Factors controlling nitrogen mineralization and nitrification in forest ecosystems in New Mexico

Summary Forest floor and mineral soil from ponderosa-pine, Douglas-fir, aspen and spruce-fir ecosystems located along a rising gradient in New Mexico were tested with laboratory assays for factors controlling N mineralization and nitrification. We concluded that low pH in combination with factors associated with organic quality controlled N mineralization and almost completely limited nitrification in spruce-fir soils, while N mineralization in the forest floor of ponderosa-pine was limited by low nutrient availability (other than N). Organic quality of the substrate and temporal changes in organic quality appeared to control N-mineralization and nitrification processes in forest-floor and mineral soils from all other sites.     

Natural N abundances of inorganic nitrogen in soil treated with fertilizer and compost under changing soil moisture regimes

This study was conducted to examine whether the applications of N-inputs (compost and fertilizer) having different N isotopic compositions (δ¹⁵N) produce isotopically different inorganic-N and to investigate the effect of soil moisture regimes on the temporal variations in the δ¹⁵N of inorganic-N in soils. To do so, the temporal variations in the concentrations and the δ¹⁵N of NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ in soils treated with two levels (0 and 150 mg N kg⁻¹) of ammonium sulfate (δ¹⁵N=−2.3‰) and compost (+13.9‰) during a 10-week incubation were compared by changing soil moisture regime after 6 weeks either from saturated to unsaturated conditions or vice versa. Another incubation study using ¹⁵N-labeled ammonium sulfate (3.05 ¹⁵N atom%) was conducted to estimate the rates of nitrification and denitrification with a numerical model FLUAZ. The δ¹⁵N values of NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ were greatly affected by the availability of substrate for each of the nitrification and denitrification processes and the soil moisture status that affects the relative predominance between the two processes. Under saturated conditions for 6 weeks, the δ¹⁵N of NH₄⁺ in soils treated with fertilizer progressively increased from +2.9‰ at 0.5 week to +18.9‰ at 6 weeks due to nitrification. During the same period, NO₃⁻ concentrations were consistently low and the corresponding δ¹⁵N increased from +16.3 to +39.2‰ through denitrification. Under subsequent water-unsaturated conditions, the NO₃⁻ concentrations increased through nitrification, which resulted in the decrease in the δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻. In soils, which were unsaturated for the first 6-weeks incubation, the δ¹⁵N of NH₄⁺ increased sharply at 0.5 week due to fast nitrification. On the other hand, the δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ showed the lowest value at 0.5 week due to incomplete nitrification, but after a subsequence increase, they remained stable while nitrification and denitrification were negligible between 1 and 6 weeks. Changing to saturated conditions after the initial 6-weeks incubation, however, increased the δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ progressively with a concurrent decrease in NO₃⁻ concentration through denitrification. The differences in δ¹⁵N of NO⁻₃ between compost and fertilizer treatments were consistent throughout the incubation period. The δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ increased with the addition of compost (range: +13.0 to +35.4‰), but decreased with the addition of fertilizer (−10.8 to +11.4‰), thus resulting in intermediate values in soils receiving both fertilizer and compost (−3.5 to +20.3‰). Therefore, such differences in δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ observed in this study suggest a possibility that the δ¹⁵N of upland-grown plants receiving compost would be higher than those treated with fertilizer because NO₃⁻ is the most abundant N for plant uptake in upland soils.     

菜地土壤氮素矿化和硝化作用的特征

采用培养试验对南京郊区 6 对菜地土和水稻土的土壤 N 素矿化和硝化作用特征进行了研究。菜地土为相同类型水稻土改种蔬菜约 20 年的土壤。结果表明,培养 28 天期间,6 对供试土壤中有 4 对土壤都是菜地土壤矿化 N 量低于相同类型水稻土,其日矿化速率也低于相应的水稻土,而其他 2 对供试土壤之间无明显差异。大多数菜地土的土壤硝化率低于相应的水稻土。培养28 天时的矿化率和硝化率与土壤 pH、速效 P 呈显著相关。     

Effects of N sources and methane concentrations on methane uptake potential of a typical coniferous forest and its adjacent orchard soil

After removal of the above-ground plant debris three different soil layers were taken from a typical coniferous forest and its adjacent orchard in Numata City, Japan. The potentials of soil CH₄ uptake at two initial CH₄ concentrations were studied under aerobic conditions in the laboratory, along with inhibition of soil CH₄ oxidation by urea-N or KNO₃-N addition. Due to long-term N inputs, the CH₄ uptake of the upper mineral layer of the orchard soil was 25.4% and 87.7% lower than that of the surface forest soil at 2.4 and 12.6 l l^–1 CH₄, respectively. Methane uptake of the forest soil decreased with increasing soil depths at two CH₄ levels. However, maximal CH₄-consuming activity occurred in the 9- to 23-cm depth of the orchard soil at 12.6 l l^–1 methane. Nitrogen additions in the form of KNO₃ or urea at the rate of 200 g N g^–1 soil substantially reduced soil CH₄ uptake in the upper and sub-surface mineral layers at both sites, except that the addition of KNO₃-N had no apparent inhibitory effect on the CH₄ uptake in the 9- to 23-cm depth of the orchard soil. A strong inhibitory effect of NO₃^– addition on the CH₄ uptake, in contrast to NH₄⁺, occurred in the surface forest soil. The use of KNO₃-N, as compared to urea or urea plus a nitrification inhibitor (dicyandiamide), resulted in a lower potential to cause inhibition of CH₄ oxidation in the 0- to 23-cm depth of the orchard soil.     

等氮量下不同分施次数对燥红壤N2O排放的影响

通过室内培养试验研究等氮量下不同施肥次数对N_2O排放的影响。试验设一次性施氮(S1,将200 mg/kg氮肥一次性施入土壤),二次分施(S2,将200 mg/kg氮肥分两次平均施入土壤),三次分施(S3,将200 mg/kg氮肥分80、60、60 mg/kg 3次施入土壤)和空白(CK,不施肥)4个处理。培养在65%田间持水量,30℃恒温箱中进行。结果表明,氮肥施入显著促进土壤N_2O排放;等施氮量下,不同分施次数使土壤pH呈显著性差异,而土壤pH的差异又影响了土壤N_2O累积排放量;分施次数越多,土壤酸化程度越强,N_2O累积排放量越少。因此,在等施氮量下,要充分考虑土壤酸化、N_2O排放、NO–3-N积累以及施肥成本等,确定合理分施次数。     

热带亚热带酸性土壤硝化作用与氮淋溶特征

通过室内好气培养和土柱模拟淋洗培养试验,研究了氨基氮肥加入对热带亚热带4种不同性质和利用方式酸性土壤硝化、氮及盐基离子淋溶、土壤及淋出液酸化的影响。4种土壤分别为采自花岗岩发育的海南林地砖红壤(HR)、玄武岩发育的云南林地砖红壤(YR)、第四纪红黏土发育的江西旱地红壤(RU)和第四纪下蜀黄土发育的江苏旱地黄棕壤(YU)。结果表明:4种土壤硝化作用大小表现为YU>RU>YR>HR。HR主要以可溶性有机氮(DON)和NH₄⁺-N形态淋失,YU土壤的氮淋溶形态以NO₃^–-N为主,YR和RU土壤的氮淋溶形态NO₃^–-N、NH₄⁺-N和DON兼而有之。盐基离子总淋失量与NO₃^–-N淋失量显著正相关,但各盐基离子淋失由于离子本性和土壤性质差异并不完全一致。Ca²⁺在缓冲外源NH₄⁺-N硝化致酸和平衡...     

温度和水分对华中地区菜地土壤氮素矿化的影响

为研究华中地区菜地土壤的矿化特征和矿化规律,拟定菜地土壤合理的氮肥施用量,本文以华中地区两种典型菜地土壤——黄棕壤和潮土为研究对象,利用室内连续培养试验研究了温度、水分对菜地土壤矿化的影响。结果表明,黄棕壤的矿化速率和氨化速率均随着温度的升高而升高;硝化速率在15%和25%含水量下随温度的升高而升高,而在35%含水量下随温度的升高而降低。潮土矿化速率在15%含水量时随温度的升高而升高,而在25%和35%含水量下随温度的升高先增加后减小;硝化速率在15%和35%含水量时随温度的升高而增加,25%含水量时随温度的升高先增加后降低;氨化作用随温度的升高而降低。黄棕壤的矿化量在含水量为25%、温度35℃时高达34.9 mg.kg 1;潮土的矿化量在含水量为25%、温度为25℃时最高,为63.9mg.kg 1。不同温度下潮土矿化量均大于黄棕壤。黄棕壤的氨化速率随含水量的增加而增加,硝化速率随含水量的增加而降低,矿化速率则在含水量25%时最大。潮土的氨化、硝化和矿化作用随水分变化不明显。本研究还发现,25%的含水量是黄棕壤微生物活性的水分临界点,潮土的水分临界点不明显。通过对土壤氮素的矿化速率与水分含量和温度之间的函数关系模拟发现,黄棕壤模拟效果好于潮土。     

Contributions of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria to nitrification in Oregon forest soils

Ammonia oxidation, the first step of nitrification, is mediated by both ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB); however, the relative contributions of AOA and AOB to soil nitrification are not well understood. In this study we used 1-octyne to discriminate between AOA- and AOB-supported nitrification determined both in soil-water slurries and in unsaturated whole soil at field moisture. Soils were collected from stands of red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco) at three sites (Cascade Head, the H.J. Andrews, and McDonald Forest) on acidic soils (pH 3.9–5.7) in Oregon, USA. The abundances of AOA and AOB were measured using quantitative PCR by targeting the amoA gene, which encodes subunit A of ammonia monooxygenase. Total and AOA-specific (octyne-resistant) nitrification activities in soil slurries were significantly higher at Cascade Head (the most acidic soils, pH < 5) than at either the H.J. Andrews or McDonald Forest, and greater in red alder compared with Douglas-fir soils. The fraction of octyne-resistant nitrification varied among sites (21–74%) and was highest at Cascade Head than at the other two locations. Net nitrification rates of whole soil without NH₄⁺ amendment ranged from 0.4 to 3.3 mg N kg⁻¹ soil d⁻¹. Overall, net nitrification rates of whole soil were stimulated 2- to 8-fold by addition of 140 mg NH₄⁺-N kg⁻¹ soil; this was significant for red alder at Cascade Head and the H.J. Andrews. Red alder at Cascade Head was unique in that the majority of NH₄⁺-stimulated nitrifying activity was octyne-resistant (73%). At all other sites, NH₄⁺-stimulated nitrification was octyne-sensitive (68–90%). The octyne-sensitive activity—presumably AOB—was affected more by soil pH whereas the octyne-resistant (AOA) activity was more strongly related to N availability.     

Long-term fertilization effects on active ammonia oxidizers in an acidic upland soil in China

The effects of long-term fertilization of acidic soils on ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) communities and its ecological implications remain poorly understood. We chose an acidic upland soil site under long-term (27-year) fertilization to investigate ammonia oxidizer communities under four different regimes: mineral N fertilizer (N), mineral NPK fertilizer (NPK), organic manure (OM) and an unfertilized control (CK). Soil net nitrification rates were significantly higher in OM soils than in CK, N or NPK soils. Quantitative analysis of the distribution of amoA genes by DNA-based stable isotope probing revealed that AOA dominate in CK, N and NPK soils, while AOB dominate in OM soils. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and clone library analyses of amoA genes revealed that Group 1.1a-associated AOA (also referred to as Nitrosotalea) were the most dominant active AOA population (>92%), while Nitrosospira Cluster 3 and Cluster 9 were predominant among active AOB communities. The functional diversity of active ammonia oxidizers in acidic soils is affected by long-term fertilization practices, and the responses of active ammonia oxidizers to mineral fertilizer and organic manure are clearly different. Our results provide strong evidence that AOA are more highly adapted to growth at low pH and low substrate availability than AOB, and they suggest that the niche differentiation and metabolic diversity of ammonia oxidizers in acidic soils are more complex than previously thought.     

Earthworms increase soil microbial biomass carrying capacity and nitrogen retention in northern hardwood forests

Earthworms have been shown to produce contrasting effects on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and dynamics. We measured soil C and N pools and processes and traced the flow of ¹³C and ¹⁵N from sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) litter into soil microbial biomass and respirable C and mineralizable and inorganic N pools in mature northern hardwood forest plots with variable earthworm communities. Previous studies have shown that plots dominated by either Lumbricus rubellus or Lumbricus terrestris have markedly lower total soil C than uncolonized plots. Here we show that total soil N pools in earthworm colonized plots were reduced much less than C, but significantly so in plots dominated by contain L. rubellus. Pools of microbial biomass C and N were higher in earthworm-colonized (especially those dominated by L. rubellus) plots and more ¹³C and ¹⁵N were recovered in microbial biomass and less was recovered in mineralizable and inorganic N pools in these plots. These plots also had lower rates of potential net N mineralization and nitrification than uncolonized reference plots. These results suggest that earthworm stimulation of microbial biomass and activity underlie depletion of soil C and retention and maintenance of soil N pools, at least in northern hardwood forests. Earthworms increase the carrying capacity of soil for microbial biomass and facilitate the flow of N from litter into stable soil organic matter. However, declines in soil C and C:N ratio may increase the potential for hydrologic and gaseous losses in earthworm-colonized sites under changing environmental conditions.