Natural abundance N in soil and litter across a nitrate-output gradient in New Hampshire

Stable isotopes of nitrogen are potentially a valuable tool for regional assessments of nitrogen saturation because they provide an integrated measure of the past nitrogen cycling history of a site. We measured δ¹⁵N of soil and litter, as well as net nitrification potential, at three sites across a nitrate-loss gradient in the White Mountains, New Hampshire to test the hypotheses: (1) that δ¹⁵N in soil and litter increase across a spatial gradient of nitrate loss; and (2) that δ¹⁵N in soil and litter is elevated when nitrification is elevated. δ¹⁵N was found not to vary significantly among the three sites. Patterns of leaf litter and forest floor δ¹⁵N, however, were strongly influenced by species composition in individual plots. Beech litter had significantly higher δ¹⁵N than yellow birch, sugar maple, and red maple. The conifer-dominated plots had significantly lower δ¹⁵N in both the organic soil horizons and in litter than did the hardwood-dominated plots. When we adjusted for spatial heterogeneity in mineral soil δ¹⁵N values by using an enrichment factor, δ¹⁵N_foliar − δ¹⁵N_Bs, in place of absolute soil δ¹⁵N values, a positive relationship was found with net nitrification for hardwoods. δ¹⁵N may also be a useful tool for evaluating species differences in nitrogen cycling and nitrogen uptake. The distinct pattern we observed of decreasing δ¹⁵N across the continuum from hardwood-dominated to conifer-dominated sites may suggest that local drivers (for example, nitrification rate) regulate the absolute value of foliar δ¹⁵N, while species-driven factors (e.g., timing and type of uptake) control the foliar δ¹⁵N value of one species relative to another in the same plot.