Genotypic response to sodium chloride salinity of four major olive cultivars (Olea europea L.)

Anin situ resin bag technique was used to measure the relative availabilities of N and P along a chronosequence of soils in southern New Mexico, and was compared to two more common indices of nutrient availability. Accumulations of N and P during 10-week intervals over an 18 month period were separable into wet season (September–January) and dry season (February–August) groups, with wet season values significantly greater than dry season values. Only accumulations during the wet season showed significant differences among sites, thus stressing the role of field water regime in interpreting resin accumulation results. Total mineral N (NO₃+NH₄) sorbed by resins was significantly correlated to laboratory N mineralization rates. Although accumulation patterns of N and P were similar to patterns of %N and %P in shrub species growing along the chronosequence, these similarities were not statistically significant. A laboratory experiment demonstrated that bicarbonate-form anion resins are preferable to hydroxyl-form resins, as long as standards are made from solutions extracted by resins to account for variable ion recovery efficiencies.     

Soil micro-habitat effects on fine roots of Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.: A field experiment using root ingrowth cores

Ingrowth cores in the field were used to compare fine root characteristics of hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) among rooting substrate in the form of needle leaf litter, decomposing organic material, and mineral soil. Fine root growth, morphology, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) associations, and tissue C and N concentration were determined. The inorganic N leaching from each soil substrate was taken as a measure of N availability. Although there was no significant difference in total N leaching among substrates, more NH ₊ ⁴ -N leached from the decomposing organic material than other substrates. Rapid fine root production was observed in the organic material, whereas root production in the litter substrate was suppressed. Annual net fine root productions in litter, organic material, and mineral soil were 51, 193, and 132 g m⁻², respectively. In the leaf litter substrate, AM colonization was suppressed and specific root length was higher than in the other substrates, indicating severe nutrient limitation in the litter. These responses of hinoki cypress roots seemed to be a soil exploitation pattern whereby absorptive fine roots were arranged to maximize nutrient acquisition.     

Soil nutrients and microbial biomass in three contrasting Mediterranean forests

Aims

The extent to which the spatial and temporal patterns of soil microbial and available nutrient pools hold across different Mediterranean forest types is unclear impeding the generalization needed to consolidate our understanding on Mediterranean ecosystems functioning.

Methods

We explored the response of soil microbial, total, organic and inorganic extractable nutrient pools (C, N and P) to common sources of variability, namely habitat (tree cover), soil depth and season (summer drought), in three contrasting Mediterranean forest types: a Quercus ilex open woodland, a mixed Q. suber and Q. canariensis woodland and a Pinus sylvestris forest.

Results

Soil microbial and available nutrient pools were larger beneath tree cover than in open areas in both oak woodlands whereas the opposite trend was found in the pine forest. The greatest differences in soil properties between habitat types were found in the open woodland. Season (drought effect) was the main driver of variability in the pine forest and was related to a loss of microbial nutrients (up to 75 % loss of N_mic and P_mic) and an increase in microbial ratios (C_mic/N_mic, C_mic/P_mic) from Spring to Summer in all sites. Nutrient pools consistently decreased with soil depth, with microbial C, N and P in the top soil being up to 208 %, 215 % and 274 % larger than in the deeper soil respectively.

Conclusions

Similar patterns of variation emerged in relation to season and soil depth across the three forest types whereas the direction and magnitude of the habitat (tree cover) effect was site-dependent, possibly related to the differences in tree species composition and forest structure, and thus in the quality and distribution of the litter input.     

The influence of tree species on canopy soil nutrient status in a tropical lowland wet forest in Costa Rica

The canopy is host to a large percentage of the flora and fauna in tropical wet forests and is distinct from the forest floor in plant richness, soil type and microclimate. In this study, we examined the influence of tree species and season on soil nutrient cycling processes in canopy soils of four tree species common to Costa Rican wet forests. We also compared the canopy soils to the associated forest floor mineral soils. Both tree species and season had strong effects on canopy soil nutrients and processes. Canopy soils from trees with high litter lignin concentrations had higher net N-mineralization rates and higher dissolved inorganic N concentrations than those with low lignin concentrations. During the dry season, net N-immobilization occurred and dissolved organic and inorganic N and available P concentrations were significantly higher than during the wet season. Overall, canopy soils had higher N levels and higher fungi + bacteria richness than forest floor mineral soils. The differences in canopy soil properties observed among tree species indicates that these species have distinct N cycles that reflect differences in both soil origin and biological controls.     

The Effect of Phosphorus Availability on Decomposition Dynamics in a Seasonal Lowland Amazonian Forest

Once the weathering of parent material ceases to supply significant inputs of phosphorus (P), vegetation depends largely on the decomposition of litter and soil organic matter and the associated mineralization of organic P forms to provide an adequate supply of this essential nutrient. At the same time, the decomposition of litter is often characterized by the immobilization of nutrients, suggesting that nutrient availability is a limiting factor for this process. Immobilization temporally decouples nutrient mineralization from decomposition and may play an important role in nutrient retention in low-nutrient ecosystems. In this study, we used a common substrate to study the effects of native soil P availability as well as artificially elevated P availability on litter decomposition rates in a lowland Amazonian rain forest on highly weathered soils. Although both available and total soil P pools varied almost three fold across treatments, there was no significant difference in decomposition rates among treatments. Decomposition was rapid in all treatments, with approximately 50% of the mass lost over the 11-month study period. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) remaining and C:N ratios were the most effective predictors of amount of mass remaining at each time point in all treatments. Fertilized treatments showed significant amounts of P immobilization (P < 0.001). By the final collection point, the remaining litter contained a quantity equivalent to two-thirds of the initial P and N, even though only half of the original mass remained. In these soils, immobilization of nutrients in the microbial biomass, late in the decomposition process, effectively prevents the loss of essential nutrients through leaching or occlusion in the mineral soil.     

Successional and physical controls on the retention of nitrogen in an undisturbed boreal forest ecosystem

Floristic succession in the boreal forest can have a dramatic influence on ecosystem nutrient cycling. We predicted that a decrease in plant and microbial demand for nitrogen (N) during the transition from mid- to late-succession forests would induce an increase in the leaching of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), relative to dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). To test this, we examined the chemistry of the soil solution collected from within and below the main rooting zones of mid- and late-succession forests, located along the Tanana River in interior Alaska. We also used a combination of hydrological and chemical analyses to investigate a key assumption of our methodology: that patterns of soil water movement did not change during this transition. Between stands, there was no difference in the proportion of DIN below the rooting zone. 84–98% of DIN at both depths consisted of nitrate, which was significantly higher in the deeper mineral soil than at the soil surface (0.46±0.12 mg NO⁻ ₃ –N l⁻¹ vs 0.17±0.12 mg NO⁻ ₃ –N l⁻¹, respectively), and 79–92% of the total dissolved N consisted of DON. Contrary to our original assumption that nutrients were primarily leached downward, out of the rooting zone, we found much evidence to suggest that the glacially-fed Tanana River (>200 m from these stands) was contributing to the influx of water and nutrients into the soil active layer of both stands. Soil water potentials were positively correlated with river discharge; and ionic and isotopic (δ¹⁸O of H₂O) values of the soil solution closely matched those of river water. Thus, our ability to elucidate biological control over ecosystem N retention was confounded by riverine nutrient inputs. Climatic warming is likely to extend the season of glacial melt and increase riverine nutrient inputs to forests along glacially-fed rivers.     

TOC, TON, TOS and TOP in Rainfall, Throughfall, Litter Percolate and Soil Solution of a Montane Rainforest Succession at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Organic nutrients have proven to contribute significantly to nutrient cycling in temperate forest ecosystems. Still, little is known about their relevance in the tropics. In the present study, organic C, N, S and P were analysed in rainfall, throughfall, litter percolate and soil solution of a montane rainforest at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. The aim was to determine the amounts of organic nutrients in different water pathways and to assess the influence of forest disturbance on organic nutrients by comparing mature forests, secondary forests and shrub vegetation in clearings. Concentrations of all studied elements increased from rainfall to throughfall and litter percolate and then exhibited a rapid decrease in the mineral soil. Concentrations of organic P were above the detection limit only in the litter percolate. Organic N (ON) as a fraction of total N increased from 50% in rainfall (0.19 mg l⁻¹) to 66% (0.45 mg l⁻¹) in throughfall followed by a decline to 39% in the litter percolate (0.77 mg l⁻¹) of the mature forest. Similarly, proportions of organic S and P amounted to 43 and 34%, respectively, in the litter percolate in mature forest. For ON, this proportion further decreased to less than 10% in the soil solution. The latter was probably attributable to a high sorption capacity of the studied Andisols, which led to overall low organic element concentrations in the soil solution (OC: 1.2 mg l⁻¹, ON: 0.05 mg l⁻¹ at 1 m soil depth) as compared to other temperate and tropical forest ecosystems. Organic element concentrations were higher in litter percolate and soil solution under the clearings, but there were no differences in the relative contribution of these elements. Organic nutrient forms at Mt. Kilimanjaro appeared to be much less susceptible to leaching than their inorganic forms.     

N-transfer through aspen litter and feather moss layers after fertilization with ammonium nitrate and urea

When fertilizer is broadcast in boreal forest stands, the applied nutrients must pass through a thick layer of either feather moss or leaf litter which covers the forest floor. In a growth chamber experiment we tested the transfer of N through living feather moss or aspen litter when fertilized with urea ((NH₂)₂CO) or NH₄NO₃ at a rate of 100 kg ha^?1 and under different watering regimes. When these organic substrates were frequently watered to excess they allowed the highest transfer of nutrients through, although 72% of the applied fertilizer was captured in the substrates. In a field experiment we also fertilized moss and aspen litter with urea ((NH₂)₂CO) or NH₄NO₃ at a more operationally relevant rate of 330 kg ha^?1. We captured the NO₃ ^? or NH₄ ⁺ by ion exchange resin at the substrate–mineral soil interface. In contrast to the growth chamber experiment, this fertilizer rate killed the moss and there was no detectable increase in nutrient levels in the aspen litter or feather moss layers. Instead, the urea was more likely transferred into the mineral soil; mineral soil of the urea treatment had 1.6 times as much extractable N compared to the NH₄NO₃ treatment. This difference between the growth chamber and field studies was attributed to observed fertilizer-damage to the living moss and possibly damage to the litter microflora due to the higher rate of fertilization in the field. In addition, the early and substantial rainfall after fertilization in the field experiment produced conditions for rapid leaching of N through the organic layers into the mineral soil. In the field, only 8% of the urea-N that was applied was captured by the ion exchange resin, while 34% was captured in for the NH₄NO₃ fertilization. Thus, the conditions for rapid leaching in the field moved much of the N in the form of urea through the organic layers and into the mineral soil before it was hydrolyzed.     

Variable Responses of Lowland Tropical Forest Nutrient Status to Fertilization and Litter Manipulation

Predicting future impacts of anthropogenic change on tropical forests requires a clear understanding of nutrient constraints on productivity. We compared experimental fertilization and litter manipulation treatments in an old-growth lowland tropical forest to distinguish between the effects of inorganic nutrient amendments and changes in nutrient cycling via litterfall. We measured the changes in soil and litter nutrient pools, litterfall, and fine root biomass in plots fertilized with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), or potassium (K), and in litter addition and litter removal treatments during 7 years. Soil inorganic N and litter N increased in double-litter plots but not in N-fertilized plots. Conversely, litter P and soil pools of P and K increased in fertilized plots but not in the double-litter plots. Soil and litter pools of N and K decreased in the no-litter plots. Changes in litterfall with added nutrients or litter were only marginally significant, but fine root biomass decreased with both the litter and the K addition. Differences between the two experiments are mostly attributable to the coupled cycling of carbon and nutrients in litter. Increased nutrient inputs in litter may improve plant uptake of some nutrients compared to fertilization with similar amounts. The litter layer also appears to play a key role in nutrient retention. We discuss our findings in the context of possible impacts of anthropogenic change on tropical forests.     

Nutrient availability and leaching in an archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of the Central Amazon basin: fertilizer,manure and charcoal amendments

Soil fertility and leaching losses of nutrients were compared between a Fimic Anthrosol and a Xanthic Ferralsol from Central Amazônia. The Anthrosol was a relict soil from pre-Columbian settlements with high organic C containing large proportions of black carbon. It was further tested whether charcoal additions among other organic and inorganic applications could produce similarly fertile soils as these archaeological Anthrosols. In the first experiment, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) was planted in pots, while in the second experiment lysimeters were used to quantify water and nutrient leaching from soil cropped to rice (Oryza sativa L.). The Anthrosol showed significantly higher P, Ca, Mn, and Zn availability than the Ferralsol increasing biomass production of both cowpea and rice by 38–45% without fertilization (P<0.05). The soil N contents were also higher in the Anthrosol but the wide C-to-N ratios due to high soil C contents led to immobilization of N. Despite the generally high nutrient availability, nutrient leaching was minimal in the Anthrosol, providing an explanation for their sustainable fertility. However, when inorganic nutrients were applied to the Anthrosol, nutrient leaching exceeded the one found in the fertilized Ferralsol. Charcoal additions significantly increased plant growth and nutrition. While N availability in the Ferralsol decreased similar to the Anthrosol, uptake of P, K, Ca, Zn, and Cu by the plants increased with higher charcoal additions. Leaching of applied fertilizer N was significantly reduced by charcoal, and Ca and Mg leaching was delayed. In both the Ferralsol with added charcoal and the Anthrosol, nutrient availability was elevated with the exception of N while nutrient leaching was comparatively low.     

Linkages between phosphorus transformations and carbon decomposition in a forest soil

Phosphorus mineralization is chemically coupled with organic matter (OM) decomposition in surface horizons of a mixed-conifer forest soil from the Sierra Nevada, California, and is also affected by the disturbance caused by forest harvesting. Solution¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of NaOH extracts revealed a decrease of O-alkyl and alkyl-C fractions with increasing degree of decomposition and depth in the soil profile, while carbonyl and aromatic C increased. Solid-state¹³C-NMR analysis of whole soil samples showed similar trends, except that alkyl C increased with depth. Solution³¹P-NMR indicated that inorganic P (P₁) increased with increasing depth, while organic-P (P_o) fractions decreased. Close relationships between P mineralization and litter decomposition were suggested by correlations between P₁ and C fractions (r = 0.82, 0.81, –0.87, and –0.76 for carbonyl, aromatic, alkyl and O-alkyl fractions, respectively). Correlations for diester-P and pyrophosphate with O-alkyl (r = 0.63 and 0.84) and inverse correlations with aromatics (r = –0.74 and –0.72) suggest that mineralization of these P fractions coincides with availability of C substrate. A correlation between monoester P and alkyl C (r = 0.63) suggests mineralization is linked to breakdown of structural components of the plant litter. NMR analyses, combined with Hedley-P fractionation, suggest that post-harvest buildup of labile P in decomposed litter increases the potential for leaching of P during the first post-harvest season, but also indicates reduced biological activity that transports P from litter to the mineral soil. Thus, P is temporarily stored in decomposed litter, preventing its fixation by mineral oxides. In the mineral horizons,³¹P-NMR provides evidence of decline in biologically-available P during the first post-harvest season.     

Effects of fire alone or combined with thinning on tissue nutrient concentrations and nutrient resorption in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Desmodium nudiflorum</Emphasis>

This study examined tissue nutrient responses of Desmodium nudiflorum to changes in soil total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and available phosphorus (P) that occurred as the result of the application of alternative forest management strategies, namely (1) prescribed low-intensity fire (B), (2) overstory thinning followed by prescribed fire (T + B), and (3) untreated control C), in two Quercus-dominated forests in the State of Ohio, USA. In the fourth growing season after a first fire, TIN was significantly greater in the control plots (9.8 mg/kg) than in the B (5.5 mg/kg) and T + B (6.4 mg/kg) plots. Similarly, available P was greater in the control sites (101 μg/g) than in the B (45 μg/kg) and T + B (65 μg/kg) sites. Leaf phosphorus ([P]) was higher in the plants from control site (1.86 mg/g) than in either the B (1.77 mg/g) or T + B plants (1.73 mg/g). Leaf nitrogen ([N]) and root [N] showed significant site–treatment interactive effects, while stem [N], stem [P], and root [P] did not differ significantly among treatments. During the first growing season after a second fire, leaf [N], stem [N], litter [P] and available soil [P] were consistently lower in plots of the manipulated treatments than in the unmanaged control plot, whereas the B and T + B plots did not differ significantly from each other. N resorption efficiency was positively correlated with the initial foliar [N] in the manipulated (B and T + B) sites, but there was no such relation in the unmanaged control plots. P resorption efficiency was positively correlated with the initial leaf [P] in both the control and manipulated plots. Leaf nutrient status was strongly influenced by soil nutrient availability shortly after fire, but became more influenced by topographic position in the fourth year after fire. Nutrient resorption efficiency was independent of soil nutrient availability. These findings enrich our understanding of the effects of ecosystem restoration treatments on soil nutrient availability, plant nutrient relations, and plant–soil interactions at different temporal scales.     

Do “hot moments” become hotter under climate change? Soil nitrogen dynamics from a climate manipulation experiment in a post-harvest forest

Whole-tree forest harvest can increase soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) effluxes and leaching of nitrogen (N) from soils. These altered N dynamics are often linked to harvesting effects on microclimate, suggesting that this “hot moment” for N cycling may become hotter with climate change. We hypothesized that increases in temperature and precipitation during this post-harvest period would increase availability of soil mineral N and soil-atmosphere N₂O efflux. To test this hypothesis we implemented a climate manipulation experiment after a forest harvest, and measured soil N₂O fluxes and inorganic N accumulating on ion exchange resins. Climate treatments were: control (A, ambient), heated (H, +2.5 °C), wetted (W, +23 % precipitation), and a two-factor treatment (H+W). For all treatments, the first year after harvest had highest N₂O efflux and resin N. Wetting significantly increased cumulative soil N₂O fluxes, but only when soils were not heated too. The cumulative soil-to-atmosphere N₂O efflux from W (5.8 mg N₂O–N m^?2) was significantly higher than A (?1.9 mg N₂O–N m^?2), but H+W (~0 mg N₂O–N m^?2) was similar to A. Regardless of wetting, heating increased resin N, but only on certain dates. Cumulative resin N was on average 125 % greater in the H plots than non-heated plots. Thus, changes in temperature and precipitation each impart distinct changes to the soil N cycle. Heating increased resin N regardless of water inputs, while wetting increasing N₂O but not when combined with heating. Our results suggest that climate change may exacerbate soil N losses from whole-tree harvest in the future, but the form and quantity of N loss will depend on how the future climate changes.     

氮添加对川西高寒灌丛凋落枝化学计量特征及养分归还的影响

氮(N)是陆地生态系统初级生产力的重要限制因子,大气N沉降的增加将会对植物的化学元素含量和生物量产生重要影响,进而影响凋落物的化学计量特征及其养分归还。高寒灌丛是陆地生态系统的重要组成部分,但有关N沉降对高寒灌丛凋落物尤其是凋落枝的化学元素和生物量的研究还较为缺乏,难以深入揭示N沉降对高寒灌丛土壤碳(C)和养分循环的影响机理。基于此,以青藏高原东部地区的优势高寒灌丛类型—窄叶鲜卑花(Sibiraea angustata(Rehd.) Hand.-Mazz.)灌丛为研究对象,连续4年人工模拟N沉降,分析了凋落枝C、N、磷(P)、木质素和纤维素化学计量特征及其归还量对不同N添加浓度(0、20、50、100 kg hm^-2 a^-1)的响应趋势。结果表明：(1)N添加对凋落枝C、N含量无显著性影响(P>0.05),而对P、木质素和纤维素含量有显著性影响(P<0.05),但不同年份间的影响趋势不一致;(2)4年的N添加并未改变凋落枝的C/N、N/P,但显著降低了凋落枝的木质素/N(第3年)、C/P(第1年和第4年)和C/N/P(第1年);(...     

Grazing history effects on above- and below-ground litter decomposition and nutrient cycling in two co-occurring grasses

Large herbivores may alter carbon and nutrient cycling in soil by changing above- and below-ground litter decomposition dynamics. Grazing effects may reflect changes in plant allocation patterns, and thus litter quality, or the site conditions for decomposition, but the relative roles of these broad mechanisms have rarely been tested. We examined plant and soil mediated effects of grazing history on litter mass loss and nutrient release in two grazing-tolerant grasses, Lolium multiflorum and Paspalum dilatatum, in a humid pampa grassland, Argentina. Shoot and root litters produced in a common garden by conspecific plants collected from grazed and ungrazed sites were incubated under both grazing conditions. We found that grazing history effects on litter decomposition were stronger for shoot than for root material. Root mass loss was neither affected by litter origin nor incubation site, although roots from the grazed origin immobilised more nutrients. Plants from the grazed site produced shoots with higher cell soluble contents and lower lignin:N ratios. Grazing effects mediated by shoot litter origin depended on the species, and were less apparent than incubation site effects. Lolium shoots from the grazed site decomposed and released nutrients faster, whereas Paspalum shoots from the grazed site retained more nutrient than their respective counterparts from the ungrazed site. Such divergent, species-specific dynamics did not translate into consistent differences in soil mineral N beneath decomposing litters. Indeed, shoot mass loss and nutrient release were generally faster in the grazed grassland, where soil N availability was higher. Our results show that grazing influenced nutrient cycling by modifying litter breakdown within species as well as the soil environment for decomposition. They also indicate that grazing effects on decomposition are likely to involve aerial litter pools rather than the more recalcitrant root compartment.     

Plant and Soil N Response of Southern Californian Semi-arid Shrublands After 1 Year of Experimental N Deposition

Large inputs of atmospheric N from dry deposition accumulate on vegetation and soil surfaces of southern Californian chaparral and coastal sage scrub (CSS) ecosystems during the late-summer and early-fall and become available as a pulse following winter rainfall; however, the fate of this dry season atmospheric N addition is unknown. To assess the potential for dry season atmospheric N inputs to be incorporated into soil and/or vegetation N pools, an in situ N addition experiment was initiated in a post-fire chaparral and a mature CSS stand where 10 × 10 m plots were exposed to either ambient N deposition (control) or ambient +50 kg N ha⁻¹ (added N) added as NH₄NO₃ during a single application in October 2003. After 1 year of N addition, plots exposed to added N had significantly higher accumulation of extractable inorganic N (NH₄−N + NO₃−N) on ion exchange resins deployed in the 0–10 cm mineral soil layer and higher soil extractable N in the subsurface (30–40 cm) mineral soil than plots exposed to ambient N. Chaparral and CSS shrubs exposed to added N also exhibited a significant increase in tissue N concentration and a decline in the tissue C:N ratio, and added N significantly altered the shrub tissue δ ¹⁵N natural abundance. Leaching of inorganic N to 1 m below the soil surface was on average 2–3 times higher in the added N plots, but large within treatment variability cause these differences to be statistically insignificant. Although a large fraction of the added N could not be accounted for in the shrub and soil N pools investigated, these observations suggest that dry season N inputs can significantly and rapidly alter N availability and shrub tissue chemistry in Mediterranean-type chaparral and CSS shrublands of southern California.     

Seasonal variation in organic and inorganic phosphorus fractions of temperate-climate sandy soils

Soils from an arable plot, a grassland plot and pasture plot were sampled over an 18-month period. Inorganic (P_i) and organic (P_o) soil phosphorus fractions were extracted sequentially with resin, NaHCO₃, and NaOH. Soil solution was sampled on the arable plot and pasture plot during 12 months with teflon suction cups, and the contents of P_i and P_o were determined.The patterns of the variation for all soil fractions were similar for the three plots. All soil P_i fractions were at minimum in the cool moist winter period. The soil P_o fractions varied less systematically than P_i fractions. The sum of P_o fractions had a winter maximum and a spring minimum. For all soil P fractions temporal variation was highly significant (p<0.0001). The magnitude of change in P_i and P_o soil fractions was 4–40 times greater than what would be expected from the magnitude of new N mineralization.The content of P in the inorganic soil P fractions was negatively correlated with soil moisture. The variation in organic soil P could not be explained by any single factor, but it is suggested that the variation is caused by changes in solubility rather than by biological transformations. Thus, physicochemical processes masked the impact of biological transformations on the temporal variation of soil phosphorus fractions.Both soil solution P_i and P_o varied significantly with time on field scale. In contrast to soil P_i fractions, solution P_i was initially low in the early autumn, increased by a factor 4 during the following 6 weeks, and thereafter decreased to a low level by the end of the sampling period. Soil solution P_o had several fluctuations during the sampling period.     

Long term effects of manure, charcoal and mineral fertilization on crop production and fertility on a highly weathered Central Amazonian upland soil

Application of organic fertilizers and charcoal increase nutrient stocks in the rooting zone of crops, reduce nutrient leaching and thus improve crop production on acid and highly weathered tropical soils. In a field trial near Manaus (Brazil) 15 different amendment combinations based on equal amounts of carbon (C) applied through chicken manure (CM), compost, charcoal, and forest litter were tested during four cropping cycles with rice (Oryza sativa L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) in five replicates. CM amendments resulted in the highest (P < 0.05) cumulative crop yield (12.4 Mg ha⁻¹) over four seasons. Most importantly, surface soil pH, phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were significantly enhanced by CM. A single compost application produced fourfold more grain yield (P < 0.05) than plots mineral fertilized in split applications. Charcoal significantly improved plant growth and doubled grain production if fertilized with NPK in comparison to the NPK-fertilizer without charcoal (P < 0.05). The higher yields caused a significantly greater nutrient export in charcoal-amended fields, but available nutrients did not decrease to the same extent as on just mineral fertilized plots. Exchangeable soil aluminum (Al) was further reduced if mineral fertilizer was applied with charcoal (from 4.7 to 0 mg kg⁻¹). The resilience of soil organic matter (SOM) in charcoal amended plots (8 and 4% soil C loss, mineral fertilized or not fertilized, respectively) indicates the refractory nature of charcoal in comparison to SOM losses over 20 months in CM (27%), compost amended (27%), and control plots (25% loss).     

Differential Controls of Water Input on Litter Decomposition and Nitrogen Dynamics in the Patagonian Steppe

Studies of the effects of precipitation on litter decomposition and nitrogen mineralization in arid and semiarid environments have demonstrated contradictory results. We conducted a manipulative experiment with rainout shelters in the semiarid Patagonian steppe, aimed at assessing the direct effects of water availability on litter decomposition and net nitrogen mineralization while isolating the indirect effects. We created four levels of precipitation input: control and three levels (30, 55 and 80%) of precipitation interception and we examined litter decomposition and nutrient release of a dominant grass species, Stipa speciosa, inorganic soil nitrogen, and in situ net nitrogen mineralization over two consecutive years. Litter decomposition rates (k, year⁻¹) varied significantly (P < 0.001) among precipitation interception treatments and were positively correlated with incoming annual precipitation (APPT, mm/year) (k = 0.0007 × APPT + 0.137). In contrast, net N mineralization was not correlated with incoming precipitation. Soil NO₃⁻ significantly decreased with increasing precipitation input, whereas soil NH₄⁺ concentration did not differ among precipitation interception treatments. Controls of water input on litter decomposition appear to be different from controls on N mineralization in the semiarid Patagonian steppe. We suggest that although water availability affects both the mineralization of C and N, it differentially affects the movement and fate of the inorganic products. A consequence of the accumulation of inorganic N during dry episodes is that periods of maximum water and soil nutrient availability may occur at different times. This asynchrony in the availability of N and water in the soil may explain the observed lags in the response of primary production to increases in water availability.     

Effects of soil freezing disturbance on soil solution nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon chemistry in a northern hardwood ecosystem

Reductions in snow cover undera warmer climate may cause soil freezing eventsto become more common in northern temperateecosystems. In this experiment, snow cover wasmanipulated to simulate the late development ofsnowpack and to induce soil freezing. Thismanipulation was used to examine the effects ofsoil freezing disturbance on soil solutionnitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C)chemistry in four experimental stands (twosugar maple and two yellow birch) at theHubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in theWhite Mountains of New Hampshire. Soilfreezing enhanced soil solution Nconcentrations and transport from the forestfloor. Nitrate (NO₃ ^–) was thedominant N species mobilized in the forestfloor of sugar maple stands after soilfreezing, while ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) anddissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were thedominant forms of N leaching from the forestfloor of treated yellow birch stands. Rates ofN leaching at stands subjected to soil freezingranged from 490 to 4,600 mol ha^–1yr^–1, significant in comparison to wet Ndeposition (530 mol ha^–1 yr^–1) andstream NO₃ ^– export (25 mol ha^–1yr^–1) in this northern forest ecosystem. Soil solution fluxes of P_i from the forestfloor of sugar maple stands after soil freezingranged from 15 to 32 mol ha^–1 yr^–1;this elevated mobilization of P_i coincidedwith heightened NO₃ ^– leaching. Elevated leaching of P_i from the forestfloor was coupled with enhanced retention ofP_i in the mineral soil Bs horizon. Thequantities of P_i mobilized from the forestfloor were significant relative to theavailable P pool (22 mol ha^–1) as well asnet P mineralization rates in the forest floor(180 mol ha^–1 yr^–1). Increased fineroot mortality was likely an important sourceof mobile N and P_i from the forest floor,but other factors (decreased N and P uptake byroots and increased physical disruption of soilaggregates) may also have contributed to theenhanced leaching of nutrients. Microbialmortality did not contribute to the acceleratedN and P leaching after soil freezing. Resultssuggest that soil freezing events may increaserates of N and P loss, with potential effectson soil N and P availability, ecosystemproductivity, as well as surface wateracidification and eutrophication.