The effects of feeding byOniscus asellus (Isopoda) on nutrient cycling in an incubated hardwood forest soil

Summary Oniscus asellus produced changes in the nutrients leached from Oie and Oa horizons of a hardwood forest soil. Soil with isopods lost more K⁺ (54%) from the Oie horizon and more Ca²⁺ (25%), Mg²⁺ (40%), and water-extractable S (23%) from the Oa horizon than soil without isopods. In contrast, soils with isopods lost less Ca²⁺ (39076) from the Oie horizon and less dissolved C-bonded S (33%) from the Oa horizon than soil without isopods. In addition, the Oia and Oa horizons exhibited different nutrient dynamics. When isopods were present, the Oa horizon leachates accumulated more Na⁺ K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, NO₃ ^– , water-soluble SO₄ ^2–, and dissolved C-bonded S, and the Oie horizon retained more of these nutrients. The type of leaching solution also had a major effect on nutrients. Leaching with a simulated soil solution resulted in smaller nutrient losses for K⁺ and Mg²⁺ in both horizons and for Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and NO₃ ^– in the Oa horizon than leaching with distilled water.     

Acetylene reduction in soil and litter from pine and eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia

Rates of C₂H₂-reduction in surface soil and litter from pine and eucalypt forests were measured for 1 yr. Rates of reduction increased significantly with moisture content, and mean rates (nmol kg^?1 h^?1) decreased in the order pine litter (339), eucalypt litter (220), eucalypt soil (54), pine soil (7). Asymbiotic N₂-fixation in litter and surface soil was estimated to be 108 mg m^?2 yr^?1 in eucalypt forest and 64 mg m^?2 yr^?1 in pine forest. About 80% of total fixation in eucalypt was in the soil, while 80% of the total in pine was in the litter. N₂ase was active in rotting wood but not in fresh foliage.     

Nitrogen deposition and leaching in European forests — Preliminary results from a data compilation

Input-output fluxes of nitrogen (N) and other ecosystem data from 64 European forest ecosystem studies have been compiled in a database (ECOFEE). Sites with high N deposition (up to 64 kg N ha^–1yr^–1) were characterized by high input of ammonia/ammonium. The deposition of oxidized N was usually only 10 to 15 kg N ha^–1yr^–1 Of all the sites included, 60 % leached more than 5 kg N ha^–1yr^–1. Elevated nitrate leaching appeared at inputs above 10 kg N ha^–1yr^–1. At several sites with inputs of 15–25 kg N ha^–1yr^–1 nitrate leaching approached the N input, whereas ammonium dominated sites with high input still retained c. 50 % of the input.     

Status and distribution of soil sulphur fractions,total nitrogen and organic carbon in camp and non-camp soils of grazed pastures supplied with long-term superphosphate

Summary Topsoils (0–75 mm) from four different soil types were collected from stock camp and non-camp (main grazing area) areas of grazed pastures in New Zealand, which had been fertilised annually with superphosphate for more than 15 years, in order to assess the effects of grazing animals on the status and distribution of soil S fractions and organic matter. These soils were analysed for organic C, total N, total S, C-bonded S, hydriodic acid-reducible S, 0.01 M CaCl₂, and 0.04 M Ca(H₂PO₄)₂-extractable S fractions, and soil pH. Soil inorganic and organic S fractions extracted by NaHCO₃ and NaOH extractants were also determined. The results obtained showed that camp soils contain higher soil pH, organic C, total N, total S, organic (C-bonded S and hydriodic acid-reducible S) and inorganic S fractions, NaHCO₃-and NaOH-extractable soil S fractions but a lower anion retention capacity than non-camp soils, attributed to a higher return of plant litter and animal excreta to camp soils. In both soils, total S, organic S, C-bonded S, and hydriodic acid-reducible S were significantly correlated with organic C (r0.90***, ***P0.001) and total N (r0.95***), suggesting that C, N, and S are integral components of soil organic matter. However, C: N : S ratios tended to be lower in camp (60: 5.6: 1–103: 7.2: 1) than in non-camp soils (60:6.1:1–117:8.3:1). Most (>95%) of the total soil S in camp and non-camp soils is present as organic S, while the remainder is readily soluble and adsorbed S (i.e. Ca(H₂PO₄)₂-extractable S). C-bonded S and hydriodic acid-reducible S constituted 55%–74% and 26%–45% of total S, respectively, reflecting a regular return of plant litter and animal excreta to the grazed pastures. NaHCO₃, and especially NaOH, extracted significantly higher amounts of total soil S (13%–22% and 49%–75%, respectively) than Ca(H₂PO₄)₂ or CaCl₂ (<5%). In addition, NaHCO₃ and NaOH-extractable soil S fractions were significantly rorrelated with soil organic S (r0.94***), C-bonded S (r0.90***) and hydriodic acid-reducible soil S (r0.93***). Differences between soils in either camp or non-camp areas were related to their sulphate retention capacities, as soils with high sulphate retention capacities (>45%) contain higher levels of C-bonded and hydriodic acid-reducible S fractions than those of low sulphate retention soils (<10%). Long-term annual superphosphate applications significantly increased the accumulation of soil organic and inorganic S fractions, and organic C and total N in the topsoil, although this accumulation did not occur when the superphosphate application rates were increased from 188 to 376 kg ha^-1 year^-1.     

Soil-living parasitic Hymenoptera: comparison between a forest and an open landscape habitat

Community structures and local diversity patterns of parasitic Hymenoptera with soil and leaf litter hosts were studied in a German beech forest and a meadow. Hymenoptera appeared to be one of the most species-rich taxa associated with the soil. Eighty-eight species were found in the meadow (total density of 128 ind. m⁻² yr⁻¹) and 188 species (149 ind. m⁻² yr⁻¹) in the forest. The mean parasitism rates were above 60% for parasitoids of mycetophagous Diptera and between 7% and 26% for parasitoids of saprophagous Diptera. Species overlap between both habitats was higher than expected from a random sample model. Species common to both habitats were primarily parasitoids of predatory Coleoptera. High mean densities of these species support the hypothesis of a positive correlation between local abundance and range size.     

The contribution of fresh litter to dissolved organic carbon leached from a coniferous forest floor

The relative contributions of litter and humified organic matter as the source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from organic layers of forest soils are poorly understood. In the present investigation, ¹³C labelled spruce litter was used to study the role of recent litter in the leaching of DOC from a coniferous forest floor in southern Sweden, while litterbags were used to quantify the total loss of C from the labelled litter. The labelled litter applied on bare lysimeters released considerable amounts of DOC during the first weeks, but the concentration of DOC originating from labelled litter decreased gradually from 176 mg litre⁻¹ during the first sampling period in May to 5 mg litre⁻¹ in the last sampling period in October. Only a moderate flush of DOC from the labelled litter occurred under the Oe and Oa horizons, with concentrations of 20 and 6 mg litre⁻¹ from labelled litter, equal to 19 and 9% of the total DOC flux, respectively, during the first sampling period. Total flux of DOC from labelled litter from May to September was 16 g m⁻², whereas only 2.2 and 0.9 g m⁻² were captured under the Oe and Oa horizons, respectively. The almost complete loss of new DOC implies that DOC leached from the Oe and Oa horizons consists not of recent litter‐derived carbon, but of DOC produced in these two horizons themselves. Water‐extractable organic carbon from labelled litter left in litterbags in the field for 4 months consisted of about one‐third native carbon from external sources at the experimental site and two‐thirds of the labelled litter. In contrast, the ¹³C content of the bulk litter from the litterbags was not changed by the incubation in the field. We suggest that the soluble native carbon in water extracts originated from throughfall DOC that had been assimilated by microorganisms in the litterbags.     

The distribution of volatile isoprenoids in the soil horizons around Pinus halepensis trees

We measured the terpene concentration in pentane and water extracts from soil horizons (litter, organic, top and low mineral) and from roots growing in top and low mineral horizons on a distance gradient from Pinus halepensis L. trees growing alone on a grassland. Terpene concentrations in pentane were higher than in water extracts, although β-caryophyllene showed relatively high solubility in water. The litter and roots were important sources of terpenes in soil. Alpha-pinene dominated in roots growing in both “top” (A1) and “low” (B) mineral horizons (123 ± 36 μg g⁻¹ or 14 ± 5 mg m⁻²) and roots in low mineral horizon (270 ± 91 μg g⁻¹ or 7 ± 2 mg m⁻²). Beta-caryophyllene dominated in litter (1469 ± 331 μg g⁻¹ or 2004 ± 481 mg m⁻²). Terpene concentration in soil decreased with increasing distance to the trunk. This is likely to be related to changes in litter and roots type on the distance gradient from pine to grass and herbs. The relative contributions of all compounds, except α-pinene, were similar in the mineral soils and litter. This suggests that litter of P. halepensis is probably the main source of major terpene compounds. However, long-term emissions of α-pinene from P. halepensis roots might also contribute to α-pinene concentrations in rhizosphere soils.     

Mineralization of nitrogen compounds in soils of south-taiga ecosystems

The productivity of the nitrogen mineralization in the A0 (0–2 cm), A1 (2–3 cm), and A2 (3–13 cm) horizons of a soddy-podzolic soil was measured in a wood-sorrel-whortleberry birch forest (7Birch3Asp, 80 years, the second stand quality class, tree canopy density 0.7, Yaroslavl oblast) using the sample incubation method; the measurements were performed from May till October in eight replicates for each horizon. In 2007, 5.85 ± 0.73 g N/m² were mineralized in the soil. In the litter, 2.01 ± 0.23 g N/m² were mineralized, whereas 0.35 ± 0.03 and 3.49 ± 0.72 g N/m² were mineralized in the A1 and A2 horizons, respectively. In 2008, 3.34 ± 0.25 g N/m² were mineralized in the A0 and A1 horizons, of which 2.44 ± 0.23 g N/m² were in the former. Ammonification prevailed in all the horizons. The contribution of nitrification was assessed as 1.6 and 0.3% of the process’s productivity in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The C_org and N_org pools decreased in the litter by 407 g C/m² and 13.7g N/m² (or 33%) from May to October. Of this carbon amount, 67% is spent for humification and the organic mass preservation and 33% was transformed to carbonic acid. The nitrogen expenses for the synthesis of humus acids are equal to 70 and 30%; it is spent equally for the mineralization of the element and its immobilization by microorganisms. In the A0 and A1 horizons, the seasonal trends of the ammonification correlated with the carbon dioxide emission from these horizons in the year of 2008 with r = 0.75 atp = 0.09 and r = 0.82 atp = 0.04 for both horizons, respectively.     

Dynamics of fine and coarse roots and nitrogen mineralization in a humid subtropical forest ecosystem of northeast India

The present study was carried out to understand whether fine root growth and N mineralization are synchronized in such a manner that helps to conserve N in the humid subtropical forest ecosystem, and to assess whether or not these processes are influenced by human disturbance. The study was conducted in two pairs of undisturbed and disturbed stands of subtropical humid forest in the Jaintia hill district of Meghalaya, northeast India. The amount of fine root (540–754 g m^–2) and coarse root (307–387 g m^–2) mass in the protected stands was higher than those recorded (fine root 422–466 g m^–2, coarse root 247–305 g m^–2) in the unprotected stands. The total annual root production was also higher in the protected stands (1,102–1,242 g m^–2) than the unprotected stands (890–940 g m^–2). The mean concentration of NH₄⁺–N and NO₃^––N was higher in the protected stands than in the unprotected stands. The inorganic-N (NH₄⁺–N and NO₃^––N) concentration was markedly high during the dry period and low during the wet period in all the stands. Inorganic-N concentration, nitrification and N mineralization rates were significantly (P<0.01) higher in the surface (0–10 cm) than the subsurface (10–20 cm) layer. The low and high N mineralization rates observed during the dry and wet periods, respectively, coincided with the lean and peak periods of fine root mass. Disturbance in the forests caused a reduction in fine root mass as well as in N mineralization.     

Importance of organic and inorganic sulfur to mineralization processes in a forest soil

Sulfur mineralization rates, changes in organic and inorganic S constituents and arylsulfatase activity were determined in four soil horizons (O2, B21h, B22hir and B23) which represent the major portion of a forest Spodosol (Becket). Biweekly, for 20 weeks, soil subsamples were leached with deionized water and analyzed for S constituents. Rates of water-soluble sulfate release were 123, 39, 34 and 18 nmol S g^?1 dry mass week^?1 for O2, B22hir, B23 and B21h horizons, respectively. Only in the organic O2 horizon did non-sulfate inorganic S (Zn-HCl-S) increase (15 nmol S g^?1) while phosphate extractable S decreased in all the mineral horizons (13, 19 and 28 nmol S g^?1 week^?1, B21h, B22hir and B23, respectively) due to desorption. Ester sulfate was mineralized in the B22hir and B23 horizons (?66 and ?22 nmol S g^?1 week^?1) and increased in the O2 (174 nmol S g^?1 week^?1). Arylsulfatase activity varied among horizons and decreased with time. Carbon-bonded S decreased in all horizons, especially those with high respiration rates (i.e. O2 and B21h), but changes were not significant. Only the B22hir horizon exhibited a significant loss of total S (128 nmol S g^?1 week^?1). The interrelationships among inorganic and organic S dynamics were outlined.     

Chemical effects of pH 3 sulphuric acid on a soil profile

Cores of podzolic soil (monolith lysimeters) were treated for 4.8 yr with 1500 mm yr^?1 of either 0.5 mM H₂SO₄ at pH 3, equivalent to 24 g S m^?2 yr^?1 (acid treated) or distilled water (controls). The acid treatment was about 37 times greater than the average annual input of H₃O⁺ from rain at the site from which the monoliths were taken. Acid treatment acidified the litter (from pH(CaCl₂)3.4 to pH(CaCl₂)2.6) and the mineral soil to a depth of 80 cm (mean pH(CaCl₂) decrease of 0.2 unit). In the litter and upper A horizon, ion-exchange reactions provided the main neutralizing mechanism, resulting in a decrease in the reserves of extractable (in 2.5 % acetic acid) Ca, Mg, and Mn of about 70 to 80 %. Dissolution of solid phase Al from hydrous oxides provided most neutralization below this depth. Al3⁺ was the principal soluble Al species throughout the profile. In the litter and upper A horizon, some of the mobilized Al³⁺ was retained on cation exchange sites resulting in an increase in exchangeable Al. Deeper in the profile, where the exchange sites were effectively saturated with Al³⁺, no increase in exchangeable Al occurred, and Al³⁺ was, therefore, available for leaching. Some reversible adsorption of SO₄ ^2?, associated with hydrous Al oxides, occurred in the Bs and C horizons. The results are discussed in relation to possible effects of acid deposition over regions of Europe and N. America.     

Sequential transformation rates of soil organic sulfur fractions in two-step mineralization process

To understand the organic sulfur (S) stabilization in volcanic soils, we investigated organic S transformation rates and their relationships to soil properties in incubation experiments using forest soils from the Nikko volcanic region, central Japan. We hypothesized that carbon (C)-bonded S would first be transformed into ester sulfate-S and then into inorganic sulfate-S. We separately calculated the rates of decrease of C-bonded S (velocity 1, v ₁) and ester sulfate-S (velocity 2, v ₂) concentrations. During incubation, the ester sulfate-S concentration increased in two soils characterized by a high concentration of both ammonium oxalate-extractable aluminum (Al_o) and pyrophosphate-extractable Al (Al_p), whereas the C-bonded S concentration decreased in all soils. A large proportion of the S that was lost in the incubation experiments consisted of C-bonded S rather than ester sulfate-S. Velocity 2 was negatively correlated with both of Al_o and Al_p contents when soils were incubated at 20 °C. These results suggest that when C-bonded S is transformed into ester sulfate-S, complete mineralization to inorganic sulfate is inhibited, because ester sulfate-S is stabilized due to organo–mineral association. Incubation temperatures significantly affected v ₂. Thus, production of inorganic sulfate by mineralization of ester sulfate-S appeared to be regulated by soil Al contents and temperatures. Velocity 1 was proportional to soil pH ranging from 4.5 to 5.5, indicating that the degradation of C-bonded S is pH dependent.     

Potential for organic sulfur accumulation in a variety of forest soils at saturating sulfate concentrations

Summary Increasing the sulfate concentration and concomitant increases in the organic S concentration failed to exert any effect on organic S mobilization in samples collected from all depths within the mineral soil profile, from 15 sites differing in soil type, vegetation, and geographic location. Mobilization capacities at saturating concentrations of sulfate for organic S formation generally tended to increase with increasing depth. The potentials for the accumulation of organic S with various sulfate inputs exhibited saturation kinetics similar to those observed for organic S formation; values for the former parameter ranged from 3×10^-3 to 12.6 mol S g^–1 dry weight 24 h^-1 for the uppermost (A, E) soil horizons, 3 nmol to 10 mol S g^-1 dry weight 24 h^–1 for intermediate (primarily AB) soil horizons, and from 3 nmol to 13.4 mol S g^-1 dry weight 24 h^–1 for the lowermost (B, C) soil horizons. Irrespective of depth, the Fullerton, Tarklin, and Loblolly sites in Tennessee and the Florida site showed the least net accumulation of organic S at saturation (<0.2 mol S g^-1 dry weight 24 h^–1 for all horizons examined), while the Duke Forest (North Carolina), Douglas Fir (Washington), Whiteface (New York) and the Howland (Maine) sites had the highest potential net accumulation of organic S at saturation (>1.0 mol S g^-1 dry weight 24 h^-1 for most horizons examined).     

Recent (<4 year old) leaf litter is not a major source of microbial carbon in a temperate forest mineral soil

Microbial communities in soil A horizons derive their carbon from several potential sources: organic carbon (C) transported down from overlying litter and organic horizons, root-derived C, or soil organic matter. We took advantage of a multi-year experiment that manipulated the ¹⁴C isotope signature of surface leaf litter inputs in a temperate forest at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee, USA, to quantify the contribution of recent leaf litter C to microbial respiration and biomarkers in the underlying mineral soil. We observed no measurable difference (<∼40‰ given our current analytical methods) in the radiocarbon signatures of microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) isolated from the top 10 cm of mineral soil in plots that experienced 3 years of litterfall that differed in each year by ∼750‰ between high-¹⁴C and low-¹⁴C treatments. Assuming any difference in ¹⁴C between the high- and low-¹⁴C plots would reflect C derived from these manipulated litter additions, we estimate that <∼6% of the microbial C after 4 years was derived from the added 1-4-year-old surface litter. Large contributions of C from litter < 1 year (or >4 years) old (which fell after (or prior to) the manipulation and therefore did not differ between plots) are not supported because the ¹⁴C signatures of the PLFA compounds (averaging 200-220‰) is much higher that of the 2004-5 leaf litter (115‰) or pre-2000 litter. A mesocosm experiment further demonstrated that C leached from ¹⁴C-enriched surface litter or the O horizon was not a detectable C source in underlying mineral soil microbes during the first eight months after litter addition. Instead a decline in the ¹⁴C of PLFA over the mesocosm experiment likely reflected the loss of a pre-existing substrate not associated with added leaf litter. Measured PLFA Δ¹⁴C signatures were higher than those measured in bulk mineral soil organic matter in our experiments, but fell within the range of ¹⁴C values measured in mineral soil roots. Together, our experiments suggest that root-derived C is the major (>60%) source of C for microbes in these temperate deciduous forest soils.     

Are there real endogeic species in temperate forest mites?

The determinants of mite diversity in soil and the reasons why so many species co-exist are poorly understood. There is evidence that niche differentiation (i.e. microhabitat complexity) in the litter layers of forest floors is important, however, little is known for deeper horizons since mite density and diversity in deeper soil layers have been rarely studied. In order to address this dearth of information, we collected microarthropods from both the forest floor and the mineral soil to a depth of 1 m in two deciduous forest locations. The density exceeded 8×10⁵ microarthropods m⁻² in one location, and a number of individuals were collected from deep in the soil. No species was exclusively living in mineral horizons. Measurements of porosity spectrum, pH, water content, total C and total N were made at each depth and related to mite diversity and species richness. Meso- and microporosity were strongly correlated with species distribution while macroporosity and pH were correlated to density and species richness.     

Sulphur mineralization and release of soluble organic sulphur from camp and non-camp soils of grazed pastures receiving long-term superphosphate applications

Summary Topsoils (0–75 mm) from four soil types with different sulphate retention capacities were collected from stock camp and non-camp (main grazing area) sites of grazed pastures in New Zealand which had been annually fertilized with superphosphate for more than 15 years. These soils were analysed for different S fractions and incubated at 30°C for 10 weeks using an open incubation technique in order to assess the extent of S mineralization and the release of soluble soil organic S from camp and non-camp soils during incubation. The soils were preleached with 0.01 M KCl, followed by 0.04 M Ca(H₂PO₄)₂ before being incubated. Pre-incubation leachates and weekly 0.01 M KCl leachates were analysed for mineralized S (i.e., hydriodic acid-reducible S) and total S. Soluble organic S was estimated as the difference between these two S fractions. Results obtained show higher cumulative amounts of all three S fractions in leachates over a 10-week incubation period in camp than in non-camp soils, suggesting that higher mineralization occurred in camp soils. Cumulative amounts of mineralized S from camp and non-camp soils showed a linear relationship with duration of incubation (R ²0.985^***), while the cumulative release of soluble organic S followed a quadratic relationship (R ²0.975^***). A significant proportion (14.6%–40.8%) of total S release in KCl leachates was soluble organic S, indcating that organic S should be taken into account when assessing S mineralization. Mineralized S and soluble organic S were best correlated with 0.01 M CaCl₂-extractable soil inorganic S (R ²=0.767^***) and 0.04 M Ca(H₂PO₄)₂-extractable soil inorganic S(R ²=0.823^***), respectively. Soil sulphate retention capacity was found to influence amounts of mineralized S and soluble organic S, and thus periodic leaching with KCl to remove mineralized S from soils may not adequately reflect the extent of soil S mineralization in high sulphate-retentive soils. In low (<10%) sulphateretentive soils, increasing the superphosphate applications from 188 to 376 kg ha^–1 year^–1 increased S mineralization but not amounts of C-bonded and hydriodic acid-reducible soil S fractions.     

Sulphur in soil and light fraction organic matter as influenced by long-term application of superphosphate

Numerous studies have examined the role of light fraction (LF) organic matter in soil C and N cycling, but there is no published information on the amounts and nature of S in LF. The objective of this work was to characterize the S composition of LF in soils receiving different inputs of fertilizer S. Soils (0-7.5 cm) were taken from a long-term experiment (1952-1999) set up to examine the effects of single superphosphate (SP) (applied at 0, 188, or 376 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, which equates to 0, 21, and 42 kg SO₄-S ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) on the productivity of an irrigated, grass-clover pasture grazed by sheep. The S content of LF (separated by flotation on NaI solution with specific gravity 1.7) increased by ∼20-30% in response to SP. The LF was enriched in organic S compared with whole soil (S concentration in LF was ∼1000-1400 mg kg⁻¹ vs ∼400-500 mg kg⁻¹ in whole soil), but LF-S represented only 1.3-4.7% of soil S. Most (∼88%) of the S in LF was C-bonded, reflecting the dominance of this form of S in organic matter returned to the soil in dung and plant residues. Hydriodic acid (HI) reducible-S accounted for only ∼12% of LF-S, compared with 28-35% of whole soil organic S. Superphosphate tended to increase total soil N, due to improved clover growth. There was a strong positive relationship between total N and C-bonded S in whole soil and LF, whereas soil HI-S and N were not associated. Increases in C-bonded S where SP was applied appeared to be driven mainly by increases in soil N, which in turn were due to improved clover growth in response to phosphate supplied by SP. Increases in HI-S due to SP application were probably a direct response to inputs of S. As LF is a small pool of S, with a relatively wide C:S ratio (∼200:1), we concluded that it is unlikely to contribute a significant amount of plant-available S.     

Chronic N deposition does not apparently alter the biochemical composition of forest floor and soil organic matter

Future rates of atmospheric N deposition have the potential to slow litter decay and increase the accumulation of soil organic matter by repressing the activity of lignolytic soil microorganisms. We investigated the relationship between soil biochemical characteristics and enzymatic responses in a series of sugar maple (Acer saccharum)-dominated forests that have been subjected to 16 yrs of chronic N deposition (ambient + 3 g NO₃⁻–N m⁻² yr⁻¹), in which litter decay has slowed and soil organic matter has accumulated in sandy spodosols. Cupric-oxide-extractable lignin-derived phenols were quantified to determine the presence, source, and relative oxidation state of lignin-like compounds under ambient and experimental N deposition. Pools of respired C and mineralized N, along with rate constants for these processes, were used to quantify biochemically labile substrate pools during a 16-week laboratory incubation. Extracellular enzymes mediating cellulose and lignin metabolism also were measured under ambient and experimental N deposition, and these values were compared with proxies for the relative oxidation of lignin in forest floor and surface mineral soil. Chronic N deposition had no influence on the pools or rate constants for respired C and mineralized N. Moreover, neither the total amount of extractable lignin (forest floor, P = 0.260; mineral soil, P = 0.479), nor the relative degree of lignin oxidation in the forest floor or mineral soil (forest floor P = 0.680; mineral soil P = 0.934) was influenced by experimental N deposition. Given their biochemical attributes, lignin-derived molecules in forest floor and mineral soil appear to originate from fine roots, rather than leaf litter. Under none of the studied circumstances was the presence or relative oxidation of lignin correlated with the activity of cellulolytic and lignolytic extracellular enzymes. Although chronic atmospheric N deposition has slowed litter decay and increased organic matter in our experiment, it had little effect on biochemical composition of lignin-derived molecules in forest floor and surface mineral soil suggesting organic matter has accumulated by other means. Moreover, the specific dynamics of lignin phenol decay is decoupled from short-term organic matter accumulation under chronic N deposition in this ecosystem.     

Effect of earthworm addition on soil nitrogen availability,microbial biomass and litter decomposition in mesocosms

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of adding two tropical earthworm species, Rhinodrilus contortus and Pontoscolex corethrurus, to mesocosms on the availability of mineral N (NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^– concentrations), soil microbial biomass (bio-N), and the decomposition rates of three contrasting leaf litter species, in a glasshouse experiment. The mesocosms were filled with forest soil and covered with a layer of leaf litter differing in nutritional quality: (1) Hevea brasiliensis (C/N=27); (2) Carapa guianensis (C/N=32); (3) Vismia sp., the dominant tree species in the second growth forest (control, C/N= 42); and, (4) a mixture of the former three leaf species, in equal proportions (C/N=34). At the end of the 97-day experiment, the soil mineral N concentrations, bio-N, and leaf litter weight loss were determined. Both earthworm species showed significant effects on the concentrations of soil NO₃ ^– (p<0.01) and NH₄ ⁺ (p<0.05). Bio-N was always greater in the mesocosms with earthworms (especially with R. contortus) and in the mesocosms with leaf litter of H. brasiliensis (6 µg N g^–1 soil), the faster decomposing species, than in the other treatments (0.1–1.6 µg N g^–1). Thus, earthworm activity increased soil mineral-N concentrations, possibly due to the consumption of soil microbial biomass, which can speed turnover and mineralization of microbial tissues. No significant differences in decomposition rate were found between the mesocosms with and without earthworms, suggesting that experiments lasting longer are needed to determine the effect of earthworms on litter decomposition rates.     

Mercury Accumulation in Foliage over Time in Two Northern Mixed-Hardwood Forests

Concentrations of mercury (Hg) in live foliage increased ten-fold from spring bud break (mean ± std. dev. from bothsites: 3.5±1.3 ng g^-1) to autumn litterfall(36±8 ng g^-1). Mercury in foliage did not behavesimilarly to eight other elements with known soil or aerosolsources (Aluminum (Al), Vanadium (V), Strontium (Sr), Rubidium(Rb), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Barium (Ba), and lead (Pb)),suggesting that Hg originated from a distinct pathway. Based onmeasured and modeled data, uptake of only 25% of the availableambient dry deposited Hg⁰ could explain all of the Hgmeasured in foliage throughout the growing season. Estimates ofgaseous elemental Hg (Hg⁰) uptake from soil water accountedfor 3–14%% of the Hg in litterfall. Mercury deposition toforested sites in the Lake Champlain and Lake Huron basins washighest in litterfall (40%), followed by total throughfall(33%), and precipitation (27%). The Hg flux in litterfall was15.8±1.9~μg m^-2 yr^-1 to the Lake ChamplainWatershed in 1995 and was 11.4±2.8~μg m^-2 yr^-1 to the Lake Huron Watershed in 1996. In comparison, the Hg fluxes in precipitation and total throughfall were 9.0±0.6 and 11.6±0.7~μg m^-2 yr^-1in the Lake Champlain Watershed (1995), and 8.7±0.5 and 10.5±1.0~μg m^-2 yr^-1 in the Lake Huron Watershed (1996).