Availability of organic carbon for denitrification of nitrate in subsoils

Summary Previous work in our laboratory indicated that the slow rate of denitrification in Iowa subsoils is not due to a lack of denitrifying microorganisms, but to a lack of organic C that can be utilized by these microorganisms for reduction of NO ₃ ^– . This conclusion was supported by studies showing that drainage water from tile drains under agricultural research plots contained only trace amounts of organic C and had very little, if any, effect on denitrification in subsoils. Aqueous extracts of surface soils promoted denitrification when added to subsoils, and their ability to do so increased with increase in their organic C content. Amendment of surface soils with corn and soybean residues initially led to a marked increase in the amounts of organic C in aqueous extracts of these soils and in the ability of these extracts to promote denitrification in subsoils, but these effects were short-lived and could not be detected after incubation of residue-treated soils for a few days. We conclude from these observations that water-soluble organic C derived from plant residues is decomposed so rapidly in surface soils that very little of this C is leached into subsoils, and that this largely accounts for the slow rate of denitrification of nitrate in subsoils.     

Participation of soluble and oxidizable soil organic compounds in denitrification

Summary The role of soluble organic carbon (SOC) in denitrification in four mineral soils and one organic soil was evaluated in laboratory studies. Denitrification capacities and SOC concentrations were determined by nitrate loss from air-dried flooded soil treated with a solution containing 100 g/ml N0₃ ^–-N, while the rate of consumption was measured by Warburg manometry on 20 g air-dried soils to which 10 ml water had been added. High correlation coefficients (r > 0.93) were obtained between denitrification capacities, SOC, and oxygen consumption in the five soils. A mineral soil was amended with extracts of an organic soil. After incubating for 1 week, denitrification capacity was enhanced and SOC concentrations decreased in that soil. Extracted mineral soil had a lower denitrification capacity than an unextracted one. Decreases in concentrations of SOC were related to color change. Infrared spectra of precipitates from soil extracts indicated that absorption at wave number 1420–1440 cm -1 was also related to the color changes. It was implied that low molecular weight fulvic acid like compounds represented the SOC mineralized in denitrification, and that their supply to soil solution by solubilization of organic matter influenced the denitrification rate in the soil.     

Extraction of chlorophyll a from biological soil crusts: A comparison of solvents for spectrophotometric determination

We tested the efficacy of four different commonly used solvents (acetone, ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol) for the extraction of chla from biological soil crusts of three different successional stages (dark, intermediate, and light). Our results indicate that a double extraction technique is necessary in order to achieve chla recovery in the range of 76-87 percent. For all crust types, ethanol and dimethyl sulfoxide extracted the greatest amount of chla using a two-extraction efficiency calculation.     

Effects of nitrification inhibitors on denitrification of nitrate in soil

Summary The influence of 28 nitrification inhibitors on denitrification of nitrate in soil was studied by determining the effects of different amounts of each inhibitor on the amounts of nitrate lost and the amounts of nitrite, N₂O and N₂ produced when soil samples were incubated anaerobically after treatment with nitrate or with nitrate and mannitol. The inhibitors used included nitrapyrin (N-Serve), etridiazole (Dwell), potassium azide, 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine (AM), sulfathiazole (ST), 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole(ATC),2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyl-s-triazine (CL-1580), potassium ethylxanthate, guanylthiourea (ASU), 4-nitrobenzotrichloride, 4-mesylbenzotrichloride, sodium thiocarbonate (STC), phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), and dicyandiamide (DCD).Only one of the nitrification inhibitors studied (potassium azide) retarded denitrification when applied at the rate of 10 g g^–1 soil, and only two (potassium azide and 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyl-s-triazine) inhibited denitrification when applied at the rate of 50 g g^–1 soil. The other inhibitors either had no appreciable effect on denitrification, or enhanced denitrification, when applied at the rate of 10 or 50 g g^–1 soil, enhancement being most marked with 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole. Seven of the inhibitors (potassium azide, sulfathiazole, potassium ethylxanthate, sodium isopropylxanthate, 4-nitrobenzotrichloride, sodium thiocarbonate, and phenylmercuric acetate) retarded denitrification when applied at the rate of 50 g g^–1 soil to soil that had been amended with mannitol to promote microbial activity.Reports that nitrapyrin (N-Serve) and etridiazole (Dwell) inhibit denitrification when applied at rates as low as 0.5 g g^–1 soil could not be confirmed. No inhibition of denitrification was observed when these compounds were applied at the rate of 10 g g^–1 soil, and enhancement of denitrification was observed when they were applied at the rate of 50 or 100 g g^–1 soil.     

Factors affecting the availability of organic carbon for denitrification of nitrate in subsoils

Summary Recent work in our laboratory indicated that the slow rate of denitrification in Iowa subsoils is not due to a lack of denitrifying microorganisms, but to a lack of organic C that can be utilized by these microorganisms for reduction of nitrate. To identify factors affecting the availability of leachable organic C in surface soils capable of promoting denitrification in subsoils, we studied the effects of freezing and drying and of plants and plant residues on the amounts of water-soluble organic C in surface soils and the ability of this organic C to promote denitrification in subsoils. We found that aqueous extracts of field-moist, frozen, and air-dried surface soils promoted denitrification in subsoils and that their stimulatory effects on denitrification were highly correlated (r=0.93) with their organic C contents and decreased in the order air-dried soils frozen soils >field-moist soils. But a detailed study of the effect of drying a surface soil to different water tensions indicated that drying of soils under natural conditions is not likely to lead to a substantial increase in their content of water-soluble organic C. Amendment of surface soils with corn or soybean residues led to a marked increase in the amount of organic C in aqueous extracts of the soils and in the ability of these extracts to promote denitrification in subsoils. These effects of plant residues could not be detected after incubation of residue-treated soils for a few days under aerobic conditions, but they increased markedly with an increase in the time of incubation from 1 to 10 days when residue-treated soils were incubated under anaerobic conditions. Analyses for organic acids indicated that this increase was largely due to fermentative production of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids by soil microorganisms. Growth chamber studies showed that growth of corn, soybean, wheat, and sorghum plants on surface soil did not significantly increase the organic C content of leachates of the soil or the ability of these leachates to promote denitrification in subsois. We conclude that plant residues are a major source of the leachable organic C in surface soils that is capable of promoting denitrification in subsoils.     

土样制备和保存方法对亚热带土壤反硝化的影响

比较了两种土样制备和保存方法对厌氧培养1周内土壤反硝化及矿化的动态影响。试验结果表明,强烈风干后并经长期存放过的土样显著促进了NO3--N浓度降低速率和N2O排放速率的提高,其反硝化速率和矿化速率分别较稍微风干后无存放时间(即立即开始培养试验)的土样提高了47.3%和31.0%。强烈风干土有机C矿化作用的增强以及易矿化有效态C含量的提高是促进反硝化作用增强的主要原因。风干程度和存放时间对反硝化的促进程度取决于其对有机质矿化影响的相对大小,对有机质矿化的影响越大,反硝化强度增加的幅度也越大。由试验结果可推测,利用风干土的实验室培养方法测定得到的土壤反硝化势可能会过高估计田间原位测定的反硝化势。     

地下水硝酸盐去除中反硝化微生物的研究进展

地下水硝酸盐污染已经成为一个全球问题,由于饮用高硝酸盐含量的地下水会增加高铁血红蛋白症和癌症风险,地下水硝酸盐污染受到越来越多的关注。反硝化脱氮是地下水硝酸盐脱氮的主要途径之一。本文就参与地下水硝酸盐去除的反硝化微生物种类、反硝化机理、碳源类型以及地下水污染中微生物作用的国内外研究现状进行了较全面系统的评述。在此基础上,提出了该类研究中存在的不足,包括实验室研究较多但野外研究较少,野外原位应用中对特定微生物特性方面研究缺乏,碳源利用率低和硝酸盐去除速度慢,去除过程中有效微生物的代谢途径仍不清楚等问题。针对这些问题,本文认为以后的研究应该进一步开发野外原位应用中反硝化微生物资源,并借助先进的分子方法和功能基因鉴定此类特殊微生物的种类、功能及其生态学行为,选择最佳碳源,完整深入地了解地下水硝酸盐去除中微生物的代谢过程,识别反硝化过程中氮的来源与去向,为寻找提高处理效率的方法提供理论依据,真正将理论和实践结合起来。     

Localization of denitrification activity in macropores of a riparian wetland

Soil structure heterogeneity in the form of macropores and preferential flow channels can complicate efforts to quantify the physical and biological characteristics of wetland systems. We collected soil cores from two riparian wetlands to determine whether soil associated with macropores had elevated denitrification potentials compared to bulk soil from the same core. Cores were inspected for obvious macropores, which were distinguished as visible holes in the core, sometimes with decaying root matter, or as highly unconsolidated layers that appeared to have a substantially lower bulk density than the surrounding soil. Denitrification potentials were significantly higher in pores (P<0.05) for six of the 16 cores that were obtained from the Cheraw State Park site. In cores obtained from a second site, denitrification potentials were significantly higher in pores for six of 20 cores and the trend of higher denitrification in pores was present in the majority of cores that had measurable activity. In cores with significant differences, denitrification was often 1-2 orders of magnitude greater in soil surrounding the macropore than in the bulk soil. Denitrification potentials of the bulk soils were similar in magnitude to the potentials measured in composited cores from previous studies. It is possible that the difference between macropore and bulk denitrification rates developed due to preferential flow of nitrate-rich water through the macropores. Previous work showed that water entering these riparian systems in groundwater and storm runoff had elevated levels of NO₃⁻.     

Characterization of denitrification activity in zones of groundwater exfiltration within a riparian wetland ecosystem

Movement of agricultural nitrogen (N) into riparian buffers often occurs within discrete seepage or upwelling zones which can limit the ability of the ecosystem to process the nutrient delivered by exfiltrating groundwater. Characterization of the biogeochemical processing of N within these zones is important in assessing the effectiveness of riparian buffers for mitigating nutrient loading of surface waters. The biogeochemical potential for denitrification in zones of exfiltration within a riparian buffer wetland dominated by high-carbon mucky soils was found to be highly stratified by profile depth with substantially higher activity in the surface layer of soil. The denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) within these zones was partly related to the population size of denitrifying microorganisms as measured by the most probable number (MPN) as well as the general microbial population as measured by substrate-induced respiration. The addition of glucose to the DEA assay stimulated enzyme activity indicating that carbon substrate was limiting activity. The stratification patterns of microbial populations and DEA are consistent with new carbon inputs to the ecosystem being most important driver of biogeochemical reactions such as denitrification in this high-carbon environment. A survey of carbon inputs to the ecosystem under study identified two major sources that contribute most of the annual biomass carbon inputs to the wetland: skunk cabbage in early summer and tree leaf litter in the fall. Tests of the ability of annually deposited wetland plant residues to stimulate denitrification and microbial respiration indicated that the degree of stimulation was inversely related to the C/N ratio of these carbon sources.     

Influence of the water regime on denitrification and aerobic respiration in soil

Summary The influence of soil moisture on denitrification and aerobic respiration was studied in a mull rendzina soil. N₂O formation did not occur below –30 kPa matric water potential (_m), above 0.28 air-filled porosity (a) and below 0.55 fractional water saturation (_v/PV volumetric water content/total pore volume). Half maximum rates of N₂O production and O₂ consumption were obtained between _m = –1.2 and –12 kPa,a = 0.05 and 0.23, and _v/PV = 0.63 and 0.92. No oxygen consumption was measured at _v/PC 1.17. O₂ uptake and denitrification occurred simultaneously arounda = 0.10 (at _m = –10 kPa and _v/PV = 0.81) at mean rates of 3.5 µl O₂ and 0.3 µl N₂ h^–1g^–1 soil. Undisturbed, field-moist soil saturated with nitrate solution showed constant consumption and production rates, respectively, of 0.6 µl O and 0.22 µl N₂O h^–1g^–1 soil, whereas the rates of air-dried remoistened soil were at least 10 times these values. The highest rates obtained in remoistened soil amended with glucose and nitrate were 130 µl O₂ and 27 µl N₂O h^–1g^–1 soil.     

Role of nitrite and nitric oxide in the processes of nitrification and denitrification in soil: Results from N tracer experiments

Recent research has proven soil nitrite to be a key element in understanding N-gas production (NO, N₂O, N₂) in soils. NO is widely accepted to be an obligatory intermediate of N₂O formation in the denitrification pathway. However, studies with native soils could not confirm NO as a N₂O precursor, and field experiments mainly revealed ammonium nitrification as the source of NO. The hypothesis was constructed, that the limited diffusion of NO in soil is the reason for this contradiction. To test this diffusion limitation hypothesis and to verify nitrite and NO as free intermediates in native soils we conducted through-flow (He/O₂ atmosphere) ¹⁵N tracer experiments using black earth soil in an experimental set up free of diffusion limitation. All of the three relevant inorganic N soil pools (ammonium, nitrite, nitrate) were ¹⁵N labelled in separate incubation experiments lasting 81 h based on the kinetic isotope method. During the experiments the partial pressure of O₂ was decreased in four steps from 20% to about 0%. The net NO emission increased up to 3.7 μg N kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ with decreasing O₂ partial pressure. Due to the special experimental set up with little to no obstructions of gas diffusion, only very low N₂O emission could be observed. As expected the content of the substrates ammonium, nitrate and nitrite remained almost constant over the incubation time. The ¹⁵N abundance of nitrite revealed high turnover rates. The contribution of nitrification of ammonium to the total nitrite production was approx. 88% under strong aerobic soil conditions but quickly decreased to zero with declining O₂ partial pressure. It is remarkable that already under the high partial pressure of 20% O₂ 12 % of nitrite is generated by nitrate denitrification, and under strict anaerobic conditions it increases to 100%. Nitrite is present in two separate endogenous pools at least, each one fed by the nitrification of ammonium or the denitrification of nitrate. The experiments clearly revealed that nitrite is almost 100% the direct precursor of NO formation under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions. Emitted N₂O only originated to about 100% from NO under strict anaerobic conditions (0-0.2% O₂), providing evidence that NO is a free intermediate of N₂O formation by denitrification. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that NO has been detected in a native soil as a free intermediate product of N₂O formation at denitrification. These results clearly verify the “diffusion limitation” hypothesis.     

Temporal and spatial patterns of denitrification enzyme activity and nitrous oxide fluxes in three adjacent vegetated riparian buffer zones

The aim of this study was to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes in three adjacent riparian sites (mixed vegetation, forest and grass). The highest DEA was found in the surface (0–30 cm) soil and varied between 0.7±0.1 mg N kg^–1 day^–1 at 5°C and 5.9±0.4 mg N kg^–1 day^–1 at 15°C. There was no significant difference (P >0.05) between the DEA in the uppermost (0–30 cm and 60–90 cm) soil depths under different vegetation covers. In the two deepest (120–150 cm and 180–210 cm) soil depths the DEA varied between 0.0±0.0 mg N kg^–1 day^–1 at 5°C and 4.4±0.9 mg N kg^–1 day^–1 at 15°C and was clearly associated with the accumulation of buried organic carbon (OC). Two threshold values of OC were observed before DEA started to increase significantly, namely 5 and 25 g OC kg^–1 soil at 10–15°C and 5°C, respectively. In the three riparian sites N₂O fluxes varied between a net N₂O uptake of –0.6±0.4 mg N₂O-N m^–2 day^–1 and a net N₂O emission of 2.5±0.3 mg N₂O-N m^–2 day^–1. The observed N₂O emission did not lead to an important pollution swapping (from water pollution to greenhouse gas emission). Especially in the mixed vegetation and forest riparian site highest N₂O fluxes were observed upslope of the riparian site. The N₂O fluxes showed no clear temporal trend.     

Nitrate removal, denitrification and nitrous oxide production in the riparian zone of an ephemeral stream

Riparian zones are important features of the landscape that can buffer waterways from non-point sources of nitrogen pollution. Studies of perennial streams have identified denitrification as one of the dominant mechanisms by which this can occur. This study aimed to assess nitrate removal within the riparian zone of an ephemeral stream and characterise the processes responsible, particularly denitrification, using both in-situ and laboratory techniques. To quantify rates of groundwater nitrate removal and denitrification in-situ, nitrate was added to two separate injection-capture well networks in a perched riparian aquifer of a low order ephemeral stream in South East Queensland, Australia. Both networks also received bromide as a conservative tracer and one received acetylene to inhibit the last step of denitrification. An average of 77 ± 2% and 98 ± 1% of the added nitrate was removed within a distance of 40 cm from the injection wells (networks with acetylene and without, respectively). Based on rates of N₂O production in the network with added acetylene, denitrification was not a major mechanism of nitrate loss, accounting for only 3% of removal. Reduction of nitrate to ammonium was also not a major pathway in either network, contributing <4%. Relatively high concentrations of oxygen in the aquifer following recent filling by stream water may have reduced the importance of these two anaerobic pathways. Alternatively, denitrification may have been underestimated using the in-situ acetylene block technique. In the laboratory, soils taken from two depths at each well network were incubated with four nitrate-N treatments (ranging from ambient concentration to an addition of 15 mg N l⁻¹), with and without added acetylene. Potential rates of denitrification, N₂O production and N₂O:N₂ ratios increased with nitrate additions, particularly in shallow soils. Potential rates of denitrification observed in the laboratory were equivalent in magnitude to nitrate removal measured in the field (mean 0.26 ± 0.12 mg N kg of dry soil⁻¹ d⁻¹), but were two orders of magnitude greater than denitrification measured in the field with added acetylene. The relative importance of assimilatory vs. dissimilatory processes of nitrate removal depends on environmental conditions in the aquifer, particularly hydrology and its effects on dissolved oxygen concentrations. Depending on seasonal conditions, aquifers of ephemeral streams like the study site are likely to fluctuate between oxic and anoxic conditions; nevertheless they may still function as effective buffers. While denitrification to N₂ is a desirable outcome from a management perspective, assimilation into biomass can provide a rapid sink for nitrate, thus helping to reduce short-term delivery of nitrate downstream. Longer-term studies are needed to determine the overall effectiveness of riparian buffers associated with ephemeral streams in mitigating nitrate loads reaching downstream ecosystems.     

Animal treading stimulates denitrification in soil under pasture

The effects of animal treading on denitrification in a mixed ryegrass-clover pasture were studied. A single treading event of moderate or severe intensity was applied in plots during spring by using dairy cows at varying stocking rates (4.5 cows 100 m⁻² for 1.5 or 2.5 h, respectively). Treading caused a significant short-term 21 days) increase in denitrification. Denitrification rates reached a maximum of 52 g N₂O-N ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ at 8 days after severe treading compared to 2.3 g N₂O-N ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ under nil treading. Thereafter, denitrification rates declined, and were similar to non-trodden control plots after 28 days. Soil aeration, was significantly reduced by treading as expressed by water-filled porosity. In addition, soil NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N concentrations were also increased by treading. We propose that the underlying processes involved in increasing denitrification under treading were two-fold. Firstly, treading caused a temporary (e.g. 3 days after treading) reduction in soil aeration through soil physical damage, and secondly, reduced soil N utilisation prompted by reduced plant growth led to increased soil NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N availability. This study shows that treading, without the influence of other grazing animal factors (e.g. excretion), can cause a large short-term stimulation of denitrification in grass-clover pastures.     

Inorganic nitrogen in a tropical soil with frequent amendments of sewage sludge

Accurate prediction of plant-available N release from sewage sludge is necessary to optimize crop yields and minimize NO₃^– leaching to groundwater. We conducted a 1.5-year study with three maize crops to determine N mineralization from an urban sewage sludge from Barueri, State of São Paulo, Brazil, and its potential to contaminate groundwater with NO₃^–. The soil at the experimental site was a loamy/clayey-textured Dark Red Dystroferric Oxisol. The treatments consisted of: plots without chemical fertilization or sludge, plots with complete chemical fertilization, and plots receiving four different doses of sewage sludge. Dose 1 was calculated at the agronomic N rate, while doses 2, 3 and 4 were, respectively, two, four, and eight times dose 1. The inorganic N addition increased with the rate of biosolid application. The high NO₃^– concentrations in relation to NH₄⁺ were associated with intense soil nitrification. High N losses occurred for the first 27 days after soil sludge incorporation, even at the lowest dose, suggesting that land application of sewage sludge based on the N requirement of the crop may be overestimating the amount of sewage sludge to be applied.     

Effect of wheat roots on denitrification at varying soil air-filled porosity and organic-carbon content

Summary The effect of the air-filled porosity and organic-matter content of the soil on denitrification with non-limiting NO₃ ^– concentrations was studied in unplanted pots and in pots sown to wheat. Four organic-C levels were established by using pure and mixed soil material from a Bt horizon with 0.12% organic-C and an A_p horizon with 1.31% organic C from a mollic luvisol. A range of air-filled porosities from 3% to 25% during denitrification assays was obtained by varying soil compaction. Beyond a 10% to 12% threshold of air-filled porosity the denitrification rates were at an insignificant and constant level in planted as well as in unplanted soil for all organic-C contents. Below this threshold denitrification increased exponentially with decreasing air-filled porosity. In planted soil the excess of denitrification over that of unplanted soil was inversely related to air-filled porosity. This rhizosphere effect on denitrification, which was confined to air-filled porosities lower than 10%–12%, became significantly greater with increasing soil organic-C content. The findings indicate that root dependent respiration amplifies O₂ depletion in the rhizosphere and may accelerate the onset of denitrification in planted soil.     

A temperature correction procedure for field-based soil denitrification experiments

Abstract. An equation is developed to permit temperature correction (to some chosen reference temperature) for field-based soil columns that measure the depletion of nitrate in the water column above a soil layer where denitrification occurs. The derivation is based on the assumption that the overall nitrate depletion is diffusion controlled by the nitrate flux from the water column into the soil and the soil denitrification obeys Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The expression is tested on results from a large soil column maintained in a greenhouse where natural temperature cycling occurred.     

Variables controlling denitrification from earthworm casts and soil in permanent pastures

Summary Denitrification (using the acetylene block method) was determined in earthworm casts and soils from permanent, drained or undrained pasture plots fertilized with 0 or 200 kg N ha^-1 year^-1 as ammonium nitrate. Rates of N₂O production from soil cores were about three times higher from the fertilized than from the unfertilized plots while drainage had a relatively small effect. Denitrification rates from casts were 3–5 times higher than those from soil irrespective of the drainage treatment. Casts generally had higher NO _inf3 ^sup- , NH _inf4 ^sup+ , and moisture contents, and higher microbial respiration rates than soil. Rates of N₂O production were determined primarily by NO _inf3 ^sup- supply, secondarily by moisture; available C did not appear to limit denitrification in these pastures. Estimates of the potential contribution of casts to denitrification ranges from 10.1% of 29.3 kg ha^-1 year^-1 from the unfertilized, drained plot to 22% of 82.5 kg ha^-1 year^-1 from the fertilized undrained plot.     

土壤熏蒸剂对土壤硝化、反硝化作用的影响

采用化学分析和变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)技术,以大田威百亩、棉隆、溴甲烷、硫酰氟熏蒸100 d土壤为研究对象,探究土壤熏蒸对土壤硝化活性、反硝化活性及amoA基因型硝化型细菌、nirS基因型反硝化细菌群落结构影响。研究表明,威百亩、棉隆、硫酰氟熏蒸剂处理下,土壤硝化活性与对照无显著差异;而溴甲烷处理的硝化活性比对照降低13.19%,差异显著(P0.05);熏蒸剂之间土壤硝化活性无显著差异。4种熏蒸剂之间以及与对照之间土壤反硝化活性无显著差异。4种熏蒸剂中溴甲烷处理土样amoA型硝化细菌多样性指数、均匀度显著低于对照土样和其他3种熏蒸剂处理土样;而丰富度指数无显著差异。威百亩、棉隆和硫酰氟熏蒸土样之间及与对照之间amoA型硝化细菌3种生态指数无明显差异。4种熏蒸剂处理土壤nirS型反硝化细菌多样性指数、均匀度与对照无显著差异(P0.05);熏蒸剂之间存在显著差异(P0.05)。研究表明,溴甲烷对土壤硝化活性的抑制是通过抑制amoA型硝化细菌的多样性而实现,其他3种熏蒸剂对土壤硝化活性无显著影响。4种熏蒸剂对土壤反硝化活性无显著影响。     

Effects of vegetation regime on denitrification potential in two tropical volcanic soils

Effects of vegetation and nutrient availability on potentail denitrification rates were studied in two volcanic, alluvial-terrace soils in lowland Costa Rica that differ greatly in weathering stage and thus in availability of P and base cations. Potential denitrification rates were significantly higher in plots where vegetation had been left undisturbed than in plots where all vegetation had been removed continuously, and were higher on the less fertile of the two soils. The potential denitrification rates were correlated strongly with respiration rates, levels of mineralizable N, microbial biomass, and moisture content, and moderately well with concentrations of extractable NH _inf4 ^sup+ , Kjeldahl N, and total C. In all plots, denitrification rates were stimulated by the removal of O₂ and by the addition of glucose but not by the addition of water or NO _inf3 ^sup- .This is Paper 2772 of the Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University