控释配方肥氮素在芥菜连作期的去向和平衡

采用小型渗漏计,在施用水溶性肥料及其与控释肥料组成的控释配方肥条件下,研究了3个生长季连作芥菜的吸氮量、N₂O排放损失、氮素淋溶损失、氮素残留和其他损失量.结果表明： 在含25%控释氮素的控释配方肥处理下,芥菜的吸氮量逐季增加,后期显著高于水溶性肥料处理.水溶性肥料处理的N₂O累积排放量和氮素淋溶损失量明显高于控释配方肥处理,各肥料处理氮素淋失的形态均以NO₃^--N为主.相对于水溶性肥料,控释配方肥能改变氮素的去向,氮素吸收利用率提高75.4%,土壤残留增加76.0%,淋溶损失和其他表观损失分别减少27.1%和66.3%.施用控释配方肥是减少氮素各种形式损失、显著提高氮肥利用率的有效途径,控释肥料是氮素养分高效利用的环保型肥料.     

福建红壤区不同侵蚀强度马尾松林地土壤营养元素变化特征

采用野外调查和室内分析的方法对福建红壤区不同侵蚀强度马尾松林地土壤营养元素动态进行研究,以揭示红壤侵蚀区不同侵蚀强度对马尾松林地土壤营养元素的影响.结果表明:除速效磷以外,侵蚀强度显著改变了土壤有机质、碱解氮、全钾、速效钾的含量以及土壤pH.土壤有机质和碱解氮在中度侵蚀马尾松林地含量最高,随着侵蚀强度的增加植被覆盖减少,土壤有机质和碱解氮显著降低.土壤全钾和速效钾含量随着侵蚀强度的增加而显著增加,土壤速效磷随着侵蚀强度的增加没有显著的变化.土壤pH值随着土壤侵蚀强度和土壤深度的增加而显著增加.皮尔逊相关关系分析表明:有机质与碱解氮、全钾和pH显著相关.灰色关联度分析表明:除侵蚀强度对营养元素和pH有显著影响外,坡度对土壤营养元素和pH影响较大;覆盖度对有机质、碱解氮和速效磷影响较大.因此,植被恢复和植被生境的综合治理是红壤侵蚀区生态恢复与重建的有效途径.     

灌溉方式和施氮量对棉田氮肥利用率及损失的影响

在田间条件下,研究不同灌溉方式(滴灌和漫灌)和不同施氮水平(0、240、360、480kg N·hm-2)对棉田氮肥利用率及损失的影响,并定量分析了氮肥被植株吸收、土壤硝态氮残留,以及氨挥发、硝态氮淋溶损失、硝化反硝化损失等氮素循环转化途径.结果表明:滴灌棉花籽棉产量、植株吸氮量和氮肥利用率均显著大于漫灌.漫灌土壤硝态氮残留量显著高于滴灌;在不同施氮量处理中滴灌土壤氨挥发损失量占肥料氮施用量的比例为0.06％～0.14％,且显著高于漫灌;滴灌和漫灌硝态氮淋溶损失量占肥料氮施用量的比例分别为4.4％和8.8％,与漫灌相比,滴灌能显著降低淋溶水中硝态氮淋失量;滴灌和漫灌肥料氮的硝化-反硝化损失量分别占肥料氮施用量的17.9％和16.8％.硝态氮淋溶和硝化-反硝化损失是新疆棉田氮素损失的主要途径.     

气候变化、林火和采伐对大兴安岭森林碳储量的影响

大兴安岭林区林火发生的频率受气候变化的影响将会增加,可能会增加该地区森林生态系统碳损失.本研究通过耦合森林生态系统模型和森林景观模型以模拟未来百年大兴安岭森林碳储量动态变化,量化气候变化、林火和采伐对森林碳储量的影响.结果表明: 虽然采伐和林火会抵消相当一部分由气候变化增加的碳储量,但气候变化仍然能够增加大兴安岭森林碳储量.未来100年该地区森林地上和土壤有机碳储量将会分别增加9%～22%和6%～9%.短期(0～20年)气候变化对大兴安岭森林碳储量的影响大于同期林火的影响,中期(30～50年)和长期(60～100年)气候变化对森林碳储量的影响小于林火和采伐的影响.由于未来大兴安岭地区气候变化及其林火干扰存在不确定性,导致未来该地区森林碳储量存在较大的不确定性.未来100年大兴安岭森林地上碳储量和土壤有机碳储量不确定性分别为12.4%～16.2%和6.6%～10.4%.为准确估算我国北方森林生态系统碳储量,需要考虑种子传播、林火和采伐的影响.     

季节性雪被变化对森林凋落物分解及土壤氮动态的影响

全球气候变化引发的雪被格局变化将深刻影响植被的凋落物分解、陆地生态系统的土壤养分循环等过程.森林是陆地生态系统的主体,在全球生物地球化学循环中起着不可替代的作用.本研究综述了季节性雪被变化对森林凋落物分解及土壤氮动态的影响.全球气候变化情景下季节性雪被表现出因地域而异的增加或减少的变化格局,一方面通过改变环境温湿度、凋落物质量、分解者动态等直接影响分解过程,另一方面通过改变森林群落结构、植被物候、土壤养分等间接地作用于凋落物分解.同时,季节性雪被通过影响氮富集作用、雪被下土壤温湿度、冻融循环、森林群落、雪下动物和微生物等相关因子而改变森林土壤氮循环.本领域未来应开展的研究是: 1) 全面考虑全球气候变化情景下季节性雪被格局的变异性,开展不同季节性雪被格局变化的模拟研究;2) 开展季节性雪被融雪水淋溶作用对森林凋落物分解和土壤氮动态的影响研究;3) 阐明不同生态系统和气候带中季节性雪被格局变化对森林凋落物分解过程和土壤氮动态的驱动机制研究;4) 量化季节性雪被变化对森林凋落物分解和土壤氮动态在雪被覆盖期的瞬时影响和无雪期的延续影响,为阐明和模型预测陆地生态系统生物地球化学循环对全球气候变化的响应提供理论基础和数据支持.     

Allocation strategies of carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus following a gradient of wildfire severities

植物碳、氮、磷在不同火烧强度下的分配策略 森林野火是影响北方针叶林演替过程中养分分配规律的重要因素。然而,植物叶片和细根之间 的碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)分配策略在不同强度森林野火后的研究尚不充分。本研究旨在探讨不同野火强度下叶片和细根间C、N、P的分配策略。运用化学计量学理论和异速生长方程,选取中国东北大兴安岭地区的4个不同火烧强度(未火烧、低、中、高)恢复10年后的火烧迹地为研究样地,比较不同火烧强 度下各物种叶片和细根的C、N、P含量。研究结果表明,与未受到火烧的样地相比,轻度火烧迹地的植物叶片和细根C浓度增加,重度火烧迹地植物叶片N浓度最高,但是细根N浓度最低。N:P比值的平均值大于16的结果表示植物养分利用策略在高火烧强度下趋于P限制。更重要的是,随着火烧严重程度的增加,细根与叶片间的C、N、P分配规律出现由异速生长向等速生长的转变,即随着火烧强度的增加,元素分配表现为对叶片的分配多于细根。这些结果表明,植物叶片和细根之间的元素分配策略在受到不同强度的野火干扰以后发生了失衡。本研究加深了我们对火后森林生态系统演替过程中植物与土壤养分动态的认识。     

大伙房水库流域水源涵养林植被类型对土壤NH_4~+-N和NO_3~--N淋溶的影响

流域内植被类型是土壤氮素淋溶迁移的重要影响因子,降雨丰水季节不同植被类型土壤氮素淋溶是量化评价流域土壤氮素流失和水质变化的关键。本研究采用离子交换树脂袋法分析降雨丰水期槭树-蒙古栎林、落叶松人工林和山杨林3种植被类型土壤NH_4~+-N和NO_3~--N淋溶季节动态特征。结果发现,降雨丰水期(7—9月)不同植被类型土壤无机氮含量(NH_4~+-N和NO_3~--N)动态变化差异显著(P0.05),NH_4~+-N在无机N中占73.4%~93.3%,槭树-蒙古栎林、山杨林NO_3~--N含量7月份最大,而落叶松人工林NO_3~--N含量8月份最大;土壤氮素淋溶的主要成分是NO_3~--N,落叶松人工林土壤氮潜在性淋溶高于槭树-蒙古栎林和山杨林;土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)和氮(MBN)随着土层加深逐渐减小,阔叶林MBC和MBN显著大于落叶松人工林;土壤N淋溶量与MBN呈显著负相关,证明土壤微生物N固持作用能减少N淋溶流失。据此结果,建议在该流域开展水源涵养林建设中应加强河岸带天然林保护和促进人工水源涵养林转变为天然次生林。     

帽儿山温带森林演替初期土壤碳、氮、磷计量特征的变化

2004年在帽儿山森林生态站设置土壤置换试验,将0～30 cm农田土置换成邻近天然次生林淋溶层土(A处理)、淀积层土(B处理)和母质层土(风化砂,C处理),分别模拟森林皆伐次生演替、无种子库次生演替和原生演替,2014年研究温带落叶阔叶林不同演替类型在自然演替初期土壤碳、氮、磷计量特征的变化.结果表明: 演替10年,A处理土壤碳、氮、磷含量无显著变化,B处理土壤碳和氮含量分别降低34.7%和38.6%,而C处理土壤碳和氮含量分别增加63.4%和198.4%.植被演替后,氮-碳异速生长关系斜率显著降低,磷-氮异速生长速率显著升高.10年演替后,仅C处理土壤C∶N减小44.5%,N∶P增加283.6%,其他处理变化不显著.土壤碳、氮、磷含量与活细根现存量、死细根现存量均存在显著相关关系,植被演替可能主要通过改变有机质输入驱动土壤碳、氮、磷含量及其计量关系.     

绿洲农田氮素积累与淋溶研究述评

作物对氮素的吸收利用及氮素在土壤中的积累和运移,制约着绿洲农田生产力并对农田环境造成影响,是绿洲农田生态系统可持续发展和绿洲稳定性研究的一个重要方面。针对农田氮素积累和淋溶这一绿洲资源消耗量增加、耕作方式粗放结果下的环境问题,对其特征及引发的环境效应进行了详细阐述,并从不同的角度综述了缓减绿洲氮素淋失及环境污染的对策。指出在未来还需加强绿洲地下水氮污染调查及农田氮素积累和淋溶现状的区域评价,并针对一些在绿洲大面积推广的农田管理技术开展其对农田氮素积累和淋溶影响的研究,并强调人文因素在绿洲农田氮素积累与淋溶调控中的重要性。     

冻融对土壤氮素损失及有效性的影响

土壤冻融交替是寒冷生态系统土壤氮素循环的重要驱动力。已有研究表明冻融交替作用能够促进氮素周转,从而缓解因土壤有效氮素缺乏而引起的植物生长限制。即便如此,冻融环境下土壤有效氮素供应量远高于其利用量,过剩的氮素会通过气态(N2O-N)排放、淋溶和径流等途径损失。论述了季节冻融环境和模拟冻融条件下土壤氮素损失状况;同时分析了影响冻融土壤N2O生产的相关因素、产生途径及冻融期N2O大量排放的机制;针对冻融交替过程中土壤氮素有效性问题,探讨了氮矿化、可溶性有机氮(DON)和微生物量氮(MBN)与氮素损失的关系。评述了土壤冻融研究中存在的不足,认为模型研究、土壤微生物功能、氮素转化中间产物、土壤-植物界面过程是未来值得关注和深入探讨的研究方向。     

Effects of Prescribed Fire on Nutrient Pools and Losses from Glades Occurring Within Oak-Hickory Forests of Central Kentucky

Forest openings, also known as glades, arise through a variety of mechanisms including disturbance (fire and blow downs) and local variation in soil or bedrock geology. They are common in many forest types and are often dominated by locally rare herbaceous species. Prescribed burning is increasingly used as a management approach for maintaining glades although little is known about the effects of fire on these habitats. Of particular concern is the potential for nutrient loss during and after fire because glades are often characterized by nutrient‐poor soils. We quantitated nutrient losses through combustion and leaching for glade and adjacent forest habitats subjected to a prescribed burn. Our findings suggest that spring burns do not result in appreciable loss of nutrient capital from glades in comparison with those observed in the surrounding forest. Fire resulted in a substantial loss of litter mass (37%) in the forest but no measurable loss in the glade. Nitrogen losses through combustion were significant in the forest and were equivalent to 4.5 years of atmospheric inputs. Fire significantly increased soil nitrate pools in forest but not in glade plots. No detectable increases in nitrogen, phosphorus, or base cation leaching were observed in either forest or glade habitats within 4 months after the burn. These findings suggest that plant and microbial nutrient uptake rapidly reestablish control over leaching losses when burns are conducted at the start of the growing season. Biotic retention minimizes fire impacts on nutrient loss from the ecosystem.     

氮沉降对森林植物的影响

综述了氮沉降对森林植物的影响。氮沉降对森林植物的影响主要表现在以下6个方面：(1)在一定量范围内的氮沉降有利于植物的光合作用,但过量后则会引起植物的光合速率下降;(2)当植物生长受氮限制时,在一定程度上的氮沉降增加植物生产力,但当氮过量后,氮沉降则使植物的生产力下降;(3)过量的氮沉降导致植物体各种营养元素含量的比例失衡;(4)氮沉降会改变植物的形态结构,集中表现为根／冠比减小;(5)氮沉降会增加植物对天然胁迫如干旱、病虫害和风的敏感性,减少其抵御能力;(6)氮沉降会改变植物组成和降低森林植物的多样性。     

Nitrogen export from a watershed subjected to partial salvage logging

Logging has been shown to induce nitrogen (N) leaching. We hypothesized that logging a watershed that previously exhibited forest decline symptoms would place additional stress on the ecosystem and result in greater N loss, compared to harvesting vigorous forests. We conducted a 10-year (1988 to 1998) assessment of N export from the Baldwin Creek watershed in southwestern Pennsylvania that was partially clearcut to salvage dead and dying northern red oak. N export from the watershed increased significantly following salvage logging operations and did not completely return to prelogging levels by the end of the study period. The largest annual NO3-N export of 13 kg/ha was observed during the first year after harvesting, an increase of approximately 10 kg/ha. Compared to data from other Appalachian Mountain watersheds in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, calculated N loss for Baldwin Creek was considerably greater. Longer periods of reduced N uptake due to slow revegetation of salvage logged areas, coupled with increased amounts of N available to leaching, could have accounted for the large N losses observed for Baldwin Creek. Salvage logging of dead and dying trees from forested watersheds in this region appears to have the potential to result in much larger N losses than previously reported for harvest of healthy stands.     

Management Impacts on Carbon Dynamics in a Sierra Nevada Mixed Conifer Forest

Forest ecosystems can act as sinks of carbon and thus mitigate anthropogenic carbon emissions. When forests are actively managed, treatments can alter forests carbon dynamics, reducing their sink strength and switching them from sinks to sources of carbon. These effects are generally characterized by fast temporal dynamics. Hence this study monitored for over a decade the impacts of management practices commonly used to reduce fire hazards on the carbon dynamics of mixed-conifer forests in the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Soil CO₂ efflux, carbon pools (i.e. soil carbon, litter, fine roots, tree biomass), and radial tree growth were compared among un-manipulated controls, prescribed fire, thinning, thinning followed by fire, and two clear-cut harvested sites. Soil CO₂ efflux was reduced by both fire and harvesting (ca. 15%). Soil carbon content (upper 15 cm) was not significantly changed by harvest or fire treatments. Fine root biomass was reduced by clear-cut harvest (60–70%) but not by fire, and the litter layer was reduced 80% by clear-cut harvest and 40% by fire. Thinning effects on tree growth and biomass were concentrated in the first year after treatments, whereas fire effects persisted over the seven-year post-treatment period. Over this period, tree radial growth was increased (25%) by thinning and reduced (12%) by fire. After seven years, tree biomass returned to pre-treatment levels in both fire and thinning treatments; however, biomass and productivity decreased 30%-40% compared to controls when thinning was combined with fire. The clear-cut treatment had the strongest impact, reducing ecosystem carbon stocks and delaying the capacity for carbon uptake. We conclude that post-treatment carbon dynamics and ecosystem recovery time varied with intensity and type of treatments. Consequently, management practices can be selected to minimize ecosystem carbon losses while increasing future carbon uptake, resilience to high severity fire, and climate related stresses.     

Decomposition Patterns of Foliar Litter and Deadwood in Managed and Unmanaged Stands: A 13-Year Experiment in Boreal Mixedwoods

Litter decomposition is a major driver of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles in forest ecosystems and has major implications for C sequestration and nutrient availability. However, empirical information regarding long-term decomposition rates of foliage and wood remains rare. In this study, we assessed long-term C and N dynamics (12–13 years) during decomposition of foliage and wood for three boreal tree species, under a range of harvesting intensities and slash treatments. We used model selection based on the second-order Akaike’s Information Criterion to determine which decomposition model had the most support. The double-exponential model provided a good fit to C mass loss for foliage of trembling aspen, white spruce, and balsam fir, as well as aspen wood. These litters underwent a rapid initial phase of leaching and mineralisation, followed by a slow decomposition. In contrast, for spruce and fir wood, the single-exponential model had the most support. The long-term average decay rate of wood was faster than that of foliage for aspen, but not of conifers. However, we found no evidence that fir and spruce wood decomposed at slower rates than the recalcitrant fraction of their foliage. The critical C:N ratios, at which net N mineralisation began, were higher for wood than for foliage. Long-term decay rates following clear-cutting were either similar or faster than those observed in control stands, depending on litter material, tree species, and slash treatment. The critical C:N ratios were reached later and decreased for all conifer litters following stem-only clear-cutting, indicating increased N retention in harvested sites with high slash loads. Partial harvesting had weak effects on C and N dynamics of decaying litters. A comprehensive understanding of the long-term patterns and controls of C and N dynamics following forest disturbance would improve our ability to forecast the implications of forest harvesting for C sequestration and nutrient availability.     

Influence of Disturbance on Temperate Forest Productivity

Climate, tree species traits, and soil fertility are key controls on forest productivity. However, in most forest ecosystems, natural and human disturbances, such as wind throw, fire, and harvest, can also exert important and lasting direct and indirect influence over productivity. We used an ecosystem model, PnET-CN, to examine how disturbance type, intensity, and frequency influence net primary production (NPP) across a range of forest types from Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA. We assessed the importance of past disturbances on NPP, net N mineralization, foliar N, and leaf area index at 107 forest stands of differing types (aspen, jack pine, northern hardwood, black spruce) and disturbance history (fire, harvest) by comparing model simulations with observations. The model reasonably predicted differences among forest types in productivity, foliar N, leaf area index, and net N mineralization. Model simulations that included past disturbances minimally improved predictions compared to simulations without disturbance, suggesting the legacy of past disturbances played a minor role in influencing current forest productivity rates. Modeled NPP was more sensitive to the intensity of soil removal during a disturbance than the fraction of stand mortality or wood removal. Increasing crown fire frequency resulted in lower NPP, particularly for conifer forest types with longer leaf life spans and longer recovery times. These findings suggest that, over long time periods, moderate frequency disturbances are a relatively less important control on productivity than climate, soil, and species traits.     

Nitrogen cycling and water pulses in semiarid grasslands: are microbial and plant processes temporally asynchronous?

Precipitation pulses in arid ecosystems can lead to temporal asynchrony in microbial and plant processing of nitrogen (N) during drying/wetting cycles causing increased N loss. In contrast, more consistent availability of soil moisture in mesic ecosystems can synchronize microbial and plant processes during the growing season, thus minimizing N loss. We tested whether microbial N cycling is asynchronous with plant N uptake in a semiarid grassland. Using ¹⁵N tracers, we compared rates of N cycling by microbes and N uptake by plants after water pulses of 1 and 2?cm to rates in control plots without a water pulse. Microbial N immobilization, gross N mineralization, and nitrification dramatically increased 1?C3?days after the water pulses, with greatest responses after the 2-cm pulse. In contrast, plant N uptake increased more after the 1-cm than after the 2-cm pulse. Both microbial and plant responses reverted to control levels within 10?days, indicating that both microbial and plant responses were short lived. Thus, microbial and plant processes were temporally synchronous following a water pulse in this semiarid grassland, but the magnitude of the pulse substantially influenced whether plants or microbes were more effective in acquiring N. Furthermore, N loss increased after both small and large water pulses (as shown by a decrease in total ¹⁵N recovery), indicating that changes in precipitation event sizes with future climate change could exacerbate N losses from semiarid ecosystems.     

空间直观景观模型在呼中林区土壤侵蚀预测研究中的初步应用

土壤通用流失方程(USLE)已被广泛应用于大尺度的土壤侵蚀预测．在以往的土壤侵蚀研究中,由于只能获得静态的植被图,土壤通用流失方程只能用于土壤侵蚀的静态估算．空间直观景观模型能在大尺度上模拟植被动态,为土壤通用流失方程提供动态的植被因子,从而使土壤侵蚀的动态模拟成为可能．本研究结合空间直观景观模型LANDIS和土壤通用流失修正方程,以大兴安岭呼中林区为研究区。动态地模拟未来650年内有采伐和无采伐预案下的土壤侵蚀量;同时以无火无采伐预案下的土壤侵蚀为对比值．结果表明,土壤侵蚀量随时间变化呈周期性的波动,其波动程度在无火无采伐预案下最小,而在有火无采伐预案下最大;采伐对土壤侵蚀的影响没有火对土壤侵蚀的影响在空间上表现得明显,但是其累积效果则比火的影响强;降低采伐所产生的裸露土能有效降低年平均土壤侵蚀量,但是对土壤侵蚀动态变化的影响不明显;虽然采伐增加使平均土壤侵蚀量增加,但是也同时使土壤侵蚀的年际变化更趋于平稳．     

Chemical composition of forest floor and consequences for nutrient availability after wildfire and harvesting in the boreal forest

In boreal forests of eastern Canada, wildfire has gradually been replaced by clearcut harvesting as the most extensive form of disturbance. Such a shift in disturbance may influence the chemical properties of the forest floor and its capacity to cycle and supply nutrients, with possible implications for forest productivity. We compared the effects of stem-only harvesting (SOH), whole-tree harvesting (WTH) and wildfire on the chemical composition of forest floor organic matter and nutrient availability for plants, 15–20 years after disturbance in boreal coniferous stands in Quebec (Canada). The forest floor on plots of wildfire origin was significantly enriched in aromatic forms of C with low solubility, whereas the forest floor from SOH and WTH plots was enriched with more soluble and labile C compounds. The forest floor of wildfire plots was also characterized by higher N concentration, but its high C:N and high concentration of ¹⁵N suggest that its N content could be recalcitrant and have a slow turnover rate. Total and exchangeable K were associated with easily degradable organic structures, whereas total and exchangeable Ca and Mg were positively correlated with the more recalcitrant forms of C. We suggest that the bulk of Ca and Mg cycling in the soil–plant system is inherited from the influx of exchangeable cations in the forest floor following disturbance. The buildup of Ca and Mg exchangeable reserves should be greater with wildfire than with harvesting, due to the sudden pulse of cation-rich ash and to the deposition of charred materials with high exchange capacity. This raises uncertainties about the long-term availability of Ca and Mg for plant uptake on harvested sites. In contrast, K availability should not be compromised by either harvesting or wildfire since it could be recycled rapidly through vegetation, litter and labile organic compounds.     

Sustainable forestry: A model of the effects of nitrogen removals in wood harvesting and fire on the nitrogen balance of regrowth eucalypt stands

Abstract Sustainable forest use is an integral part of Australia's recently adopted National Forest Policy; consequently, there is an urgent need for quantitative, ecologically based measures of sustainability. One process that may affect ecosystem sustainability is the removal of nutrients through forest harvesting and fire. This paper presents a model-based analysis of the combined consequences of harvesting and fire management practices for the nitrogen (N) budgets of managed forest ecosystems. The model, called N-BAL, evaluates the balance between N removals due to harvesting and fire (prescribed and regeneration burns), and N inputs (both natural and as added fertilizer), and leads to a criterion for the maintenance of site N reserves. That criterion can be used to estimate the accretion (or depletion) of site N over a single forest rotation, or to predict sustainable stem productivity for given N inputs and management practices. The analysis is applied to managed stands of karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell.) in southwestern Australia to investigate whether natural N inputs are sufficient to maintain site N capital under current harvesting and fire practices. Model predictions for stands harvested at age 100 years with slash burns and regular prescribed burns range from a rotation-averaged depletion rate of 22 kg ha^?1 year^?1 to an annual accretion of 14 kg ha^?1 year^?1, depending on assumed N inputs and fire frequency and intensity. The mean annual N balance is highly sensitive to rates of natural N inputs, fire intensity and inter-fire period, and less sensitive to rotation length. These results are tentative and highlight the need for further research to improve estimates of several key model parameters and relationships.