Changes in soil organic matter and net nitrogen mineralization in heathland soils,after removal,addition or replacement of litter from Erica tetralix or Molinia caerulea

Summary The effects of different litter input rates and of different types of litter on soil organic matter accumulation and net N mineralization were investigated in plant communities dominated by Erica tetralix L. or Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench. Plots in which the litter on the soil had repeatedly been removed were compared with plots in the same plant community in which litter had been added to the soil. In another treatment, litter was removed and replaced by litter from the other plant community. Net N mineralization was measured in situ after 5 years. Less soil organic matter and soil N was found in plots in which litter had been removed, compared with control plots, or plots to which litter had been added, but these differences were significant for the Erica sp. soils only. Plots in which litter had been replaced and control plots did not differ significantly in the amount of soil organic matter. However, in both plant communities, the differences agreed with the faster decomposition rate of Molinia sp. litter compared with Erica sp. litter. The gravimetric soil moisture content was correlated positively with the amount of soil organic matter, both in the Erica sp. soils and the Molinia sp. soils. Net N mineralization rates (g N m^-2) differed significantly between treatments for Erica sp. soils but no for Molinia sp. soils. For Erica sp. soils, net N mineralization rates increased with increasing amounts of soil organic matter and soil N. Replacing the litter with Molinia sp. litter (which differs in chemical composition) had no clear additional effect on the net N mineralization rate.     

Response of soil C and N transformations to tannin fractions originating from Scots pine and Norway spruce needles

Tannins are polyphenolic compounds that may influence litter decomposition, humus formation, nutrient (especially N) cycling and ultimately, plant nutrition and growth. The aim of this study was to determine the response of C and N transformations in soil to tannins of different molecular weight from Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles, tannic acid and cellulose. Arginine was added to test whether the soil microbial community was limited by the amount of N, and arginine+tannin treatments were used to test whether the effects of tannins could be counteracted by adding N. Soil and needle samples were taken from adjacent 70-year-old Scots pine and Norway spruce stands located in Kivalo, northern Finland. Tannins were extracted from needles and fractioned based on molecular weight; the fractions were then characterized by LC-MS and GC-MS. Light fractions contained tannin monomers and dimers as well as many other compounds, whereas heavy fractions consisted predominantly of polymerized condensed tannins. Spruce needles contained more procyanidin than prodelphinidin units, while in pine needles prodelphinidin units seemed to be dominant. The fractions were added to soil samples, pine fractions to pine soil and spruce fractions to spruce soil, and incubated at 14 °C for 6 weeks. CO₂ evolution was followed throughout the experiment, and the rates of net mineralization of N and net nitrification, concentration of dissolved organic N (DON) and amounts of microbial biomass C and N were measured at the end of the experiment. The main effects of the fractions were similar in both soils. Light fractions strongly enhanced respiration and decreased net N mineralization, indicating higher immobilization of N in the microbial biomass. On the contrary, heavy fractions reduced respiration and slightly increased net N mineralization, suggesting toxic or protein-precipitating effects. The effects of tannic acid and cellulose resembled those of light fractions. DON concentrations generally decreased during incubation and were lower with heavy fractions than with light fractions. No clear differences were detected between the effects of light and heavy fractions on microbial biomass C and N. Treatments that included addition of arginine generally showed trends similar to treatments without it, although some differences between light and heavy fractions became more obvious with arginine than without it. Overall, light fractions seemed to act as a labile source of C for microbes, while heavy fractions were inhibitors.     

Carbon and nitrogen dynamics in a forest soil amended with purified tannins from different plant species

Tannins are purported to be an important factor controlling nitrogen cycling in forest ecosystems, and the ability of tannins to bind proteins in protein-tannin complexes is thought to be the primary mechanism responsible for these effects. In this study, we examined the influence of well-characterized tannins purified from five different plant species on C and N dynamics of a forest soil A horizon. Tannic acid, a commonly used and commercially available hydrolyzable tannin (HT), and cellulose were also included for comparison. With the exception of tannins from huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), the amendments increased respiration 1.4-4.0 fold, indicating that they were acting as a microbial C source. Tannic acid was significantly more labile than the five purified tannins examined in this study. All treatments decreased net N mineralization substantially, through greater N immobilization and decreased mineralization. The six tannins inhibited gross ammonification rates significantly more than cellulose. This suggests that added tannins had effects in addition to serving as an alternative C source. Tannins purified from Bishop pine (Pinus muricata) were the only tannins that significantly inhibited potential gross nitrification rates, however, rates were low even in the control soil making it difficult to detect any inhibition. Differences in tannin structure such as condensed versus HTs and the hydroxylation pattern of the condensed tannin B-ring likely explain differences observed among the tannin treatments. Contrary to other studies, we did not find that condensed tannins were more labile and less inhibitory than HTs, nor that shorter chained tannins were more labile than longer chained tannins. In addition to supporting the hypothesis that reduced N availability in the presence of tannins is caused by complexation reactions, our data suggests tannins act as a labile C source leading to increased N immobilization.     

Changes of condensed tannins during decomposition of leaves of Kandelia obovata in a subtropical mangrove swamp in China

Kandelia obovata, with abundant condensed tannins (CTs), is a typical mangrove species in China, but little is known about the chemical alterations and ecological roles of CTs during leaf litter decomposition. A litterbag experiment was conducted to investigate the changes of CTs in a subtropical mangrove swamp along Zhangjiang River Estuary, China, using the colorimetric assays, reversed/normal-phase HPLC–ESI-MS and MALDI–TOF-MS techniques. Total phenolics (TP), extractable CTs (ECT) and total CTs (TCT) decreased rapidly, while bound CTs (BCT), including protein- and fibre-bound CTs in leaves, increased during decomposition, and these temporal changes were well-expressed by exponential functions. Negative correlations between nitrogen (N) and TP, as well as N and ECT were found; however, a positive correlation between N and BCT was detected, suggesting that CTs played an important role in humification during N immobilization. The HPLC–ESI-MS analyses showed that the polymerization degree of CTs had an initial increase, due to leaching, followed by a decrease in the subsequent shift towards abiotic or/and biotic degradation. MALDI–TOF-MS confirmed the degradation processes for CTs. A decrease in the degree of hydroxylation, along with an increase in glycosylation-CTs, was obtained during litter decomposition. These chemical changes enhanced the current knowledge on the potential ecological role of N transformation in CTs in mangrove swamps.     

Topographic variation of soil nitrogen mineralization and microbial biomass in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) stands at Myougodani watershed,Toyama, Japan

The spatial variability of nitrogen (N) mineralization, nitrification, and microbial biomass was investigated using surface soils from various topographic positions at a relatively small watershed with Japanese cedar (Crgptomeria japonica D. Don) plantations. The watershed topography was characterized using a topographic index derived from GIS analysis. The topographic index reasonably reflected the spatial variability of the soil water conditions, total soil carbon (C) and N contents, and exchangeable base concentrations. However, this index was not significantly correlated with the spatial variability of net N mineralization and microbial biomass. Topographic index and soil properties (total soil C and N contents, C / N ratio, exchangeable base concentrations, and clay content) were subjected to principal component analysis to eliminate multiple-collinearity among the variables, and express the variables as new orthogonal variables. Principal component analysis showed that the soil properties could be divided into two groups: PC1 (soil nutrient pools) and PC2 (soil clay content). The topographic index was closely correlated with PC1 and not significantly correlated with PC2. Regression of PC scores on net N mineralization and microbial biomass indicated the relatively high contribution of PC2 to the variability in N mineralization and microbial biomass. This result suggested that not only topographic factors but also the clay content exerted an important influence on the spatial pattern of N mineralization and microbial biomass within a watershed with single species forests.     

How do coniferous needle tannins influence C and N transformations in birch humus layer?

The aim of this study was to explore the response of C and N transformations in the humus layer under silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) to compounds, especially condensed tannins, of different molecular weight extracted and fractioned from Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles. Lighter fractions containing tannin monomers and dimers as well as many other compounds, and heavier fractions consisting predominantly of polymerized condensed tannins, were added to samples taken from the humus layer of birch stand. The effects of the spruce and pine fractions were mostly similar, but some differences in magnitude were observed; our results indicated that lighter fractions of pine were easier for microbes to degrade and use than lighter fractions of spruce. Lighter fractions of both tree species increased soil respiration and decreased net N mineralization, while heavier fractions inhibited respiration and increased net N mineralization. Microbial biomass C was not clearly affected by any of the treatments, but with some of the pine fractions the amount of N in the microbial biomass was increased. Comparison of the effects of fractions in birch and in spruce and pine soils, which were studied earlier, showed no major differences between the effects of the fractions in birch and in their own soils, but gave some indication of adaptation.     

Influence of organic by-products and nitrogen source on chemical and microbiological status of an agricultural soil

We assessed the influence of the addition of four municipal or agricultural by-products (cotton gin waste, ground newsprint, woodchips, or yard trimmings), combined with two sources of nitrogen (N), [ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) or poultry litter] as carbon (C) sources on active bacterial, active fungal and total microbial biomass, cellulose decomposition, potential net mineralization of soil C and N and soil nutrient status in agricultural soils. Cotton gin waste as a C source promoted the highest potential net N mineralization and N turnover. Municipal or agricultural by-products as C sources had no affect on active bacterial, active fungal or total microbial biomass, C turnover, or the ratio of net C:N mineralized. Organic by-products and N additions to soil did not consistently affect C turnover rates, active bacterial, active fungal or total microbial biomass. After 3, 6 or 9 weeks of laboratory incubation, soil amended with organic by-products plus poultry litter resulted in higher cellulose degradation rates than soil amended with organic by-products plus NH₄NO₃. Cellulose degradation was highest when soil was amended with newsprint plus poultry litter. When soil was amended with organic by-products plus NH₄NO₃, cellulose degradation did not differ from soil amended with only poultry litter or unamended soil. Soil amended with organic by-products had higher concentrations of soil C than soil amended with only poultry litter or unamended soil. Soil amended with organic by-products plus N as poultry litter generally, but not always, had higher extractable P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations than soil amended with poultry litter or unamende soil. Agricultural soil amended with organic by-products and N had higher extractable N, P, K, Ca and Mg than unamended soil. Since cotton gin waste plus poultry litter resulted in higher cellulose degradation and net N mineralization, its use may result in faster increase in soil nutrient status than the other organic by-products and N sources that were tested. Received: 15 May 1996     

Coarse particulate organic matter is the primary source of mineral N in the topsoil of three beech forests

Forest soils contain a variable amount of organic N roughly repartitioned among particles of different size, microbial biomass and associated with mineral compounds. All pools are alimented by annual litter fall as main input of organic N to the forest floor. Litter N is further subject to mineralization/stabilization recognized as the crucial process for the turnover of litter N. Although it is well documented that different soil types have different soil N stocks, it is presently unknown how different soil types affect the turnover of recent litter N. Here, we compared the potential mineralization of the total soil organic N with that of recent litter-released N in three beech forests varying in their soil properties. Highly ¹⁵N-labelled beech litter was applied to stands located at Aubure, Ebrach, Collelongo, which differ in humus type, soil type and soil chemistry. After 4-5 years of litter decomposition, the upper 3 cm of the organo-mineral A horizon was sampled and the net N mineralization was measured over 112 days under controlled conditions. The origin of mineralized N (litter N versus soil organic N) was calculated using ¹⁵N labeling. In addition, soils were fractionated according to their particle size (>2000 μm, 200-2000 μm, 50-200 μm, <50 μm) and particulate organic matter (POM) was separated from the mineral fraction in size classes, except the <50 μm fraction. Between 41 and 69% of soil organic N was recovered as POM. Litter-released ¹⁵N was mainly to be found in the coarse POM fractions >200 μm. On a soil mass basis, N mineralization was two-fold higher at Aubure and Collelongo than at Ebrach, but, on a soil N basis, N mineralization was the lowest at Collelongo and the highest at Ebrach. On a soil N (or ¹⁵N) basis, mineralization of litter ¹⁵N was two to four-fold higher than mineralization of the average soil N. Furthermore, the δ¹⁵N of the mineral N produced was closer to that of POM than to that of the mineral-bound fraction (<50 μm). Highest rates of ¹⁵N mineralization happened in the soil with the lowest N content, and we found a negative relationship between accumulations of N in the upper A horizon and the mineralization of ¹⁵N from the litter. Our results show that mineral N is preferentially mineralized from POM in the upper organo-mineral soil irrespective of the soil chemistry and that the turnover rate of litter N is faster in soils with a low N content.     

Seasonal nitrification measurements with different species of forest litter applied to granite-sand-filled lysimeters in the field

Summary The biodegradation of litter from Festuca silvatica, Abies pectinata, Fagus silvatica, Calluna vulgaris, Picea abies associated with forest brown acid soils or with podzolic soils was studied in field lysimeters filled with granite sand. Analysis of the leachates collected during 2 years made it possible to determine NO _inf3 ^sup- , NH _inf4 ^sup+ , and soluble organic N production in order to investigate the specific influence of the different species of litter on the mineralization of organic N and the variations in nitrification. With Festuca silvatica (grass), active nitrification was observed after the addition of fresh litter in autumn (fall of leaves). Nitrification remained significant in winter, reached a maximum in spring until early summer, and then decreased after mineralization of the easily mineralizable organic N. Nitrification was the major N transformation process in this litter. The addition of fresh litter of Abies pectinata (fir), Fagus silvatica (beech), Calluna vulgaris (heather), and Picea abies (spruce) in autumn induced an inhibition of nitrification during winter and spring. With these litter species, nitrification started again by the end of spring and was at a maximum in summer and autumn until leaf fall. By comparison with Festuca, inhibition observed in winter and spring with the other litter species was definitely due to the chemical composition of the leaves. Simultaneously, a lower C mineralization of these plant material occured. These litter species, in particular Calluna and Picea released leachates containing significant amounts of soluble organic N that were only slightly decomposed. We conclude that NO _inf3 ^sup- production outside of the plant growth period can definitely be involved in soil acidification and weathering processes.     

Evaluation of two N cycle models for the prediction of N mineralization from grassland soils in the UK

Abstract. The ability of two nitrogen cycle models, of contrasting complexity, to predict N mineralization from a range of grassland soils in the UK, was evaluated. These were NCYCLE, a simple mass balance model of the N cycle in UK grasslands, and CENTURY, a more complex model simulating long-term C, N, P & S dynamics in grassland ecosystems. The models were tested using field measurements of net N mineralization from a range of grassland soils (differing in soil type, history & management practice), obtained over a 2 year period using a soil core incubation technique. This method was considered to measure the total net release of mineral N from the soil organic matter over a specified time, including N which may have been recycled several times. NCYCLE consistently under-estimated mineralization rates at all sites. By contrast, there was some correlation between CENTURY predictions of net N mineralization and field measurements. This may have reflected the different abilities of the two models to simulate N recycling. Neither model, however, was able to predict adequately the effect of cultivation and reseeding on net N mineralization.     

Nitrogen Saturation and Soil N Availability in a High-Elevation Spruce and Fir Forest

A field study was conducted during the summer of 1995 to gain abetter understanding of the causes of nitrate (NO₃-N)leaching and ongoing changes in soil nitrogen (N) availabilityin high-elevation (1524–2000 m) spruce (Picea rubens) andfir (Abies fraseri) forests of the Great Smoky MountainsNational Park, Tennessee and North Carolina, U.S.A. Indicatorsof soil N availability (total soil N concentrations,extractable NH₄-N, extractable NO₃-N, and C/N ratios)were measured in Oa and A horizons at 33 study plots. Dynamicmeasures included potential net soil N mineralization determinedin 12-week aerobic laboratory incubations at 22 °C.Potential net nitrification in the A horizon was correlated (r =+0.83, P < 0.001) with total soil N concentrations. Mostmeasures of soil N availability did not exhibit significanttrends with elevation, but there were topographic differences.Potential net soil N mineralization and net nitrification in theA horizon were higher in coves than on ridges. Relative amountsof particulate and organomineral soil organic matter influencedpotential net N mineralization and nitrification in the Ahorizon. Calculations indicate that soil N availability andNO₃-N leaching in high-elevation spruce and fir forests ofthe Great Smoky Mountains National Park will increase inresponse to regional warming.     

Organic matter characteristics and C and N transformations in the humus layer under two tree species, Betula pendula and Picea abies

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) on soil C and N transformations and on the characteristics of organic matter. Soil samples were taken from the humus layer of a replicated 35-year-old birch-spruce field experiment growing on Vaccinium myrtillus site type in middle-eastern Finland. The soil was a podzol and humus type mor. Soil pH was higher under birch (4.7) than under spruce (4.1). The C-to-N ratio was lower under birch (17) than under spruce (23). Per unit organic matter, microbial biomass C and N, net N mineralization and net nitrification were all higher in birch soil than in spruce soil. The rate of C mineralization (CO₂ production) was, however, the same regardless of tree species. Water-extracts were analyzed for the concentrations of dissolved organic C (DOC) and N (DON) and characterized according to molecular size distribution by ultrafiltration and according to chemical composition using a resin fractionation technique. The concentration of DON, in particular, was higher in birch soil than in spruce soil. The distribution of DOC and DON into different fractions based on molecular size or chemical composition was rather similar in both soils. The concentration of total phenolics, expressed as tannic acid equivalents, was higher in the humus layer under birch than in the humus layer under spruce, because the birch humus layer contained significantly more low-molecular weight (about <0.5 kD) phenolics than the spruce humus layer did. The concentration of proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins) was higher in spruce soil than in birch soil. The concentrations of the five most abundant phenolic acids showed that ferulic and p-coumaric acids were more abundant in spruce soil. Birch soil tended to contain slightly more nonvolatile sesquiterpenes than the spruce soil. The concentration of diterpenes was similar in both soils; but birch soil contained significantly more triterpenes, mainly sterols, than spruce soil did.     

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.     

Effects of long-term annual inputs of straw and organic manure on plant N uptake and soil N fluxes

This study investigated the effects of long‐term annual inputs of animal manure and straw on the rate of gross nitrogen (N) mineralization–immobilization turnover (MIT), net N mineralization and potential nitrification, and examined how these N transformation rates affect plant N availability. The experiment was conducted during May–June 2001 in long‐term field experiments in Askov, Denmark, where organic manure and barley straw had been applied annually for 11 and 20 years prior to the year 2000, respectively. Thus, any differences could be attributed to residual effects from the previous years of application. Inputs of straw and organic manure to soil increased soil organic matter (SOM)‐N content in soil in the order: without straw, without manure < without straw, with manure < with straw, without manure < with straw, with manure. The inputs did not change net N mineralization in the soil. There was a distinct but non‐significant trend towards higher gross N mineralization with increasing SOM‐N. Gross N immobilization was enhanced by straw inputs and to a lesser extent by organic manure inputs, while potential nitrification was enhanced by both amendments. The results show that long‐term annual inputs of straw and organic manure can increase MIT rate and potential nitrification rate without influencing net N mineralization rate. MIT and potential nitrification explained 23–31% of the variation in plant N uptake, while net N mineralization rate only explained 1%. Plant N uptake therefore seems to be more influenced by MIT rate and potential nitrification rate than by net mineralization rate, presumably because mineral N in the transition between gross N mineralization and gross N immobilization is available for assimilation by plants.     

温度和土壤类型对氮素矿化的影响

采用短期(15 d)室内好气培养方法,研究我因东部三类主要旱地土壤(黑土、潮土和红壤)有机氮矿化对温度(15～30°C)的响应及其影响因素.结果表明,土壤累积净矿化氮量的顺序为黑土>潮土>红壤,其中高有机质土壤大于低有机质土壤.黑土累积净矿化氮量随温度升高而增加,但潮土和红壤在25℃以上表现出持平和下降趋势.土壤矿质氮...     

Microbial biomass and activity in soil and litter underPinus sylvestris, Picea abies andBetula pendula at originally similar field afforestation sites

Microbial biomass C and N, and activities related to C and N cycles, were compared in needle and leaf litter, and in the uppermost 10 cm of soil under the litter layer in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and silver birch (Betula pendula L.) stands, planted on originally similar field afforestation sites 23–24 years ago. The ground vegetation was differentiated under different tree species, consisting of grasses and herbs under birch and pine, and mosses or no vegetation with a thick layer of needles under spruce. The C:N ratio of the soils was 13–21 and the soil pH_{CaCl 2} 3.8–5.2. Both showed little variation under different tree species. Microbial biomass C and N, C mineralization, net ammonification, reduction) did not differ significantly in soil under different tree species either. Birch leaf litter had a higher pH_{CaCl 2} (5.9) than spruce and pine needle litter (pH 5.0 and 4.8, respectively). The C:N ratio of spruce needles was 30, and was considerably higher in pine needles (69) and birch leaves (54). Birch leaves tended to have the highest microbial biomass C and C mineralization. Spruce needles appeared to have the highest microbial biomass N and net formation of mineral N, whereas formation of mineral N in pine needles and birch leaves was negligible. Microbial biomass C and N were of the same order of magnitude in the soil and litter samples but C mineralization was tenfold higher in the litter samples.     

Phosphorus mineralization in subarctic agricultural and forest soils

Summary Potential P and C mineralization rates were determined in a 12-week laboratory incubation study on subarctic forest and agricultural soil samples with and without N fertilizer added. There was no significant difference in net inorganic P produced between N fertilized and unfertilized soils. The forest soil surface horizons had the highest net inorganic P mineralized, 32 mg P kg^-1 soil for the Oie and 17 mg P kg^-1 soil for the Oa. In the cropped soils net inorganic P immobilization started after 4 weeks and lasted through 12 weeks of incubation. Cumulative CO₂–C evolution rates differed significantly among soils, and between fertilizer treatments, with the N-fertilized soils evolving lower rates of CO₂–C than the unfertilized soils. Soils from the surface horizons in the forest evolved the highest rates of CO₂–C (127.6 and 89.4 mg g^-1 soil for the Oie and Oa horizons, respectively) followed by the cleared uncropped soil (42.8 mg g^-1 soil C), and the cropped soils (25.4 and 29.0 mg g^-1 soil C). In vitro soil respiration rates, or potential soil organic matter decomposition rates, decreased with increasing time after clearing and in accord with the degree of disturbance. Only soils with high potential C mineralization rates and high organic P to total P ratios, mineralized P by the end of the study. Mineralizable P appeared to be associated with readily mineralizable organic C.     

Microbial activities in forest floor layers under silver birch, Norway spruce and Scots pine

The aim of this study was to compare microbial activities in the litter (L), fermentation (F) and humified (H) layers of the forest floor under silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Soil pH, C-to-N ratio, respiration rates, concentration of NH₄-N, net N mineralization and nitrification rates, gross NH₄⁺ production and consumption rates and amounts of C (C_mic) and N (N_mic) in the microbial biomass were determined from samples taken from the L, F and H layers under silver birch, Norway spruce and Scots pine. The forest floors under birch and spruce were more active than that under pine, having higher respiration and net N mineralization rates, and higher C_mic and N_mic values than pine forest floor. Differences between tree species were smaller in the H layer than in the L and F layers. The L layer had the highest rates of respiration for all tree species, while rates of net N mineralization were highest in the F layer for birch and spruce. Pine showed negligible net N mineralization in all layers. Concentration of NH₄-N was the best predictor of rate of net N mineralization (r=0.748). In general, C_mic and N_mic were higher in the L and F layers than in the H layer, as were their relative proportions of total C (C_tot) and N (N_tot), respectively. C_mic correlated positively with soil respiration (r=0.980) and N_mic with concentration of NH₄-N (r=0.915).     

外源氮输入对土壤有机碳矿化和凋落物分解的影响

目前,由人类活动造成的陆地生态系统氮输入量已经远远超过了其自身的生物固氮,外源氮输入的增多已经并将继续对土壤有机碳矿化和凋落物分解产生影响。本文分析了国内外有关氮输入增多对土壤有机碳矿化和凋落物分解的影响及其机理:由于研究点环境状况不同,凋落物性质的差异和分解阶段的不同等原因,氮输入对土壤有机碳矿化的结果主要表现为抑制或促进作用;对凋落物分解的影响表现为促进、无影响和抑制三种效果,有关其作用机理还有待进一步深入研究。着重指出对于作为大气CO2"汇"的沼泽湿地,氮输入的增多能够对其碳"汇"功能产生影响,因此进行氮输入对湿地土壤有机碳矿化和凋落物分解方面的研究,对于探讨湿地碳循环对外源氮输入的响应及其机理非常重要。     

Temporal and spatial variations in nitrogen transformations in deciduous forest ecosystems along an urban-rural gradient

Ecosystem processes such as N transformations have seldom been studied in urban and suburban areas. Here we report the temporal and spatial variations in soil N measured continuously over 16 months in remnant forests dominated by northern red oak (Quercus rubraL.) along a 130 km urban-rural transect in the New York City metropolitan area. Urban, suburban and rural forests all exhibited clear seasonal patterns in soil N concentrations and transformation rates. Concentrations of extractable inorganic N were highest in early spring, while net N mineralization and nitrification rates were highest in summer. Peak N mineralization and nitrification in urban stands tended to occur a month earlier than in rural stands. Daily net N mineralization rates averaged 4.45 mg N kg⁻¹ soil organic matter (SOM) in urban stands, 3.51 in suburban stands, and 2.49 in rural stands. In urban and suburban forests, between 23.2-73.8% of the annual net N mineralized was nitrified, but in rural forests, net nitrification was mostly below the detection limit. Annual net N mineralization rates, expressed on an areal basis (to a depth of 7.5 cm), averaged 11.6 g m⁻² in urban forests, 11.3 g m⁻² in suburban sites, and 7.3 g m⁻² in rural forests. N returns in oak litter fall were 2.15, 1.32, and 1.81 g m⁻² in urban, suburban, and rural stands, respectively. The elevated N transformation rates and nitrate production, in combination with possible pollution constraints on tree growth in urban environments, raises concern that these urban and suburban forests may be approaching an N saturated status.