氮素类型和剂量对寒温带针叶林土壤N2O排放的影响

大气氮沉降输入会增加森林生态系统氮素有效性,进而改变土壤N_2O产生与排放,然而有关不同氮素离子(氧化态NO_3~--N与还原态NH_4~+-N)沉降对土壤N_2O排放的影响知之甚少。以大兴安岭寒温带针叶林为研究对象,构建了3种类型(NH_4Cl、KNO_3、NH_4NO_3)和4个施氮水平(0、10、20、40 kg N hm~(-2)a~(-1))的增氮控制试验,利用流动化学分析仪和静态箱-气相色谱法4次/月测定凋落物层和矿质层土壤无机氮含量、土壤-大气界面N_2O净交换通量以及相关环境因子,分析施氮类型和剂量对土壤氮素有效性、土壤N_2O通量的影响探讨氮素富集条件下土壤N_2O通量的环境驱动机制。结果表明:施氮类型和剂量均显著影响土壤无机氮含量,土壤NH_4~+-N的积累效应显著高于NO_3~--N。施氮一致增加寒温带针叶林土壤N_2O排放,NH_4NO_3促进效应最为明显,增幅为442%-677%,高于全球平均水平(134%)。土壤N_2O通量与土壤温度、凋落物层NH_4~+-N含量正相关,且随着施氮水平增加而增加。结果表明大气氮沉降短期内不会导致寒温带针叶林土壤NO_3~--N大量流失,但会显著促进土壤N_2O的排放。此外,外源性NH_4~+和NO_3~-输入对土壤N_2O排放的促进作用具有协同效应,在未来森林生态系统氮循环和氮平衡研究中应该区分对待。     

大气氮沉降监测方法研究进展

大气氮沉降是全球氮素生物地球化学循环中的重要环节,指包括氧化态(NO_y)和还原态(NH_x)的活性氮通过干、湿沉降两种方式从大气中移除并降落到地表的过程,对陆地和水生生态系统的结构和功能有重要影响.日益增加的氮沉降对自然生态系统和人类健康构成潜在威胁,如何准确监测不同生态系统的干、湿氮沉降的组成和通量,建立统一的监测技术方法是近年来的研究热点和难点之一.本文详细综述了近年来国内外干、湿氮沉降的监测方法,包括微气象学法、推算法、模型法、替代面法、降水采集法和离子交换树脂法等.并结合其在区域、国家及全球尺度的应用对比总结了不同方法的优缺点,为建立全国性的氮沉降监测网络提供方法学的支持.     

亚热带典型流域C、N沉降季节变化特征及其耦合输出过程

大气湿沉降是流域生态系统水体中碳氮的重要来源,对生态系统的健康及稳定性有很大的影响。通过对江西千烟洲典型亚热带流域降雨过程的碳、氮湿沉降和径流过程的季节性动态特征进行监测分析,探讨流域沉降、径流输出的C、N耦合及平衡关系。结果表明:千烟洲香溪流域降雨径流中碳氮浓度明显低于雨水,流域大气降水中DOC浓度和TN浓度呈极显著正相关关系。香溪河流域常规水体C:N均值为2.81,远低于根据Redfield比率得出的适宜浮游生物生长的C:N(6.6左右),说明外源性N输入导致该流域水体环境处于N过量的状态,长期输出会提高下游鄱阳湖水系的营养化程度。降雨过程对流域碳输入输出平衡影响较小,对氮输入输出平衡的影响较大。流域湿沉降DOC年输入量为69.41 kg hm-2a-1,TN湿沉降通量为77.23 kg hm-2a-1,碳氮沉降水平受区域降雨量及空气污染情况控制。香溪流域生态系统截留的沉降TN占当地氮肥年均使用量的33.13%,大气降水对亚热带流域生态系统的大量营养物质输入不容忽视。     

基于模型数据融合的千烟洲亚热带人工林碳水通量模拟

人工林生态系统是我国森林生态系统的重要组成部分,在全球碳平衡中的作用越来越受到重视.利用千烟洲亚热带人工针叶林通量观测站的碳水通量和气象观测数据,通过模型数据融合方法对碳水循环过程模型——SIPNET模型关键参数进行反演,模拟了2004-2009年千烟洲人工林生态系统的碳水通量.结果表明:仅用碳通量观测数据优化模型参数时,净生态系统碳交换量(NEE)模拟效果较好(R2=0.934),而生态系统蒸散(ET)模拟效果较差(R2=0.188);同时用碳水通量观测数据优化时,NEE模拟效果稍差(R2=0.929),但ET模拟效果显著提升(R2=0.824),说明利用碳水通量观测数据同时优化,SIPNET模型才能较好地模拟试验站点碳水通量.在此基础上,开展了人工林生态系统碳通量对降水变化响应的敏感性分析,发现降水量减少对光合作用的影响比对呼吸作用的影响更为强烈,且碳水通量同时参与优化时模型才能较好地模拟碳通量随降水减少而快速降低的趋势,表明如果不能同时利用碳水通量进行参数优化,模型无法正确揭示生态系统碳循环对降水变异的响应.     

森林土壤氮素转换及其对氮沉降的响应

近几十年人类活动向大气中排放的含氮化合物激增 ,并引起大气氮沉降也成比例增加。目前 ,氮沉降的增加使一些森林生态系统结构和功能发生改变 ,甚至衰退。近 2 0 a欧洲和北美有关氮沉降及其对森林生态系统的影响方面的研究较多 ,而我国少有涉及。森林土壤氮素转换是森林生态系统氮素循环的一个重要的组成部分 ,而矿化、硝化和反硝化作用是其核心过程 ,氮沉降作为驱动因子势必改变森林土壤氮素转换速度、方向和通量。根据国外近 2 0 a有关研究 ,首先介绍了森林土壤氮素转换过程和强度 ,论述森林土壤氮素在生态系统氮素循环中的作用 ,然后在此基础上 ,介绍了氮沉降对森林土壤氮素循环的研究途径 ,探讨了氮沉降对森林土壤氮素矿化、硝化和反硝化作用的影响及其机理     

亚热带典型流域C、N沉降季节变化特征及其耦合输出过程

大气湿沉降是流域生态系统水体中碳氮的重要来源,对生态系统的健康及稳定性有很大的影响。通过对江西千烟洲典型亚热带流域降雨过程的碳、氮湿沉降和径流过程的季节性动态特征进行监测分析,探讨流域沉降、径流输出的C、N耦合及平衡关系。结果表明:千烟洲香溪流域降雨径流中碳氮浓度明显低于雨水,流域大气降水中DOC浓度和TN浓度呈极显著正相关关系。香溪河流域常规水体C∶N均值为2.81,远低于根据Redfield比率得出的适宜浮游生物生长的C∶N(6.6左右),说明外源性N输入导致该流域水体环境处于N过量的状态,长期输出会提高下游鄱阳湖水系的营养化程度。降雨过程对流域碳输入输出平衡影响较小,对氮输入输出平衡的影响较大。流域湿沉降DOC年输入量为69.41 kg hm~(-2)a~(-1),TN湿沉降通量为77.23 kg hm~(-2)a~(-1),碳氮沉降水平受区域降雨量及空气污染情况控制。香溪流域生态系统截留的沉降TN占当地氮肥年均使用量的33.13%,大气降水对亚热带流域生态系统的大量营养物质输入不容忽视。     

长白山森林生态系统大气氮素湿沉降通量和组成的季节变化特征

2009—2010年期间,利用雨量计收集法在长白山森林生态系统定位站开展定位观测,分析降水中氮素浓度,研究了该区域大气氮素湿沉降通量和组成的季节变化特征。结果表明,各形态氮素月均浓度之间差别较大,具有明显的季节性;其降水中浓度主要受降水量和降水频次的影响。全年氮素湿沉降中TN、TIN和TON的沉降量分别为27.64 kg N hm-2a-1、11.05 kg N hm-2a-1和16.59 kg N hm-2a-1,TON为沉降主体,占60.02%;其大气氮沉降量主要由降水量和降水中氮素浓度共同决定。该地区氮湿沉降量已处于我国中等水平,考虑到氮素的干湿沉降比例,本区域的年氮沉降量已接近或超过本区域的营养氮沉降临界负荷,存在一定的环境风险。该地区生长季(5—10月)的氮沉降量(16.59 kg N hm-2a-1)占全年氮沉降量的比例达到73.20%。生长季的氮沉降对于促进植物生长直接生态意义重大,而非生长季的氮沉降对于大量补充次年植物生长初期所需养分的间接生态意义明显。     

大气氮沉降通量观测方法

工农业的发展引起含氮化合物排放量日益增多,导致大气向地面输入的沉降量相应增加。大气氮沉降是自然生态系统重要的氮素来源,沉降量的增加必然会对生态系统的生物地球化学循环产生干扰。针对大气氮沉降组成复杂、时空变异性大、观测的技术方法不统一、研究结果之间可比较性差等关键科学问题,本文从大气氮沉降来源和组成出发,综述了过去几十年来国内外大气氮素干湿沉降在观测方法和测试手段方面的重要进展,详细描述了传统雨量计收集法、降水降尘仪法、阴阳离子交换树脂法、降尘缸收集法和沉降速率法等干、湿沉降观测方法的原理,对比不同方法存在的优点与不足;简要对比了国内外大气干、湿沉降通量状况,提供了大气氮沉降区域分布格局方面的量化信息;初步阐明了大气氮沉降观测研究的理论基础和观测原理,为对比分析不同观测方法获得的观测结果提供定性参考,并为不同生态系统氮沉降研究选择合理的观测方法提供理论依据。     

鼎湖山酸沉降背景下主要森林类型水化学特征初步研究

雨水的水质在通过森林后会发生变化．如果雨水是酸性的,这种变化会更加明显．通过一年多时间在鼎湖山主要森林类型采样分析发现,鼎湖山大气降水pH值低,酸雨频率高;阔叶林穿透雨pH值比大气降水高,树干径流和地表水pH值比大气降水低,土壤自然酸化非常严重;混交林穿透雨和地表水酸度比大气降水低,树干径流酸度则大于大气降水;针叶林穿透雨和树干径流都有进一步酸化趋势,但地表水pH值比大气降水高．3种林型比较,阔叶林林冠缓冲能力最强,针叶林土壤缓冲能力最大．3种林型,林内降水和地表水养分N、P、K、Ca、Mg和Na含量除N外都明显高于大气降水．各林型树干径流对养分富集能力强于穿透水,养分在大气降水中的浓度低于在地表水中的浓度．针叶林林内降水比混交林和阔叶林养分含量高,但地表水中养分浓度比后两者低．从地表水的养分浓度看,阔叶林和混交林养分亏损更为严重．     

丹江口水库氮干沉降的时空特征及生态影响

氮沉降是水库水体外源氮输入的重要途径,对水生态系统有直接影响。通过采集丹江口水库淅川库区162个大气氮干沉降样品,分析了库区氮干沉降通量特征、典型农业期对氮沉降的贡献以及潜在的生态影响。结果表明：库区氮干沉降通量为22.60 kg N·hm^-2·a^-1,有机氮沉降量占总氮沉降通量的50.8%,以有机氮沉降为主;库区东北与西南区域氮干沉降通量较高,而北部和东南区域较低;春、秋季库区总氮、有机氮和尿素沉降通量高于夏、冬季,铵态氮沉降通量在夏季最高,硝态氮沉降通量在冬季最高,与氮素的来源、农业生产活动以及气象因素有关;典型农业期氮干沉降量月均值是非典型农业期的1.75倍,农业活动对总沉降量的贡献不容忽视;淅川库区大气氮干沉降通量是我国湖泊营养盐总氮沉降临界负荷的2.26倍,有潜在的水体富营养化风险,需重点关注典型农业活动期对水生态系统的影响。     

大气氮沉降与森林生态系统的氮动态

由于人类活动的影响,若干年代以来大气氮沉降明显增加。在森林地区,大气氮沉降的空间变异性由林分的位置、结构和组成树种所决定。除降雨之外,干沉降和隐藏降水也是大气氮沉降的重要形式。     

Deviances from expected Ellenberg indicator values for nitrogen are related to N throughfall deposition in forests

The indication of environmental changes and their impacts on various compartments of ecosystems are high on the political and scientific agenda. Spatially and temporally different inputs of eutrophying nitrogen compounds into European forest ecosystems and their effects are still of concern. Tending floristic changes and respective changes of nitrogen indicator values are one of the suspected effects. Those can, however, not easily be discovered within any cross-sectional short-term approach. Since continuous long-term observations with a sufficiently large sample on an adequate geographical scale are not available, the investigation of deviations from a rather balanced and scientifically settled relationship between the soil acidity status and N mineralization rate is used to indicate additional nitrogen supply from atmospheric inputs. The suspected deviances show a significant statistical relationship with total N throughfall deposition (to a lesser degree also with oxidised and reduced nitrogen compounds), measured at the same locations. This suggests a higher N availability at sites with greater N deposition rates, causing a disproportion between site-specific mineralization rates and the effective amount of plant available nitrogen. In spite of some minor methodological restrictions, the approach might be an appropriate means to localise and regionalise eutrophying effects from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen on larger scales.     

Nitrogen cycling and nitrogen saturation in temperate forest ecosystems

The last decade has seen a dramatic shift in the focus of nitrogen cycling research in forest ecosystems. Concerns over nitrogen deficiencies and effects of removal in harvest have given way to concerns over excess nitrogen availability and the potential for forest decline and surface water pollution. Driving this paradigm shift is the increase in atmospheric deposition of nitrogen to forests due to industrial and agricultural activity. At the core of the new paradigm is the concept of 'nitrogen saturation' of forest ecosystems. The purpose of this review is to synthesize recent advances in research relating to nitrogen deposition effects on temperate zone forest ecosystems, and the further effects of nitrogen saturation on environmental quality.     

Influence of canopy budget model approaches on atmospheric deposition estimates to forests

Accurate quantification of total nitrogen and acidifying deposition is a major source of uncertainty in determining the exceedance of critical loads in forest ecosystems. Monitoring of atmospheric deposition is frequently based on throughfall measurements in combination with the canopy budget model to calculate ion-exchange fluxes between the forest canopy and incident rainfall water. Various approaches for each step in the canopy budget model have been reported and compared, but combinations of different approaches were not yet assessed. Therefore, the present study quantified the range of estimated dry deposition and total deposition resulting from all possible combinations of canopy budget model approaches for three typical case studies: (i) total nitrogen and potentially acidifying deposition onto a forest canopy, (ii) the ratio of these deposition variables between adjacent coniferous and deciduous stands and (iii) the parameters of a deposition time trend analysis. The time step, type of precipitation data and tracer ion used in the model had a significant effect on the findings in the three case studies. In addition, including or excluding canopy leaching of weak acids and canopy uptake of nitrogen during the leafless season largely affected the results, while including or excluding canopy uptake of nitrate generally showed no effect. In general, the use of wet-only precipitation data can be recommended, along with sodium as a tracer ion and the inclusion of weak acids. We conclude that further research should focus on the assumptions of inertness of the tracer ion and the equal deposition efficiency of base cations and the tracer ion and on the quantification of weak acids in rainfall and throughfall water. Since local or tree-species specific effects might influence the results obtained in this study, a similar analysis is recommended for other tree species and regions when using the canopy budget model.     

Mass loss and nitrogen dynamics in decomposing acid forest litter in the Netherlands at increased nitrogen deposition

Litterbag experiments were carried out in five forest ecosystems in the Netherlands to study weight loss and nitrogen dynamics during the first two years of decomposition of leaf and needle litter. All forests were characterized by a relatively high atmospheric nitrogen input by throughfall, ranging from 22–55 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1.Correlation analysis of all seven leaf and needle litters revealed no significant relation between the measured litter quality indices (nitrogen and lignin concentration, lignin-to-nitrogen ratio) and the decomposition rate. A significant linear relation was found between initial lignin-to-nitrogen ratio and critical nitrogen concentration, suggesting an effect of litter quality on nitrogen dynamics.Comparison of the decomposition of oak leaves in a nitrogen-limited and a nitrogen-saturated forest suggested an increased nitrogen availability. The differences in capacities to retain atmospheric nitrogen inputs between these two sites could be explained by differences in net nitrogen immobilization in first year decomposing oak leaves: in the nitrogen-limited oak forest a major part (55%) of the nitrogen input by throughfall was immobilized in the first year oak leaf litter.The three coniferous forests consisted of two monocultures of Douglas fir and a mixed stand of Douglas fir and Scots pine. Despite comparable litter quality in the Douglas fir needles in all sites, completely different nitrogen dynamics were found.     

Can ungulates foraging in a multiple‐use landscape alter forest nitrogen budgets?

Ungulates alter nutrient dynamics within many of Earth's ecosystems. However, whether foraging ungulates transfer nutrients among ecosystems at a magnitude sufficient to alter nutrient budgets and associated ecological processes is unknown. I suggest that within eastern North American landscapes dominated by agriculture and forest, the juxtaposition of high nitrogen crops for foraging and forest used for diurnal concealment promotes a net transfer of nitrogen from cropland to forests by overabundant white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). To estimate the magnitude of this nutrient transfer I apply allometric relationships of deer nitrogen consumption and excretion to populations within a hypothetical landscape in which deer use forest and cropland in equal proportions daily and are not limited in habitat use by landscape spatial pattern. Results indicate a non-linear relationship between deer nitrogen deposition to forest and percent forest cover, with deposition rising toward estimated atmospheric nitrogen deposition when forest covers less than 40% of the landscape. This "spatial subsidy" of nitrogen to the forest-floor represents a previously unrecognized input to the forest nitrogen budget with equally unknown impacts on forest-floor ecosystem processes.     

On the importance of incorporating forest edge deposition for evaluating exceedance of critical pollutant loads

The concept of critical load (CL) was defined to express the tolerance of natural and semi‐natural habitats for anthropogenic air pollution. Correct evaluation of the exceedance of critical loads is fundamental for the long‐term protection of ecosystems by limiting emissions of potential acidifying and eutrophying pollutants. For forest ecosystems, the exceedance of critical loads is often calculated using deposition data measured in the forest interior. However, several studies report forest edges acting as ‘hotspots’ of acidifying and nitrogen deposition, showing up to fourfold increases in atmospheric deposition compared to the forest interior. This paper estimates the relevance of considering the higher deposition load in forest edges for calculating exceedance of critical loads for nitrogen and potential acidifying deposition. If measures to control and reduce atmospheric deposition are based on mean deposition fluxes within forest stands, deposition reductions will not be enough for preventing adverse effects. In fact, emission reductions should be adjusted to deposition values at the forest edge, since these zones are most threatened. We thus conclude that there is an urgent need to reconsider the calculation of exceedance of critical loads, taking into account edge enhancement of deposition. This is an issue of high relevance, particularly in highly fragmented regions, such as Flanders (Belgium).     

Nutrient supply of forest soils in relation to management and site history

Internal and external factors like forest management practices and atmospheric deposition may have large influences on the nutrient supply of forest soils. Examples are given for the effects of tree species, harvesting, site history, changes of species and specific soil conditions, nitrogen deposition, and forest growth dynamics. It is concluded from these examples that all of these factors may contribute to soil acidification in forest ecosystems under humid temperate climatic conditions.     

The nitrogen status of Austrian forest ecosystems as influenced by atmospheric deposition,biomass harvesting and lateral organomass exchange

Measurements of the deposition rates of atmospheric trace constituents to forest ecosystems in Austria have shown that the deposition of plant utilizable nitrogen compounds is in the range from 12 kg N to more than 30 kg N ha^-1 a^-1. Locally, even higher deposition rates are encountered as a consequence of point sources or special deposition mechanisms such as fog interception, hoar frost formation, and accumulation in snow drifts. In order to place these values into perspective, they are compared with the nitrogen demand of past and present forest land use and with natural processes of nitrogen depletion and accumulation in forest ecosystems. During wind erosion of forest litter, woody material with a wide C/N-ratio remains on the windward side of ridges, while nutrient-rich material with a narrow C/N-ratio is deposited on the leeward side. As a result, total nitrogen storage in the forest soil as well as overall C/N-ratios change dramatically along a transect over a ridge, thus indicating a strong influence of litter C/N ratio on nitrogen retention in the forest soil. A study of nitrogen stores in the soil of beech ecosystems of the same yield class in the Vienna Woods showed a significant correlation of total N-content with base saturation. These results suggest that nitrogen storage capacity of forest soils may be managed by liming and tree species selection. As knowledge is still meagre, a special study on factors which determine nitrogen storage in forest soils is proposed within the FERN-programme.