Constraining the conditions conducive to dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in temperate arable soils

Here we offer the first assessment of conditions conducive to dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in temperate arable soils, through an examination of the potential for this process to occur in a range of soils of contrasting characteristics. NH₄¹⁵NO₃ (6.2 g N m⁻², 25 atom % excess ¹⁵N) was applied, and recovery of ¹⁵N in the pool taken as indicative of occurrence of DNRA. Up to 5% of applied ¹⁵N was recovered in the pool 2 d after addition of N, glucose (44.6 g C m⁻²) and l-cysteine (7.7 g m⁻², 0.9 g N m⁻², 2.3 g C m⁻²). concentrations were positively correlated with soil pH, ratio, bulk density, sand content and concentration, but negatively correlated with soil C and organic N content. Our results demonstrate the potential for DNRA to contribute to N cycling in temperate arable soils, but its detection and significance is likely to depend on the provision of a low molecular weight C source.     

Temperature sensitivity of mineral N transformation rates, and heterotrophic nitrification: possible factors controlling the post-disturbance mineral N flush in forest floors

A major forest disturbance such as clearcutting may bring on a flush of mineral N in organic forest floor horizons, but the magnitude of this flush can vary markedly from one ecosystem to another. For example, it was previously established that clearcutting in a high elevation Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir (ESSF) ecosystem results in significantly higher NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ concentrations, whereas clearcutting in an old-growth coastal western hemlock (CWH) ecosystem has little effect on mineral N dynamics. We hypothesized that the higher mineral N flush observed in the ESSF ecosystem is due to a greater temperature sensitivity of mineral N transformation rates, and to a lower proportion of heterotrophic nitrifiers, compared to the CWH ecosystem. To test these two hypotheses, we sampled forest floors several times over the growing season from clearcut and old-growth plots in both ecosystems, and measured gross mineral N transformation rates at field temperatures and at 10 °C above field temperatures, as well as with and without acetylene to inhibit autotrophic nitrifiers. Gross NH₄⁺ transformations rates ranged between 20 and 120 μg N (g forest floor)⁻¹ day⁻¹ at the ESSF site, and between 15 and 40 μg N (g forest floor)⁻¹ day⁻¹ at the CWH site. Higher temperature increased gross NH₄⁺ transformation rates in forest floor samples at both sites, but the average Q₁₀ value was higher at the ESSF site (3.15) than at the CWH site (1.25). Temperature sensitivity at the ESSF site was greater in clearcut plots (Q₁₀=4.31) than in old-growth plots (Q₁₀=1.98). Gross NO₃⁻ transformation rates ranged between 10 and 32 μg N (g forest floor)⁻¹ day⁻¹ at the ESSF site, and between 10 and 24 μg N (g forest floor)⁻¹ day⁻¹ at the CWH site, but there were no significant effects of temperature or clearcutting on gross NO₃⁻ transformation rates at either site. Likewise, there were no significant differences in the proportion of heterotrophic nitrifiers between sites. Overall, our results support the view that the temperature sensitivity of microbial processes may explain the magnitude of the NH₄⁺ flush in some coniferous ecosystems, but we lack the evidence relating the magnitude of the NO₃⁻ flush to the proportion of heterotrophic nitrifiers.     

养猪场处理尾水灌溉对太湖地区水稻土硝酸根异化还原为铵的影响

以太湖地区的湖白土和乌栅土为研究对象,通过室内15N 示踪实验研究了低浓度废水灌溉对土壤异化硝酸根还原为铵（DNRA）的影响。乌栅土DNRA速率和相对潜势分别为0.68 ~ 0.79 mg N kg-1干土 天-1和34.61 ~ 44.45%;湖白土DNRA速率和相对潜势分别为1.14 ~ 1.41 mg N kg-1干土 天-1和54.24 ~ 106.70%。低浓度废水对2种土壤的DNRA速率均影响不大;低浓度废水对湖白土DNRA相对潜势影响不大而明显降低了乌栅土DNRA相对潜势。相关分析表明,土壤DNRA相对潜势与培养开始（r = 0.836,p < 0.05,n = 6）和结束（r = 0.936,p < 0.01,n = 6）时的土壤溶解有机碳 / 硝态氮（DOC / NO3-N）均显著正相关,而与培养始末土壤Eh和DOC含量的相关性不显著。以上研究结果表明,太湖地区乌栅土具有较高的DNRA潜势,实践上有可能通过调控DNRA过程实现保持土壤氮素而减少农田氮损失的目的;尾水灌溉主要通过改变土壤DOC / NO3-N而影响DNRA对NO3-异化还原的贡献且其影响因土壤类型而异。     

两种水稻土氮初级矿化和硝化速率及其与氮肥利用率的关系

摘　要 　高氮肥施用量和低氮肥利用率是我国水稻生产可持续性发展面临的问题之一。氮肥损失途径与肥料进入土壤后的转化过程息息相关。了解水稻土中氮素转化过程并进行定量描述有助于提高人们对稻田氮素损失途径的认识水平。为此,本研究开展了连续2年的大田实验,测定了稻麦轮作条件下江苏淮安碱性水稻土（潮黄土,pH=8.3）和宜兴中性水稻土（黄泥土,pH=6.2）作物氮肥利用效率;同时采用15N同位素稀释方法,开展室内好氧培养实验,估算了两种土壤中的氮素初级矿化和硝化速率,以此解释田间试验中氮肥利用率差异的原因。田间试验结果表明,在获得相似的水稻或小麦产量的情况下,淮安潮黄土氮肥需用量高于宜兴中性水稻土,而氮肥利用率却低于宜兴黄泥土。15N室内培养实验结果表明,供试潮黄土氮素初级矿化和硝化速率均较黄泥土高,其较高的pH可能是主要原因。 潮黄土中相对较高的初级矿化和硝化速率可能会导致更多的NO3--N 在土壤中短暂累积,不能被作物及时吸收利用的NO3--N 便可通过各种途径损失掉。这可能是造成两种稻田土壤田间氮肥利用率差异的原因之一。     

Soil nitrogen conservation mechanisms in a pristine south Chilean Nothofagus forest ecosystem

A ¹⁵N tracing study was carried out to identify microbial and abiotic nitrogen (N) transformations in a south Chilean Nothofagus betuloides forest soil which is characterized by low N inputs and absence of human disturbance. Gross N transformation rates were quantified with a ¹⁵N tracing model in combination with a Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithm for parameter estimation. The ¹⁵N tracing model included five different N pools (ammonium (NH₄⁺), nitrate (NO₃⁻), labile (N_lab) and recalcitrant (N_rec) soil organic matter and adsorbed NH₄⁺), and ten gross N transformation rates. The N dynamics in the N. betuloides ecosystem are characterized by low net but high gross mineralization rates. Mineralization in this soil was dominated by turnover of N_lab, while immobilization of NH₄⁺ predominantly entered the N_rec pool. A fast exchange between the NH₄⁺ and the adsorbed NH₄⁺ pool was observed, possibly via physical adsorption on and release from clay lattices, providing an effective buffer for NH₄⁺. Moreover, high NH₄⁺ immobilization rates into the N_rec pool ensure a sustained ecosystem productivity. Nitrate, the most mobile form of N in the system, is characterized by a slow turnover and was produced in roughly equal amounts from NH₄⁺ oxidation and organic N oxidation. More than 86% of the NO₃⁻ produced was immediately consumed again. This study showed for the first time that dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) was almost exclusively (>99%) responsible for NO₃⁻ consumption. DNRA rather than NO₃⁻ immobilization ensures that NO₃⁻ is transformed into another available N form. DNRA may therefore be a widespread N retention mechanism in ecosystems that are N-limited and receive high rainfalls.     

Determination of ammonium n and nitrate n in acid permanganate solution used to absorb ammonia,nitric oxide,and nitrogen dioxide evolved from soils

Abstract

Simple steam distillation methods are described for determination of ammonium N and nitrate N in acid KMnO₄ solution used to absorb NH₃, NO and NO₂ evolved from soils. They involve use of MgO for distillation of ammonia and of FeSO₄, Ag₂SO₄, and MgO for reduction of nitrate to ammonia. The methods are rapid and precise, and they permit nitrogen‐15 analysis of NH₃‐N and (NO + NO₂)‐N evolved from soils.