 kg N ha⁻¹, with most of the mineral N left in the 60–120 cm layer. These results show that N losses by leaching in winter can be high when vegetable crop residues are incorporated, even when there is little mineral N in the soil at the time of incorporation.     

田间条件下氮的矿化及硝态氮淋溶研究

采用SRC（Soil-Resin-Core）装置，研究了重庆市主要土壤类型的氮矿化差异以及与硝态氮淋溶的关系。研究结果表明，微酸性紫色土（菜地）的氮索矿化量、硝态氮淋失量和有效氮的变幅均较大，而其它两种坡耕地变化的氮素矿化景和硝态氮的淋失量变幅均较小。相关分析表明：在微酸性紫色土中，影响硝态氮淋失的主要因素是矿化量，且二者呈显著正相关；而其它两种坡耕地土壤的矿化量与硝态氮淋失量不表现相关性。这就表明不同土壤矿化、硝态氮淋失的情况有差异。     

Nitrogen mineralization in relation to site history and soil properties for a range of Australian forest soils

Rates of N mineralization were measured in 27 forest soils encompassing a wide range of forest types and management treatments in south-east Australia. Undisturbed soil columns were incubated at 20°C for 68 days at near field-capacity water content, and N mineralization was measured in 5-cm depth increments to 30 cm. The soils represented three primary profile forms: gradational, uniform and duplex. They were sampled beneath mature native Eucalyptus sp. forest and from plantations of Pinus radiata of varying age (<1 to 37 years). Several sites had been fertilized, irrigated, or intercropped with lupins. The soils ranged greatly in total soil N concentrations, C:N ratios, total P, and sand, silt, and clay contents. Net N mineralization for individual soil profiles (0–30 cm depth) varied from 2.0 to 66.6 kg ha^-1 over 68 days, with soils from individual depths mineralizing from <0 (immobilization) to 19.3 kg ha^-1 per 5 cm soil depth. Only 0.1–3.1% of the total N present at 0–30 cm in depth was mineralized during the incubation, and both the amount and the percentage of total N mineralized decreased with increasing soil depth. N fertilization, addition of slash residues, or intercropping with lupins in the years prior to sampling increased N mineralization. Several years of irrigation of a sandy soil reduced levels of total N and C, and lowered rates of N mineralization. Considuring all soil depths, the simple linear correlations between soil parameters (C, N, P, C:N, C:P, N:P, coarse sand, fine sand, silt, clay) and N mineralization rates were generally low (r<0.53), but these improved for total N (r=0.82) and organic C (r=0.79) when the soils were grouped into primary profile forms. Prediction of field N-mineralization rates was complicated by the poor correlations between soil properties and N mineralization, and temporal changes in the pools of labile organic-N substrates in the field.     

Impact of harvest residue management on soil nitrogen dynamics in Eucalyptus globulus plantations in south western Australia

More than 200,000 ha of short rotation Eucalyptus globulus plantations have been established in south-western Australia to supply wood for the pulp and paper industries. Sustaining the productivity of these tree crops over successive rotations will depend in part on maintenance of soil fertility, especially soil nitrogen (N) supply. We investigated the impact of four alternative strategies for management of harvest residues on soil N dynamics in recently logged first rotation plantations. The experiments were conducted over 5 years following harvesting at two sites with contrasting soils—a coarse textured grey sand over laterite (Podzol) with low natural fertility and a relatively fertile red earth soil (Ferralsol). At the grey sand site, 31 t ha⁻¹ of residues containing 219 kg N ha⁻¹ were deposited following harvest while at the red earth site the equivalent figures were 51 t ha⁻¹ of residues and 347 kg N ha⁻¹. Experimental treatments applied included residues burned, removed, retained and retained with double the amount of residues. The impact of treatments on soil nitrogen supply was investigated by incubating intact soil cores in the field to determine rates of net N mineralization. Additionally, the effect of treatments on soil moisture and temperature, the resident pool of soil mineral N and the amount of N potentially available for mineralization was assessed. The mulching effect of retained residues resulted in higher soil moisture where residues had been retained and a trend for soil on these treatments to dry out more slowly with the onset of the dry summer season, especially in the first year following harvest. Diurnal variations in soil temperature were moderated and average soil temperatures were reduced during summer where residues were retained. Concentrations of mineral N in soil were high in the 2 years following harvest at both sites and declined as newly established seedlings developed. At the more fertile site, where mineral N occurred predominantly as nitrate, retention of residues resulted in lower pools of soil mineral N following harvest. The effect of residue treatments on soil mineral N pools was less marked at the grey sand site. Concentrations of potentially mineralizable soil N and the amounts of N mineralized annually were greater where residues were retained at both sites. The results indicate that retention of harvest residues will favour the conservation of N following logging. However, accumulation of soil mineral N following harvesting due to reduced plant uptake will result in leaching of N early in the rotation that is largely independent of residue management. Retaining harvest residues will contribute to enhanced N supply for the next tree crop through mineralization in the long term. However, on some sites, additions of nitrogenous fertilizers will still be required to maximise the rate of tree growth.