Nitrogen-15 signals of leaf-litter-soil continuum as a possible indicator of ecosystem nitrogen saturation by forest succession and N loads

Understanding forest carbon cycling responses to atmospheric N deposition is critical to evaluating ecosystem N dynamics. The natural abundance of ¹⁵N (??¹⁵N) has been suggested as an efficient and non-invasive tool to monitor N pools and fluxes. In this study, three successional forests in southern China were treated with four levels of N addition. In each treatment, we measured rates of soil N mineralization, nitrification, N₂O emission and inorganic N leaching as well as N concentration and ?? ¹⁵N of leaves, litters and soils. We found that foliar N concentration and ??¹⁵N were higher in the mature broadleaf forest than in the successional pine or mixed forests. Three-year continuous N addition did not change foliar N concentration, but significantly increased foliar ?? ¹⁵N (p < 0.05). Also, N addition decreased the ?? ¹⁵N of top soil in the N-poor pine and mixed forests and significantly increased that of organic and mineral soils in N-rich broadleaf forests (p < 0.05). In addition, the soil N₂O emission flux and inorganic N leaching rate increased with increasing N addition and were positively correlated with the ¹⁵N enrichment factor (?? _p/s) of forest ecosystems. Our study indicates that ?? ¹⁵N of leaf, litter and soil integrates various information on plant species, forest stand age, exogenous N input and soil N transformation and loss, which can be used to monitor N availability and N dynamics in forest ecosystems caused by increasing N deposition in the future.     

中亚热带常绿阔叶林不同演替阶段土壤活性有机碳含量及季节动态

为探明不同演替阶段土壤碳吸存潜力,选取演替时间为15a(演替初期)、47a(演替中期)、110a(演替后期)3个中亚热带常绿阔叶林,分析了各演替阶段的土壤有机碳(SOC)含量以及土壤微生物量碳(MBC)、可溶性碳(DOC)和微生物熵(SMQ)的季节变化。结果表明:演替中、后期不同土层的土壤SOC、MBC、DOC含量和SMQ均显著高于演替初期(P<0.05);与演替中期相比,演替后期土壤MBC、DOC含量有所降低,SOC含量和SMQ无显著差异。土壤SOC、MBC和DOC含量随土层加深而显著性降低(演替初、中期DOC除外),并随演替进行逐渐向腐殖质层富集。不同演替阶段MBC、DOC和SMQ均有显著季节变化,最低值出现在秋季,最高值随演替进程由冬季逐步转向夏季。相关分析表明,不同演替阶段土壤活性有机碳含量与土壤有机碳含量极显著相关(P<0.01),且土壤活性有机碳(MBC、DOC)和SMQ对土壤碳库变化更为敏感。     

川西亚高山不同演替阶段天然次生林土壤碳氮含量及酶活性特征

为了解次生林自然更新演替过程中土壤碳氮含量及酶活性的变化规律, 采用空间代替时间的方法, 在川西亚高山米亚罗林区选取环境条件基本一致的20世纪60、70和80年代采伐迹地自然更新演替的次生林(60-NSF、70-NSF和80-NSF)和岷江冷杉(Abies faxoniana)原始林(对照, CK)为对象, 研究了表层(0-20 cm)土壤碳氮含量和土壤酶活性的关系。结果表明: 表层土壤有机碳(SOC)、可溶性有机碳(DOC)、轻组有机碳(LFOC)含量均随森林植被更新演替呈显著降低趋势, 而全氮(TN)和可溶性有机氮(DON)含量则表现为60-NSF < 80-NSF < 70-NSF, 但70-NSF和80-NSF间差异不显著; 次生林表层土壤有机碳氮及其活性组分含量均低于CK, 其中80-NSF的DOC和DON含量与CK差异不显著。次生林的β-葡萄糖苷酶(βG)、β-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶(NAG)和多酚氧化酶(PHO)活性均显著低于CK, 纤维素水解酶(CBH)和过氧化物酶(PEO)活性与CK无显著差异; 天然次生林中, 60-NSF的βG和CBH活性显著低于70-NSF和80-NSF; 80-NSF的NAG活性显著高于60-NSF和70-NSF; 4种林型之间的PEO活性无显著性差异。Pearson相关分析和冗余分析显示, 土壤TN、LFOC和DOC含量与土壤酶活性显著相关, 其中TN含量解释了酶活性变化的65.4%, 说明土壤氮含量变化可能会影响到土壤碳的水解酶活性, 同时也表明土壤微生物优先利用易分解碳和氮。因此, 次生林近60年的天然更新演替引起了TN、LFOC及DOC含量的显著下降, 导致表层土壤某些胞外酶(如βG、CBH和NAG)活性降低。从土壤酶活性角度看, 岷江冷杉原始林比早期演替阶段的次生林(<60 a)更有利于川西亚高山高海拔森林生态系统的碳氮循环。     

Long‐term nitrogen addition modifies microbial composition and functions for slow carbon cycling and increased sequestration in tropical forest soil

Nitrogen (N) deposition is a component of global change that has considerable impact on belowground carbon (C) dynamics. Plant growth stimulation and alterations of fungal community composition and functions are the main mechanisms driving soil C gains following N deposition in N‐limited temperate forests. In N‐rich tropical forests, however, N deposition generally has minor effects on plant growth; consequently, C storage in soil may strongly depend on the microbial processes that drive litter and soil organic matter decomposition. Here, we investigated how microbial functions in old‐growth tropical forest soil responded to 13 years of N addition at four rates: 0 (Control), 50 (Low‐N), 100 (Medium‐N), and 150 (High‐N) kg N ha^?1 year^?1. Soil organic carbon (SOC) content increased under High‐N, corresponding to a 33% decrease in CO₂ efflux, and reductions in relative abundances of bacteria as well as genes responsible for cellulose and chitin degradation. A 113% increase in N₂O emission was positively correlated with soil acidification and an increase in the relative abundances of denitrification genes (narG and norB). Soil acidification induced by N addition decreased available P concentrations, and was associated with reductions in the relative abundance of phytase. The decreased relative abundance of bacteria and key functional gene groups for C degradation were related to slower SOC decomposition, indicating the key mechanisms driving SOC accumulation in the tropical forest soil subjected to High‐N addition. However, changes in microbial functional groups associated with N and P cycling led to coincidentally large increases in N₂O emissions, and exacerbated soil P deficiency. These two factors partially offset the perceived beneficial effects of N addition on SOC storage in tropical forest soils. These findings suggest a potential to incorporate microbial community and functions into Earth system models considering their effects on greenhouse gas emission, biogeochemical processes, and biodiversity of tropical ecosystems.     

滇中退化山地不同植被恢复下土壤碳氮磷储量与生态化学计量特征

植被恢复对土壤营养元素的存赋及其生态化学计量特征的影响广受关注,为了深入了解不同植被恢复类型下土壤碳、氮、磷储量与生态化学计量特征,选择滇中地区退化山地飒马场流域具有代表性的4种不同修复阶段的典型植被(荒坡灌草丛、云南松林、针阔混交林和次生常绿阔叶林)为研究对象,分析了不同植被类型下不同深度土壤中有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)储量和化学计量变化特征。结果表明,退化山地的植被恢复显著改变土壤碳氮磷储存能力和化学计量比,这种改变作用整体上随土壤深度增加而降低。其中,在0—60 cm土层上,SOC储量在次生常绿阔叶林最高,达123.41 t/hm~2,其次是针阔混交林(115.69 t/hm~2)和云南松林(93.08 t/hm~2),荒坡灌草丛(89.56 t/hm~2)最低;TN储量针阔混交林(4.91 t/hm~2)次生常绿阔叶林(4.58 t/hm~2)云南松林(4.43 t/hm~2)荒坡灌草丛(3.98 t/hm~2),4种植被类型间差异显著;TP储量云南松林最高(2.57 t/hm~2),次生常绿阔叶林(2.2 t/hm~2)最低;4种植被类型下土壤C/N介于15.77—30.18,C/P介于29.24—65.33,N/P介于1.28—2.68之间,在0—60 cm土层上均以次生常绿阔叶林最高。植被类型和土壤深度及其交互作用显著影响研究区的SOC、TN和TP储量和化学计量比。分析认为,退化山地不同植被类型对土壤碳氮磷储量和化学计量的影响过程复杂,修复演替进入到次生常绿阔叶林阶段土壤理化性质显著提升,该地区植被修复主要受到氮的限制。研究表征了滇中退化环境植被恢复过程中土壤主要元素变化特征,为揭示植被恢复与土壤生态功能演变关系提供数据支持。     

Crop residue-derived dissolved organic matter accelerates the decomposition of native soil organic carbon in a temperate agricultural ecosystem

Crop residue-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in soil carbon (C) cycling. To investigate the effects of maize residue-derived DOM and urea additions on the native soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition and soil net C balance a pot experiment was carried out during the winter wheat growing season in the North China Plain (NCP). The results showed that adding maize residue-derived DOM alone (RDOM) or together with urea (RDOM?+?N) accelerated the decomposition of native SOC and resulted in a net SOC loss. The net loss of SOC was 3.90?±?0.61 and 3.53?±?0.48?g?C?m^?2 in RDOM and RDOM?+?N treatments, respectively. The stimulatory effect of per unit DOM-C addition on the native SOC decomposition was 0.25?±?0.05 and 0.45?±?0.07 for the RDOM and RDOM?+?N treatments, respectively. Increases in the microbial biomass and the activity of β-glucosidase, invertase and cellobiohydrolase as well as soil mineral N content were responsible for a more intense priming effect in DOM-amended soils. The positive relationship between primed soil C and soil available N (R?=?0.76, P?<?0.05) suggested that the stimulation of decomposition of native SOC by DOM addition would be enhanced by nitrogen fertilizer application.     

Soil Ca alters processes contributing to C and N retention in the Oa/A horizon of a northern hardwood forest

Recent studies on the effects of calcium (Ca) additions on soil carbon (C) cycling in organic soil horizons present conflicting results, with some studies showing an increase in soil C storage and others a decrease. We tested the legacy effects of soil Ca additions on C and nitrogen (N) retention in a long-term incubation of soils from a plot-scale field experiment at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH, USA. Two levels of Ca (850 and 4250 kg Ca/ha) were surface applied to field plots as the mineral wollastonite (CaSiO₃) in summer of 2006. Two years after field Ca additions, Oa/A horizon soils were collected from field plots and incubated in the laboratory for 343 days to test Ca effects on C mineralization, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export, and net N transformations. To distinguish mineralization of soil organic C (SOC) from that of more recent C inputs to soil, we incubated soils with and without added ¹³C-labeled sugar maple leaf litter. High Ca additions increased exchangeable Ca and pH compared to the control. While low Ca additions had little effect on mineralization of SOC or added litter C, high Ca additions reduced mineralization of SOC and enhanced mineralization of litter C. In litter-free incubations, δ¹³C of respired C was enriched in the high Ca treatment compared to the control, indicating that Ca suppressed mineralization of ¹³C-depleted SOC sources. Leaching of DOC and NH₄ ⁺ were reduced by Ca additions in litter-free and litter-amended soils. Our results suggest that Ca availability in these organic soils influences mineralization of SOC and N primarily by stabilization processes and only secondarily through pH effects on organic matter solubility, and that SOC binding processes become important only with relatively large alterations of Ca status.     

Amino acid uptake in deciduous and coniferous taiga ecosystems

We measured in situ uptake of amino acids and ammonium across deciduous and coniferous taiga forest ecosystems in interior Alaska to examine the idea that late successional (coniferous) forests rely more heavily on dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), than do early successional (deciduous) ecosystems. We traced ¹⁵N-NH₄⁺ and ¹³C-¹⁵N-amino acids from the soil solution into plant roots and soil pools over a 24 h period in stands of early successional willow and late successional black spruce. Late successional soils have much higher concentrations of amino acid in soil solution and a greater ratio of DON to dissolved inorganic N (DIN) (ammonium plus nitrate) than do early successional soils. Moreover, late successional coniferous forests exhibit higher rates of soil proteolytic activity, but lower rates of inorganic N turnover. Differences in ammonium and amino acid uptake by early successional willow stands were insignificant. By contrast, the in situ uptake of amino acid by late successional black spruce forests were approximately 4-fold greater than ammonium uptake. The relative difference in uptake of ammonium and amino acids in these forests was approximately proportional to the relative difference of these N forms in the soil solution. Thus, we suggest that differences in uptake of different N forms across succession in these boreal forests largely reflect edaphic variation in available soil N (composition), rather than any apparent physiological specialization to absorb particular forms of N. These finding are relevant to our understanding of how taiga ecosystems may respond to increases in temperature, fire frequency, N deposition, and other potential consequences of global change.     

Relationships among precipitation regime, nutrient availability, and carbon turnover in tropical rain forests

The effect of high precipitation regime in tropical forests is poorly known despite indications of its potentially negative effects on nutrient availability and carbon (C) cycling. Our goal was to determine if there was an effect of high rainfall on nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) availability and indexes of C cycling in lowland tropical rain forests exposed to a broad range of mean annual precipitation (MAP). We predicted that C turnover time would increase with MAP while the availability of N and P would decrease. We studied seven Neotropical lowland forests covering a MAP range between 2,700 and 9,500 mm. We used radiocarbon (?¹⁴C) from the atmosphere and respired from soil organic matter to estimate residence time of C in plants and soils. We also used C, N, and P concentrations and the stable isotope ratio of N (δ¹⁵N) in live and dead plant tissues and in soils as proxies for nutrient availability. Negative δ¹⁵N values indicated that the wettest forests had N cycles that did not exhibit isotope-fractionating losses and were potentially N-limited. Element ratios (N:P and C:P) in senescent leaves, litter, and live roots showed that P resorption increased considerably with MAP, which points towards increasing P-limitation under high MAP regimes. Soil C content increased with MAP but C turnover time only showed a weak relationship with MAP, probably due to variations in soil parent material and age along the MAP gradient. In contrast, comparing C turnover directly to nutrient availability showed strong relationships between C turnover time, N availability (δ¹⁵N), and P availability (N:P) in senescent leaves and litter. Thus, an effect of MAP on carbon cycling appeared to be indirectly mediated by nutrient availability. Our results suggest that soil nutrient availability plays a central role in the dynamic of C cycling in tropical rain forests.     

Shifts in priming partly explain impacts of long‐term nitrogen input in different chemical forms on soil organic carbon storage

Input of labile organic carbon can enhance decomposition of extant soil organic carbon (SOC) through priming. We hypothesized that long‐term nitrogen (N) input in different chemical forms alters SOC pools by altering priming effects associated with N‐mediated changes in plants and soil microbes. The hypothesis was tested by integrating field experimental data of plants, soil microbes and two incubation experiments with soils that had experienced 10 years of N enrichment with three chemical forms (ammonium, nitrate and both ammonium and nitrate) in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Incubations with glucose–¹³C addition at three rates were used to quantify effects of exogenous organic carbon input on the priming of SOC. Incubations with microbial inocula extracted from soils that had experienced different long‐term N treatments were conducted to detect effects of N‐mediated changes in soil microbes on priming effects. We found strong evidence and a mechanistic explanation for alteration of SOC pools following 10 years of N enrichment with different chemical forms. We detected significant negative priming effects both in soils collected from ammonium‐addition plots and in sterilized soils inoculated with soil microbes extracted from ammonium‐addition plots. In contrast, significant positive priming effects were found both in soils collected from nitrate‐addition plots and in sterilized soils inoculated with soil microbes extracted from nitrate‐addition plots. Meanwhile, the abundance and richness of graminoids were higher and the abundance of soil microbes was lower in ammonium‐addition than in nitrate‐addition plots. Our findings provide evidence that shifts toward higher graminoid abundance and changes in soil microbial abundance mediated by N chemical forms are key drivers for priming effects and SOC pool changes, thereby linking human interference with the N cycle to climate change.     

Effects of nitrogen additions on above- and belowground carbon dynamics in two tropical forests

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is increasing rapidly in tropical regions, adding N to ecosystems that often have high background N availability. Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle, yet the effects of N deposition on C cycling in these ecosystems are poorly understood. We used a field N-fertilization experiment in lower and upper elevation tropical rain forests in Puerto Rico to explore the responses of above- and belowground C pools to N addition. As expected, tree stem growth and litterfall productivity did not respond to N fertilization in either of these N-rich forests, indicating a lack of N limitation to net primary productivity (NPP). In contrast, soil C concentrations increased significantly with N fertilization in both forests, leading to larger C stocks in fertilized plots. However, different soil C pools responded to N fertilization differently. Labile (low density) soil C fractions and live fine roots declined with fertilization, while mineral-associated soil C increased in both forests. Decreased soil CO₂ fluxes in fertilized plots were correlated with smaller labile soil C pools in the lower elevation forest (R² = 0.65, p < 0.05), and with lower live fine root biomass in the upper elevation forest (R² = 0.90, p < 0.05). Our results indicate that soil C storage is sensitive to N deposition in tropical forests, even where plant productivity is not N-limited. The mineral-associated soil C pool has the potential to respond relatively quickly to N additions, and can drive increases in bulk soil C stocks in tropical forests.     

广西珍珠湾三种红树林林分土壤碳氮储量的研究

为了探讨不同红树林林分土壤有机碳(soil organic carbon,SOC)和全氮(total nitrogen,TN)储量空间的分布特征以及与C/N的相关性,该研究以广西防城珍珠湾红树林湿地为对象,通过样地调查取样和实验室分析,测定了SOC和TN的含量以及土壤碳储量的计量,揭示了广西北仑河珍珠湾秋茄、木榄和混交林三种红树林林分SOC和TN储量空间的分布特征以及C/N与SOC和TN的相关性。结果表明:(1)秋茄、木榄和混交林的SOC储量分别为140.73、124.94、144.71 t·hm~(-2),三者无显著性差异(P0.05);木榄和混交林垂直分布特征表现为20～40 cm0～20 cm40～60 cm,秋茄表现为随着土层深度的增加而递减。(2)秋茄、木榄和混交林的TN储量分别为6.49、5.01、5.87 t·hm~(-2),表现为随着土层深度的增加而减少的趋势。(3)秋茄、木榄和混交林的SOC与TN储量之间的相关性极显著(P0.01),相关系数分别为0.924、0.971和0.844,说明SOC与TN之间存在一定的耦合效应。(4)三种林分的C/N比值范围为16.77～24.39,表明有机质主要来源于陆地,木榄和混交林土壤的C/N值与SOC储量有显著的相关性(P0.05),三种林分的C/N比值与TN储量相关性均不显著。(5)三种红树林林分的土壤碳储量均高于我国森林土壤碳储量的平均值,且SOC与TN储量之间的相关性极显著。     

Pulse additions of soil carbon and nitrogen affect soil nitrogen dynamics in an arid Colorado Plateau shrubland

Biogeochemical cycles in arid and semi-arid ecosystems depend upon the ability of soil microbes to use pulses of resources. Brief periods of high activity generally occur after precipitation events that provide access to energy and nutrients (carbon and nitrogen) for soil organisms. To better understand pulse-driven dynamics of microbial soil nitrogen (N) cycling in an arid Colorado Plateau ecosystem, we simulated a pulsed addition of labile carbon (C) and N in the field under the canopies of the major plant species in plant interspaces. Soil microbial activity and N cycling responded positively to added C while NH₄⁺–N additions resulted in an accumulation of soil NO₃⁻. Increases in microbial activity were reflected in higher rates of respiration and N immobilization with C addition. When both C and N were added to soils, N losses via NH₃ volatilization decreased. There was no effect of soil C or N availability on microbial biomass N suggesting that the level of microbial activity (respiration) may be more important than population size (biomass) in controlling short-term dynamics of inorganic and labile organic N. The effects of C and N pulses on soil microbial function and pools of NH₄⁺–N and labile organic N were observed to last only for the duration of the moisture pulse created by treatment addition, while the effect on the NO₃⁻–N pool persisted after soils dried to pre-pulse moisture levels. We observed that increases in available C lead to greater ecosystem immobilization and retention of N in soil microbial biomass and also lowered rates of gaseous N loss. With the exception of trace gas N losses, the lack of interaction between available C and N on controlling N dynamics, and the subsequent reduction in plant available N with C addition has implications for the competitive relationships between plants species, plants and microbes, or both.     

亚热带次级森林演替过程中模拟氮磷沉降对土壤微生物生物量及土壤养分的影响

氮（N）沉降深刻影响着森林生态系统的生物多样性、生产力和稳定性。亚热带地区森林土壤磷（P）的有效性较低,N沉降将更突显P的限制作用。N、P输入对亚热带次级森林土壤的影响是否依赖于森林演替阶段知之甚少。选取两种不同演替年龄阶段（年轻林：<40 a;老年林：>85 a）的亚热带常绿阔叶林,设置模拟N和/或P沉降（10 g m^-2 a^-1）4个处理（Ctrl、N、P、NP）,连续处理4.5年后采集表层、次表层和下底层（0-15、15-30、30-60 cm）土壤样品,综合分析了土壤微生物生物量碳（MBC）氮（MBN）和多种土壤养分含量。结果表明,MBC、MBN及土壤养分含量均随土壤深度增加而降低。N添加对两种演替阶段森林土壤中MBC和MBN均无显著影响。施P相关处理（P和NP）对年轻林表层土壤MBC和MBN无显著影响,但显著增加了老年林表层土壤MBC和MBN（P<0.05）,表明老年林可能比年轻林更易受P限制。N添加显著增加了两种演替森林表层土壤可溶性有机氮（DON）、氨态氮（NH₄⁺-N）和硝态氮（NO₃^--N）的含量（P<0.05）;P相关处理（P和NP）显著增加两种演替阶段表层和次表层土壤速效磷（AP）以及表层土壤全磷（TP）的含量（P<0.05）。土壤MBC和MBN与土壤中各养分指标（可溶性有机碳DOC、DON、NH₄⁺-N、NO₃^--N、AP、全碳TC、全氮TN和TP）呈显著正相关关系,土壤TC、TN和DOC是影响土壤微生物生物量的主要因子。研究可为评估和揭示未来全球环境变化背景下不同演替林龄亚热带森林的土肥潜力及土壤质量的演变提供一定的科学理论依据。     

Experimental litterfall manipulation drives large and rapid changes in soil carbon cycling in a wet tropical forest

Global changes such as variations in plant net primary production are likely to drive shifts in leaf litterfall inputs to forest soils, but the effects of such changes on soil carbon (C) cycling and storage remain largely unknown, especially in C‐rich tropical forest ecosystems. We initiated a leaf litterfall manipulation experiment in a tropical rain forest in Costa Rica to test the sensitivity of surface soil C pools and fluxes to different litter inputs. After only 2 years of treatment, doubling litterfall inputs increased surface soil C concentrations by 31%, removing litter from the forest floor drove a 26% reduction over the same time period, and these changes in soil C concentrations were associated with variations in dissolved organic matter fluxes, fine root biomass, microbial biomass, soil moisture, and nutrient fluxes. However, the litter manipulations had only small effects on soil organic C (SOC) chemistry, suggesting that changes in C cycling, nutrient cycling, and microbial processes in response to litter manipulation reflect shifts in the quantity rather than quality of SOC. The manipulation also affected soil CO ₂ fluxes; the relative decline in CO ₂ production was greater in the litter removal plots (?22%) than the increase in the litter addition plots (+15%). Our analysis showed that variations in CO ₂ fluxes were strongly correlated with microbial biomass pools, soil C and nitrogen (N) pools, soil inorganic P fluxes, dissolved organic C fluxes, and fine root biomass. Together, our data suggest that shifts in leaf litter inputs in response to localized human disturbances and global environmental change could have rapid and important consequences for belowground C storage and fluxes in tropical rain forests, and highlight differences between tropical and temperate ecosystems, where belowground C cycling responses to changes in litterfall are generally slower and more subtle.     

Shrub expansion stimulates soil C and N storage along a coastal soil chronosequence

Expansion of woody vegetation in grasslands is a worldwide phenomenon with implications for C and N cycling at local, regional and global scales. Although woody encroachment is often accompanied by increased annual net primary production (ANPP) and increased inputs of litter, mesic ecosystems may become sources for C after woody encroachment because stimulation of soil CO₂ efflux releases stored soil carbon. Our objective was to determine if young, sandy soils on a barrier island became a sink for C after encroachment of the nitrogen‐fixing shrub Morella cerifera, or if associated stimulation of soil CO₂ efflux mitigated increased litterfall. We monitored variations in litterfall in shrub thickets across a chronosequence of shrub expansion and compared those data to previous measurements of ANPP in adjacent grasslands. In the final year, we quantified standing litter C and N pools in shrub thickets and soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN) and soil CO₂ efflux in shrub thickets and adjacent grasslands. Heavy litterfall resulted in a dense litter layer storing an average of 809 g C m^?2 and 36 g N m^?2. Although soil CO₂ efflux was stimulated by shrub encroachment in younger soils, soil CO₂ efflux did not vary between shrub thickets and grasslands in the oldest soils and increases in CO₂ efflux in shrub thickets did not offset contributions of increased litterfall to SOC. SOC was 3.6–9.8 times higher beneath shrub thickets than in grassland soils and soil TN was 2.5–7.7 times higher under shrub thickets. Accumulation rates of soil and litter C were highest in the youngest thicket at 101 g m^?2 yr^?1 and declined with increasing thicket age. Expansion of shrubs on barrier islands, which have low levels of soil carbon and high potential for ANPP, has the potential to significantly increase ecosystem C sequestration.     

Threshold responses of soil organic carbon concentration and composition to multi-level nitrogen addition in a temperate needle-broadleaved forest

Responses of soil organic carbon (SOC) cycling and C budget in forest ecosystems to elevated nitrogen (N) deposition are divergent. Little is known about the N critical loads for the shift between gain and loss of SOC storage in the old-growth temperate forest of Northeast China. The objective of this study was to investigate the nonlinear responses of SOC concentration and composition to multiple rates of N addition, as well as the microbial mechanisms responsible for SOC alteration under N enrichment. Nine rates of urea addition (0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 kg N ha^?1 year^?1) with 4 replicates for each treatment were conducted. Soil samples in the 0–10 cm mineral layer were taken after 3 years of N fertilization. Soil aggregate size distribution and SOC physical fractionation were performed to examine SOC dynamics. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) technique was used to measure the abundance and structure of microbial community. Three years of N addition led to significant increases in the concentrations of soil particulate organic C and aggregate-associated organic C fractions only. The responses of total N and each labile SOC fraction to the rates of N addition followed Gaussian equations, with the N critical loads being estimated to be between 80 and 100 kg N ha^?1 year^?1. The change in SOC concentration (ΔSOC) was positively correlated with the changes in aggregate associated OC (r² > 0.80) and POC concentrations (r² > 0.50). Significant correlations among the concentrations of labile SOC fractions, the percentages of soil aggregates, and the abundances of microbial PLFAs were observed, which implies a close linkage between microbial community structure and SOC accumulation and stability. Our results suggest that increase in soil moisture and shift of microbial community structure could control the critical N load for the switch between C accumulation and loss. The current N deposition rate (~ 11 kg N ha^?1 year^?1) to the northeast China’s forests is favorable for soil C accumulation over the short term.     

小陇山不同林龄锐齿栎林土壤有机碳和全氮积累特征

以甘肃小陇山林区3个林龄阶段(中龄林、近熟林和成熟林)的锐齿栎(Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata)天然次生林为对象,研究了土壤中有机碳和全氮的垂直分布及其积累特征。结果表明:林地土壤有机碳和全氮含量在各龄级土壤剖面中的垂直变化规律一致,表层土壤中含量最高,随着土层深度逐渐降低。1 m土层范围有机碳和全氮密度随着林龄的增加而增加,中龄林、近熟林和成熟林的碳密度分别为122.92、242.21t/hm~2和280.53 t/hm~2,龄组之间差异显著(P0.05);3个林龄阶段的土壤全氮密度分别为10.37、18.94t/hm~2和24.76 t/hm~2,差异显著(P0.05)。有机碳和全氮密度在0—20 cm土层中占有很高比重,达37%—56%。土壤有机碳与全氮含量呈极显著的线性正相关(P0.0001)。土壤有机碳和全氮积累速率随林龄阶段存在差异,在生长旺盛期(中龄林-近熟林)的土壤有机碳(10.84 t hm~(-2)a~(-1))和全氮(0.78 t hm~(-)2a~(-1))的积累速率要大于成熟期(近熟林-成熟林)的土壤有机碳(1.92 t hm~(-2)a~(-1))和全氮(0.29 t hm~(-2)a~(-1))积累速率。     

How Physical Disturbance and Nitrogen Addition Affect the Soil Carbon Decomposition?

The decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a critical role in regulating atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and climate dynamics. However, the mechanisms and factors controlling SOC decomposition are still not fully understood. Here, we conducted a 60 days incubation experiment to test the effects of physical disturbance and nitrogen (N) addition on SOC decomposition. N addition increased the concentration of NO₃^- by 51% in the soil, but had little effect on the concentration of NH₄⁺. N addition inhibited SOC decomposition, but such an effect differed between disturbed and undisturbed soils. In disturbed and undisturbed soils, application of N decreased SOC decomposition by 37% and 15%, respectively. One possible explanation is that extra N input suppressed microbial N mining and/or increased the stability of soil organic matter by promoting the formation of soil aggregates and incorporating part of the inorganic N into organic matter, and consequently decreased microbial mineralization of soil organic matter. Physical disturbance intensified the inhibition of N on SOC decomposition, likely because physical disturbance allowed the added N to be better exposed to soil microbes and consequently increased the availability of added N. We conclude that physical disturbance and N play important roles in modulating the stability of SOC.     

Identification of General Patterns of Nutrient and Labile Carbon Control on Soil Carbon Dynamics Across a Successional Gradient

Carbon (C) inputs and nutrient availability are known to affect soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. However, general rules regarding the operation of these factors across a range of soil nutrient availabilities and substrate qualities are unidentified. “Priming” (stimulated decomposition by labile C inputs) and ‘preferential substrate utilization’ (retarded decomposition due to shifts in community composition towards microbes that do not mineralize SOC) are two hypotheses to explain effects of labile C additions on SOC dynamics. For effects of nutrient additions (nitrogen and phosphorus) on SOC dynamics, the stoichiometric (faster decomposition of materials of low carbon-to-nutrient ratios) and ‘microbial mining’ (that is, reduced breakdown of recalcitrant C forms for nutrients under fertile conditions) hypotheses have been proposed. Using the natural gradient of soil nutrient availability and substrate quality of a chronosequence, combined with labile C and nutrient amendments, we explored the support for these contrasting hypotheses. Additions of labile C, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and combinations of C and N and C and P were applied to three sites: 2-year fallow grassland, mature grassland and forest, and the effects of site and nutrient additions on litter decomposition and soil C dynamics were assessed. The response to C addition supported the preferential substrate hypothesis for easily degradable litter C and the priming hypothesis for SOC, but only in nitrogen-enriched soils of the forest site. Responses to N addition supported the microbial mining hypothesis irrespective of C substrate (litter or SOC), but only in the forest site. Further, P addition effects on SOC support the stoichiometric hypothesis; P availability appeared key to soil C release (priming) in the forest site if labile C and N is available. These results clearly link previously contrasting hypotheses of the factors controlling SOC with the natural gradient in litter quality and nutrient availability that exists in ecosystems at different successional stages. A holistic theory that incorporates this variability of responses, due to different mechanisms, depending on nutrient availability and substrate quality is essential for devising management strategies to safeguard soil C stocks.