Land management effects on nitrogen and carbon cycling in an Ultisol

Abstract

Soil carbon (C) content in agro‐ecosystems is important in a global context because of the potential for soil to act as a sink for atmospheric CO₂. However, soil C storage in agro‐ecosystems can be sensitive to land management practices. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of land management systems on C and nitrogen (N) cycling in an Ultisol in Alabama. Soil samples (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm depths) were collected from a Marvyn sandy loam soil (fine‐loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Hapludults) under five different farm scale management systems for at least 5 years. The five systems were cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production managed with 1) conventional tillage only, 2) conventional tillage with a grazed winter cover crop (wheat, Triticum aestivum L.), 3) conservation tillage with a winter cover crop grown for cover only with strip tillage; or taken out of cotton production with either 4) long‐term fallow (mowed), or 5) Conservation Reserve Program with loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) (CRP‐pine). Total N, total organic C (TOC), total P, and soil C:N ratios were determined. Potential C mineralization, N mineralization, C turnover and C:N mineralization ratios were determined on samples during a 30‐day laboratory incubation study. The fallow system had significantly higher TOC concentration (7.7 g kg^‐1 C) while the CRP‐pine system had lower TOC concentration (3.1 g kg^‐1 C) compared with the farmed management systems (=4.7 g kg^‐1 C). The fallow system had a significantly lower C turnover at all three soil depths compared with the other management systems. At the 0–10 cm depth, the highest C:N mineralization ratio levels were observed in management systems receiving the most tillage. Our results indicate that for Ultisols in the Southeast the use of surface tillage in land management systems is a controlling factor which may limit soil C sequestration.     

Tillage effects on plant extractable soil water in a silty clay vertisol in Southern Italy

This paper describes how the CERES-Wheat simulation model can be used to estimate tillage effects on soil water regimes of a silty clay soil in Foggia, Southern Italy. The four tillage treatments compared are traditional mouldboard ploughing, ripper subsoiling, surface disc-harrowing and minimum tillage with rotary hoeing under continuous durum wheat cropping. For each tillage treatment the CERES-Wheat model was used to calculate the water balance for several layers in the root zone.

The water balance routine of the model estimates the water content within saturation and the lower limit at any time. Inputs required by the model are some basic information about the site, weather, genetic parameters and management practices as well as some soil properties, such as albedo, bulk density, organic matter and N contents. The model was calibrated by estimating the genetic parameters for the minimum tillage treatment in the season 1984–1985. The same set of parameters was used for the subsequent validation procedure. Statistical tests proved that the match between measured and simulated soil water content values was quite good. The simulation results also showed some differences among different tillage treatments. The model predicted the lowest plant extractable soil water values and a different water content distribution along the soil profile of the ripper subsoiling in comparison with the other tillage treatments. The soil water content was lower until 20–40 cm depth and higher at 40–60 cm depth in the ripper treatment as compared with the others. In deeper layers differences became non-significant. This might be due to the cracks produced by the ripper through which rainfall infiltrated in deep layers.     

Tillage and amendment effects on soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization and phosphorus release

The influence of tillage and nutrient amendment management on nutrient cycling processes in soil have substantial implications for environmentally sound practices regarding their use. The effects of 2 years of tillage and soil amendment regimes on the concentrations of soil organic matter variables (carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) and C and N mineralization and P release were determined for a Dothan fine-sandy loam soil in southeastern Alabama. Tillage systems investigated were strip (or conservation) and conventional tillage with various soil nutrient amendments that included no amendment, mineral fertilizer, and poultry waste (broiler litter). Surface soil (0–10 cm depth increment) organic matter variables were determined for all tillage/amendment combinations. Carbon and N mineralization and P release were determined on surface soils for each field treatment combination in a long-term laboratory incubation. Soil organic P concentration was 60% greater in soils that had been conventionally tilled, as compared with strip-tilled, both prior to and following laboratory incubation. Carbon and N mineralization results reflected the effects of prior tillage amendment regime, where soils maintained under strip-till/broiler litter mineralized the greatest amount of C and N. Determination of relative N mineralization indicated that strip tillage had promoted a more readily mineralizable pool of N (6.1%) than with conventional till (4.2%); broiler litter amendments had a larger labile N fraction (6.7%) than was found in soils receiving either mineral fertilizer (4.1%) or no amendment (4.7%). Tillage also affected P release measured during the incubation study, where approximately 20% more inorganic P was released from strip-tilled soils than from those maintained under conventional tillage. Greater P release was observed for amended soils as compared with soils where no amendment was applied. Results from this study indicate that relatively short-term tillage and amendment management can significantly impact C, N, and P transformations and transfers within soil organic matter of a southeastern US soil.     

耕作与轮作方式对黑土有机碳和全氮储量的影响

土壤有机碳(SOC)及全氮(TN)对土壤肥力、作物产量、农业可持续发展以及全球碳、氮循环等都具有重要影响。为探索不同耕作和轮作方式对耕层黑土SOC和TN储量的影响,本文以吉林省德惠市进行了8 a的田间定位试验中层黑土为研究对象,对免耕、垄作和秋翻三种耕作方式及玉米-大豆轮作和玉米连作两种轮作方式下SOC和TN在各土层的含量变化进行了分析,并采用等质量土壤有机质储量计算方法,对比分析了不同处理对0～30 cm SOC和TN储量的影响。结果表明,与试验开始前相比,玉米-大豆轮作系统中,秋翻下SOC和TN储量均有所降低;免耕显著增加了0～5 cm SOC及TN含量,但SOC在亚表层亏损,导致其储量并未增加;而垄作处理下SOC及TN含量在0～5、5～10 cm的均显著增加,0～30 cm储量亦分别增加了4.9%和10.7%。玉米连作系统的两种耕作处理(免耕和秋翻)下SOC和TN储量均有所增加,且TN储量增幅均高于玉米-大豆轮作系统,其中免耕下TN储量增幅是玉米-大豆轮作的3.2倍。所有处理下C/N均呈降低趋势,其中垄作0～5 cm C/N由12.05降至11.04,降低幅度分别是免耕和秋翻的3.2和2.8倍。综上可知,对质地黏重排水不良的中层黑土,玉米-大豆轮作系统下免耕并不是促进SOC固定的有效形式,而垄作则促进了黑土SOC和TN的积累,这不仅有利于土壤肥力的改善,而且是使农田黑土由CO2"源"变为"汇"的有效形式之一。与玉米-大豆轮作相比,玉米连作下三种耕作方式都有利于SOC和TN积累。     

Tillage and crop sequence effects on organic carbon and total nitrogen content in an irrigated Alberta soil

A better understanding of tillage effects on soil organic matter is vital for development of effective soil conservation practices. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of tillage and crop sequence on soil organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) content in an irrigated southern Alberta soil. A field experiment was conducted using a split–split plot design from 1994 to 1998 in Alberta, Canada. There were two crop sequences (Sequence 1: spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.)–spring wheat–annual legume; and Sequence 2: spring wheat–spring wheat–annual legume–sugar beet) and two tillage practices (CT: conventional tillage and MT: minimum tillage). Surface soil under MT had significantly higher OC (30.1 Mg ha⁻¹) content than under CT (28.3 Mg ha⁻¹) after 4 years of treatment. The MT treatment retains crop residue at the soil surface, reduces soil erosion and slows organic matter decomposition, which are key factors in enhancing the soil fertility status of southern Alberta irrigated soils.     

Cattle grazing drives nitrogen and carbon cycling in a temperate salt marsh

We examined the impact of long-term cattle grazing on soil processes and microbial activity in a temperate salt marsh. Soil conditions, microbial biomass and respiration, mineralization and denitrification rates were measured in upper salt marsh that had been ungrazed or cattle grazed for several decades. Increased microbial biomass and soil respiration were observed in grazed marsh, most likely stimulated by enhanced rates of root turnover and root exudation. We found a significant positive effect of grazing on potential N mineralization rates measured in the laboratory, but this difference did not translate to in situ net mineralization measured monthly from May to September. Rates of denitrification were lowest in the grazed marsh and appeared to be limited by nitrate availability, possibly due to more anoxic conditions and lower rates of nitrification. The major effect of grazing on N cycling therefore appeared to be in limiting losses of N through denitrification, which may lead to enhanced nutrient availability to saltmarsh plants, but a reduced ability of the marsh to act as a buffer for land-derived nutrients to adjacent coastal areas. Additionally, we investigated if grazing influences the rates of turnover of labile and refractory C in saltmarsh soils by adding ¹⁴C-labelled leaf litter or root exudates to soil samples and monitoring the evolution of ¹⁴CO₂. Grazing had little effect on the rates of mineralization of ¹⁴C used as a respiratory substrate, but a larger proportion of ¹⁴C was partitioned into microbial biomass and immobilized in long- and medium-term storage pools in the grazed treatment. Grazing slowed down the turnover of the microbial biomass, which resulted in longer turnover times for both leaf litter and root exudates. Grazing may therefore affect the longevity of C in the soil and alter C storage and utilization pathways in the microbial community.     

Tillage and cropping sequence impacts on nitrogen cycling in dryland farming in eastern Montana, USA

Information on N cycling in dryland crops and soils as influenced by long-term tillage and cropping sequence is needed to quantify soil N sequestration, mineralization, and N balance to reduce N fertilization rate and N losses through soil processes. The 21-yr effects of the combinations of tillage and cropping sequences was evaluated on dryland crop grain and biomass (stems + leaves) N, soil surface residue N, soil N fractions, and N balance at the 0–20 cm depth in Dooley sandy loam (fine-loamy, mixed, frigid, Typic Argiboroll) in eastern Montana, USA. Treatments were no-tilled continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (NTCW), spring-tilled continuous spring wheat (STCW), fall- and spring-tilled continuous spring wheat (FSTCW), fall- and spring-tilled spring wheat–barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (1984–1999) followed by spring wheat–pea (Pisum sativum L.) (2000–2004) (FSTW-B/P), and spring-tilled spring wheat–fallow (STW-F). Nitrogen fractions were soil total N (STN), particulate organic N (PON), microbial biomass N (MBN), potential N mineralization (PNM), NH₄-N, and NO₃-N. Annualized crop grain and biomass N varied with treatments and years and mean grain and biomass N from 1984 to 2004 were 14.3–21.2 kg N ha⁻¹ greater in NTCW, STCW, FSTCW, and FSTW-B/P than in STW-F. Soil surface residue N was 9.1–15.2 kg N ha⁻¹ greater in other treatments than in STW-F in 2004. The STN at 0–20 cm was 0.39–0.96 Mg N ha⁻¹, PON 0.10–0.30 Mg N ha⁻¹, and PNM 4.6–9.4 kg N ha⁻¹ greater in other treatments than in STW-F. At 0–5 cm, STN, PON, and MBN were greater in STCW than in FSTW-B/P and STW-F. At 5–20 cm, STN and PON were greater in NTCW and STCW than in STW-F, PNM and MBN were greater in STCW than in NTCW and STW-F, and NO₃-N was greater in FSTW-B/P than in NTCW and FSTCW. Estimated N loss through leaching, volatilization, or denitrification at 0–20 cm depth increased with increasing tillage frequency or greater with fallow than with continuous cropping and ranged from 9 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in NTCW to 46 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in STW-F. Long-term no-till or spring till with continuous cropping increased dryland crop grain and biomass N, soil surface residue N, N storage, and potential N mineralization, and reduced N loss compared with the conventional system, such as STW-F, at the surface 20 cm layer. Greater tillage frequency, followed by pea inclusion in the last 5 out of 21 yr in FSTW-B/P, however, increased N availability at the subsurface layer in 2004.     

Tillage and nitrogen effects on growth,nitrogen content,and yield of corn

Abstract

The use of conservation tillage methods, including ridge tillage, has increased dramatically in recent years. At the present time, there is great concern that farmers are applying more nitrogen (N) fertilizer than is environmentally or economically sound. In order to determine if N requirement for optimum yield differs with tillage system, tests were initiated to study tillage and N effects on N content, soil moisture content, and yield of corn (Zea mays L.). The study was established in 1987 on two soil types, an Estelline soil (Pachic Haploboroll) and an Egan soil (Udic Haplustoll), located in eastern South Dakota. Five rates of N (0, 65, 130, 195, and 260 kg ha^?1) were applied to plots managed with 3 tillage systems: chisel plow, moldboard plow, and ridge. On the Estelline soil, in both 1988 and 1989, ridge‐tilled plots contained a greater amount of water in the soil profile at emergence and at mid silk than did plots in the other two tillage systems. Soil moisture content at mid silk was significantly correlated with earleaf N, total N uptake, and grain yield in 1988 and earleaf N and grain yield in 1989. However, the correlation coefficients were higher in 1988 than in 1989. On the Egan soil, there were no significant differences in soil moisture content among tillage systems. On the Estelline soil, corn grain yield was affected by a tillage x N‐rate interaction in 1988. Maximum yield within the ridge system was achieved with the 130 kg ha^?1 rate. In 1989 on the Estelline soil, yield was affected by tillage and N rate, but there was no interaction between factors. When averaged over N rates, yields were 7.1, 6.6, and 6.5 Mg ha^?1 in the ridge, moldboard, and chisel systems, respectively. In 1988 plant total N uptake was greater in the ridge system than the moldboard or chisel systems; in 1989 uptake was affected by N rate alone. On the Egan soil, tillage did not affect soil moisture, total N uptake or grain yield in either year. Corn grain yield increased with increasing N rate up to the 195 kg ha^?1 rate. This study indicates that, on some soil types, ridge tillage can improve soil water holding capacity, N utilization and yield of corn.     

Soil fertility breakdown in a subtropical South African vertisol site used as a home garden

Soil samples were taken at three depths (0–10, 10–20, 20–30 cm) from an old home garden site, subtropical South Africa (KwaZulu Natal Province), exhibiting symptoms of soil fertility breakdown, and from a new garden site, used formerly as extensive grassland. The aims of our study were to investigate (1) whether soil fertility breakdown is reflected by soil biological indices and (2) whether these indices provide information for improving the situation. The bulk density was significantly larger at the old garden site, with an average of 1.25 g cm^-3 in comparison to 1.04 g cm^-3 at the new garden site. Also the soil pH was significantly higher at the old garden site, with an average of 5.6 in comparison to 4.0 at the new garden site. Soil organic C and all soil microbial indices declined markedly with depth. If the concentrations were converted to the total amounts stored per hectare at 0- to 30-cm depth, soil organic C was only 10% greater (18.9 versus 17.2 t) at the new garden site, but microbial biomass C was 110% (1,680 vs 790 kg) and ergosterol even 220% greater (5.1 vs 1.6 kg). The microbial biomass C to soil organic C ratio ranged from 0.25% to 1.10%, declined markedly with depth and was almost twice as high at the new garden site. The metabolic quotient qCO₂ revealed strong depth-specific variations of between 18 and 38 mg CO₂-C day^-1 g^-1 microbial biomass C at the old garden site on a two to three times higher level than at the new garden site. Soil micro-organisms are much more strongly affected by compaction than by acidification at the present two sites. Whether land use practices led to the increase in bulk density at the old garden site or to the decrease in soil pH at the new garden site is still not fully understood. For these reasons, it is very difficult to recommend a feasible melioration plan.     

Biological and physical effects of non-native earthworms on nitrogen cycling in riparian soils

Global nitrogen cycling is being altered by anthropogenic disturbances including invasion by non-native species. European and Asian earthworms have invaded northern temperate forests in North America with dramatic consequences for litter thickness, forest floor plant diversity, and soil nitrogen cycling. Invasive earthworms present at the boundary of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (i.e., riparian zones) may alter the flux of nitrogen into adjacent aquatic ecosystems. We examined how nitrogen cycling in riparian soil responds to amendments of invasive earthworms or artificial earthworm burrows. In earthworm-free riparian plots (0.25 m²), we established treatments of invasive earthworms (60 g fresh mass·m⁻²), artificial burrows (120 m⁻²), or control plots and sampled the plots after 30 days. Before and after treatment application we measured major soil characteristics (water-filled pore space, organic matter, and pH), nitrogen pools (exchangeable NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻), and nitrogen transformation rates (net N-mineralization, net nitrification, and denitrification). Exchangeable NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ changed through time but did not differ among treatments. Net N-mineralization and net nitrification rates did not change through time and were similar across all treatments. However, denitrification rates in plots with added earthworms were 4 times greater than rates in control and burrow-only plots, which represents a large rapid increase in gaseous nitrogen flux out of these riparian soils. For all response variables, artificial burrows responded similarly to control plots, suggesting that earthworm biological activity (i.e., feeding, excretion, and mucus production) rather than physical effects (i.e., burrowing and soil aeration) drove the changes in nitrogen cycling. Examination of soil nitrogen pool and flux measurements suggest that this increase in denitrification was coupled with NH₄⁺ consumption by nitrifying bacteria, but future studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis. We conclude that the activity of invasive earthworms in riparian zones can increase the flux of N out of riparian zones, but the hydrologic context of the riparian zone (e.g., pore-water residence time) ultimately controls whether denitrification or nitrate leaching is the dominant flux of N.     

Dry-rewetting cycles regulate wheat carbon rhizodeposition,stabilization and nitrogen cycling

Drying and rewetting of soil can have large effects on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. Drying-rewetting effects have mostly been studied in the absence of plants, although it is well known that plant–microbe interactions can substantially alter soil C and N dynamics. We investigated for the first time how drying and rewetting affected rhizodeposition, its utilization by microbes, and its stabilization into soil (C associated with soil mineral phase). We also investigated how drying and rewetting influenced N mineralization and loss. We grew wheat (Triticum aestivum) in a controlled environment under constant moisture and under dry-rewetting cycles, and used a continuous ¹³C-labeling method to partition plant and soil organic matter (SOM) contribution to different soil pools. We applied a ¹⁵N label to the soil to determine N loss. We found that dry-rewetting decreased total input of plant C in microbial biomass (MB) and in the soil mineral phase, mainly due to a reduction of plant biomass. Plant derived C in MB and in the soil mineral phase were positively correlated (R² = 0.54; P = 0.0012). N loss was reduced with dry rewetting cycles, and mineralization increased after each rewetting event. Overall drying and rewetting reduced rhizodeposition and stabilization of new C, primary through biomass reduction. However, frequency of rewetting and intensity of drought may determine the fate of C in MB and consequently into the soil mineral phase. Frequency and intensity may also be crucial in stimulating N mineralization and reducing N loss in agricultural soils.     

Soil fauna alter the effects of litter composition on nitrogen cycling in a mineral soil

Plant chemical composition and the soil community are known to influence litter and soil organic matter decomposition. Although these two factors are likely to interact, their mechanisms and outcomes of interaction are not well understood. Studies of their interactive effects are rare and usually focus on carbon dynamics of litter, while nutrient dynamics in the underlying soil have been ignored. A potential mechanism of interaction stems from the role fauna plays in regulating availability of litter-derived materials in the mineral soil. We investigated the role of soil fauna (meso, macro) in determining the effect of surface-litter chemical composition on nitrogen mineralization and on the micro-food web in mineral soils. In a field setting we exposed mineral soil to six types of surface-applied litter spanning wide ranges of multiple quality parameters and restricted the access of larger soil animals to the soils underlying these litters. Over six months we assessed litter mass and nitrogen loss, nitrogen mineralization rates in the mineral soils, and soil microbes and microfauna. We found evidence that the structure of the soil community can alter the effect of surface-litter chemical composition on nitrogen dynamics in the mineral soil. In particular, we found that the presence of members of the meso- and macrofauna can magnify the control of nitrogen mineralization by litter quality and that this effect is time dependent. While fauna were able to affect the size of the micro-food web they did not impact the effect of litter composition on the abundance of the members of the micro-food web. By enhancing the strength of the impact of litter quality on nitrogen dynamics, the larger fauna can alter nitrogen availability and its temporal dynamics which, in turn, can have important implications for ecosystem productivity. These findings contribute to evidence demonstrating that soil fauna shape plant litter effects on ecosystem function.     

Tillage intensity effects on soil properties and crop yields in a long-term trial on morainic loam soil in southeast Norway

Many tillage studies focus primarily on grain crops, whereas other important agricultural crops receive little attention. This paper presents yield results for various crops grown in the tenth to sixteenth year of a long-term tillage trial on loam soil in southeast Norway. Traditional plough tillage was compared with deep and shallow tine cultivation and with minimum tillage, and the residual effects of tillage were measured in the seventeenth and eighteenth years. Soil bulk density, air permeability and other soil conditions were found to be favourable for crop growth on all treatments in the tenth year. The yield levels of cereals (Hordeum vulgare L., Triticum aestivum L. and Avena sativa L.) and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) showed consistent increases of 2–8% with declining tillage intensity, whereas yields of fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) were highest after plough tillage. The latter result was thought to be due to lower soil temperatures under reduced tillage. Yields of brassica crops were greatly affected by tillage intensity, owing to a marked reduction of clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor.) infection with reduced tillage. Average yields for these crops were 23%, 52% and 59% higher with deep tine cultivation, shallow tine cultivation and minimum tillage, respectively, than with plough tillage. The effects were particularly dramatic in the case of fodder rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera Sinsk. f. biennis Reichb.) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capita L.). Liming raised the yields of some brassica crops but did not influence the effect of tillage.

Soil acidity was measured twice during the trial period and again in the second residual year, and showed values which were 0.1–0.3 pH units lower with reduced tillage than with plough tillage. This rules out the conclusion that the effect of tillage on clubroot was associated directly with acidity. Positive residual effects of reduced tillage systems were found on the yields of both brassicaceous and gramineous crops. Reduced tillage intensity may thus be recommended for all crops studied, with the exception of fodder beet, on morainic loam soils of southeast Norway.     

Free amino sugar reactions in soil in relation to soil carbon and nitrogen cycling

Amino sugars represent a major constituent of microbial cell walls and hydrolyzed soil organic matter. Despite their potential importance in soil nitrogen cycling, comparatively little is known about their dynamics in soil. The aim of this study was therefore to quantify the behaviour of glucosamine in two contrasting grassland soil profiles. Our results show that both free amino sugars and amino acids represented only a small proportion of dissolved organic N and C pool in soil. Based upon our findings we hypothesize that the low concentrations of free amino sugars found in soils is due to rapid removal from the soil solution rather than slow rates of production. Further, we showed that glucosamine removal from solution was a predominantly biotic process and that its half-life in soil solution ranged from 1 to 3 h. The rates of turnover were similar to those of glucose at low substrate concentrations, however, at higher glucosamine concentrations its microbial use was much less than for glucose. We hypothesized that this was due to the lack of expression of a low affinity transport systems in the microbial community. Glucosamine was only weakly sorbed to the soil's solid phase (K_d=6.4±1.0) and our results suggest that this did not limit its bioavailability in soil. Here we showed that glucosamine addition to soil resulted in rapid N mineralization and subsequent NO₃⁻ production. In contrast to some previous reports, our results suggest that free amino sugars turn over rapidly in soil and provide a suitable substrate for both microbial respiration and new biomass formation.     

Tillage and drainage impact on soil quality: I. Aggregate stability, carbon and nitrogen pools

Effects of two tillage treatments, tillage (T) with chisel plough and no-till (NT), were studied under un-drained and drained soil conditions. Soil physical properties measured were bulk density (ρ_b), total porosity (ƒ_t), water stable aggregates (WSA), geometric mean diameter (GMD), mean weight diameter (MWD), organic carbon (OC) and total N concentrations in different aggregate size fractions, and total OC and N pools. The experiment was established in 1994 on a poorly drained Crosby silt loam soil (fine mixed, mesic, Aeric Ochraqualf) near Columbus, Ohio. In 2007, soil samples were collected (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm) from all treatments and separated into six aggregate size classes for assessing proportions of macro (5–8, 2–5, 1–2, 0.5–1, 0.25–0.5) and micro (<0.25 mm) aggregates by wet sieving. Tillage treatments significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influenced WSA, MWD, and GMD. Higher total WSA (78.53 vs. 58.27%), GMD (0.99 vs. 0.68 mm), and MWD (2.23 vs. 0.99 mm) were observed for 0–10 cm depth for NT than T treatments. Relative proportion of macro-aggregates (>0.25-mm) was also more in NT than T treatment for un-drained plots. Conversely, micro-aggregates (<0.25-mm) were more in T plots for both drained and un-drained treatments. The WSA, MWD and GMD decreased with increase in soil depth. The OC concentration was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in NT for un-drained (P ≤ 0.01) treatment for all soil depths. Within macro-aggregates, the maximum OC concentrations of 1.91 and 1.75 g kg⁻¹ in 1–2 mm size fraction were observed in NT for un-drained and drained treatments, respectively. Tillage treatments significantly (P < 0.01) affected bulk density (ρ_b), and total porosity (f_t) for all soil depths, whereas tillage × drainage interaction was significant (P < 0.01) for 10–20 and 20–30 cm depths. Soil ρ_b was negatively correlated (r = −0.47; n = 12) with OC concentration. Tillage treatments significantly affected (P ≤ 0.05) OC pools at 10–20 cm depth; whereas drainage, and tillage × drainage significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influenced OC pools for 0–10 cm soil layer. The OC pool in 0–10 cm layer was 31.8 Mg ha⁻¹ for NT compared with 25.9 Mg kg⁻¹ for T for un-drained treatment. In comparison, the OC pool was 23.1 Mg ha⁻¹ for NT compared with 25.2 Mg ha⁻¹ for T for the drained plots. In general, the OC pool was higher in NT system, coupled with un-drained treatment than in drained T plots. The data indicate the importance of NT in improving the OC pool.     

Tillage effect on organic carbon in a purple paddy soil

The distribution and storage of soil organic carbon （SOC） based on a long-term experiment with various tillage systems were studied in a paddy soil derived from purple soil in Chongqing, China. Organic carbon storage in the 0-20 and 0-40 cm soil layers under different tillage systems were in an order： ridge tillage with rice-rape rotation （RT-rr） 〉 conventional tillage with rice only （CT-r） 〉 ridge tillage with rice only （RT-r） 〉 conventional tillage with rice-rape rotation （CT-rr）. The RT-rr system had significantly higher levels of soil organic carbon in the 0-40 cm topsoil, while the proportion of the total remaining organic carbon in the total soil organic carbon in the 0-10 cm layer was greatest in the RT-rr system. This was the reason why the RT-rr system enhanced soil organic carbon storage. These showed that tillage system type was crucial for carbon storage. Carbon levels in soil humus and crop-yield results showed that the RT-rr system enhanced soil fertility and crop productivity. Adoption of this tillage system would be beneficial both for environmental protection and economic development.     

Chemical composition and diversity influence non-additive effects of litter mixtures on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling: Implications for plant species loss

Diverse plant litter mixtures frequently decompose differently than expected compared to the average of the component species decomposing alone, and it remains unclear why decomposition may respond non-additively to diversity. Here, we hypothesized that litter chemical composition and chemical diversity would be important determinants of the strength and direction (synergistic versus antagonistic) of non-additive soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling responses to litter mixtures. To test this, we performed a soil incubation experiment using litter mixtures comprised of up to four plant species, and we measured three components of decomposition: respiration, net N mineralization, and microbial biomass N accumulation. We used nine chemical traits to calculate the chemical composition and diversity of the litter mixtures. First, we found that respiration responded as the average of the individual species in the mixture (i.e. additively), rather than non-additively as initially predicted. Second, litter mixtures stimulated significantly more net N immobilization than expected in 64% of cases, and non-additive responses were highly dependent on mixture chemical composition, and were influenced to a lesser degree by chemical diversity. Specifically, concentrations of tannins and certain low molecular weight phenolics in the mixtures were positively correlated with greater N immobilization than expected. Non-additive N mineralization responses were poorly correlated with traditional measures of litter chemistry like N concentration, C:N, lignin:N, and phenolic:N. Our results also show that non-additive N mineralization responses were affected by loss of some species significantly more than others, and the effects of species loss could depend on 1) whether a species contains compounds with strong effects on non-additive responses; and 2) whether those compounds are also found in other species. Finally, litter mixtures stimulated more microbial biomass N than expected in 45% of cases, but non-additive responses were only weakly dependent on the litter chemistry variables that we measured.     

Effect of grazing intensity and soil characteristics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in a temperate long-term grassland

The effects of different grazing pressures (GPs) on soil properties are not sufficiently understood. The objectives were to analyse the effects of three different extensive GPs on stocks of soil organic C and total N, soil microbial biomass C, basal respiration and mineral N in three different soil depths of a long-term pasture in Central Germany (FORBIOBEN field trial). No significant (p ≤ 0.05) effects of GP on weighted stocks of soil organic C, total N, soil microbial biomass C, mineral N and basal respiration rate were observed, suggesting that the C and N cycles are coupled in the three grazing treatments. Oxalate soluble Fe contents explained a marked part of the variation of soil organic C (multiple linear regression: R² = 0.64) and total N contents (R² = 0.64) in the soils, whereas almost all of the variability of soil microbial biomass C contents and basal respiration was explained by soil organic C contents. Overall, variabilities of soil organic C and N contents were largely explained by oxalate soluble Fe contents, whereas grazing intensity did not affect the C and N dynamics.     

Soil–plant nitrogen cycling modulated carbon exchanges in a western temperate conifer forest in Canada

Nitrogen controls, on the seasonal and inter-annual variability of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) in a western temperate conifer forest in British Columbia, Canada, were simulated by a coupled carbon and nitrogen (C&N) model. The model was developed by incorporating plant–soil nitrogen algorithms in the Carbon-Canadian Land Surface Scheme (C-CLASS). In the coupled C&N-CLASS, the maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (V_cmax) is determined non-linearly from the modelled leaf Rubisco-nitrogen, rather than being prescribed. Hence, variations in canopy assimilation and stomatal conductance are sensitive to leaf nitrogen status through the Rubisco enzyme. The plant–soil nitrogen cycle includes nitrogen pools from photosynthetic enzymes, leaves and roots, as well as organic and mineral reservoirs from soil, which are generated, exchanged, and lost by biological fixation, atmospheric deposition, fertilization, mineralization, nitrification, root uptake, denitrification, and leaching. Model output was compared with eddy covariance flux measurements made over a 5-year period (1998–2002). The model performed very well in simulating half-hourly and monthly mean NEP values for a range of environmental conditions observed during the 5 years. C&N-CLASS simulated NEP values were 274, 437, 354, 352 and 253 g C m⁻² for 1998–2002, compared to observed NEP values of 269, 360, 381, 418 and 264 g C m⁻², for the respective years. Compared to the default C-CLASS, the coupled C&N model showed improvements in simulating the seasonal and annual dynamics of carbon fluxes in this forest. The nitrogen transformation to soil organic forms, mineralization, plant nitrogen uptake and leaf Rubisco-nitrogen concentration patterns were strongly influenced by seasonal and annual temperature variations. In contrast, the impact of precipitation was insignificant on the overall forest nitrogen budget. The coupled C&N modelling framework will help to evaluate the impact of nitrogen cycle on terrestrial ecosystems and its feedbacks on Earth's climate system.