Nitrogen budget and gaseous nitrogen loss in a tropical agricultural watershed

Although agricultural systems in tropical monsoon Asia play a central role in the global nitrogen (N) cycle, details of the N cycle in this region on a watershed scale remain unclear. This study quantified the N budget in a tropical watershed of 221 km² on Java Island, where paddy fields cover 28% of the land, by conducting field surveys. The amount of net biochemical gaseous N loss to the atmosphere (X _GB ), which is generally difficult to determine, was calculated as the residual of the N balance. Assuming that NH₃ volatilization balances deposition, and hence subtracting NH₄–N from the N import with atmospheric deposition, the average total import and export of N per year was found to be 46.5 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ over the watershed. Of this, 71% was imported as fertilizer (M _F ) and 29% with atmospheric deposition (M _AD ). On the export side, 42% was lost as X _GB , 37% with incineration of rice residues and wood fuel (X _GI ), 13% with river discharge (X _D ) and 9% with rice surplus export (X _R ). A large portion of X _GB , and consequently, a small portion of X _D could be explained by the high rate of denitrification resulting from the high temperature and humid climate, and are thought to be common features of tropical watersheds where paddy fields are found.     

Nitrogen sources and exports in an agricultural watershed in Southeast China

The nitrogen (N) budget was developed for Jiulong River Watershed (JRW), an agricultural watershed in a warm and humid area of southeast China. Water quality monitoring, field surveys, modelling and GIS techniques were applied to estimate N flux of atmospheric deposition, mineralization, runoff, denitrification, and ammonia volatilization. Over the whole watershed, fertilizers, import of animal feeds, biotic fixation, mineralization and atmospheric deposition contributed 67.1%, 16.5%, 2.1%, 4.9% and 9.5%, respectively, of total N input (129.3 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). Runoff, sale of production, denitrification, and ammonia volatilization contributed 7.3%, 24.4%, 10.5% and 57.8% of total N output (72.9 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), respectively. The N budget for the JRW suggested that more than 50% of the N input was lost to the environment, and about 14% was discharged as riverine N, which indicated that agricultural and human activities in the watershed substantially impacted the estuary and coastal water quality, and so altered the N biogeochemistry process.     

Nitrogen export by surface runoff from a small agricultural watershed in southeast China: seasonal pattern and primary mechanism

The seasonal pattern and primary mechanism of nitrogen (N) export by surface runoff from the Wuchuan subwatershed (WCW), an agricultural upper watershed (1.88 km²) located in southeast China, were investigated based on extensive streamwater measurements in 2004–2005 under subtropical climatic conditions. The results disclosed a highly variable but strong linkage between hydrological and anthropogenic controls and N export. N export via surface runoff presented a significant seasonal pattern caused by changes in rainfall and watershed N input. Approximately 75% of the annual N export (67 kg ha⁻¹) was flushed by those storm runoff mainly occurred during the wet season (March through September). The WCW dataset of N concentrations and loads during both baseflow and stormflow implied an interactive effects of anthropogenetic N input and hydrology conditions: N export was flush-driven in late spring, summer and autumn (wet season), but highly related with soil N in winter and early spring. Compared to undisturbed watersheds under similar rainfall conditions, WCW exported a considerable amount of N due to intensive fertilizer application (a mean of 690 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, commonly as surface applications). This work provides a first characterization of a small agricultural Chinese catchment under subtropical climates and its associated N export behavior.     

Upscaling nitrogen removal processes in fluvial wetlands and irrigation canals in a patchy agricultural watershed

Wetlands Ecology and Management - The evaluation of nitrogen (N) removal in aquatic ecosystems within human exploited watersheds may allow the setting of upper limits of N use in agriculture....     

太湖地区稻田氮肥吸收及其利用的研究

The effects of different amounts and kinds of nitrogen fertilizer on rice yield and its nitrogen uptake and utiliza-tion were studied on a main paddy soil (Wushan soil) of Taihu area. The results indicated that the optimal amount of nitrogen fertilizer was about 180 kg N· hm^-2 for rice production. Applying ammonium sulfate was better than applying urea for increasing rice yield. The efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer in this experiment was about 41.8-48.5%, and its loss was 22.8-38.1% .     

青冈常绿阔叶林氮的生物循环

对分布于浙江建德的青冈常绿阔叶林N的生物循环进行了研究.群落各代表种类的N浓度在0.49%～1.64%之间,其中下木层、草本层和藤本植物中N的浓度远大于乔木层和亚乔木层的种类;乔木层和亚乔木层4种器官中N的浓度基本为叶＞枝＞根＞干,其他层次的种类则为地上部分＞地下部分.乔木层青冈不同器官中N浓度的高低顺序为花序＞嫩叶＞老叶＞嫩枝＞老枝＞细根＞树干、粗根.各器官中N浓度的季节变化不是很大,其根、枝和叶中的N浓度均在秋季(10月份)最高;下木层青冈各部位N浓度在1月份最高.不同径级青冈中N浓度变化无明显规律.N元素在不同类型凋落物中的浓度范围为0.74%～2.30%,降水和穿透水中的N浓度分别为0.000038%和0.00009%,N在死地被层中的浓度为1.94%,土壤中N的浓度为0.59%.N在植物群落中现存量为1025.28 kg/hm2,死地被层中积累量为224.88 kg/hm2,土壤(A0～B层)中储存量为55151kg/hm2.群落中N的存留量为119.47 kg/(hm2·a);归还量为84.13 kg/(hm2·a),其中通过凋落物的为78.49kg/(hm2·a),通过穿透水的为5.64 kg/(hm2·a);吸收量为203.60 kg/(hm2·a).降水输入了4.88 kg/(hm2·a)的N.     

稻田生态系统氮素吸收功能及其经济价值

稻田生态系统中水稻植株吸收土壤中氮素并转化为秸秆中的氮素以及籽粒中的蛋白质和氨基酸的过程是稻田氮素转化的主要过程。在2003年上海市郊五四农场田间试验数据的基础上,研究了稻田生态系统氮素吸收功能及其形成过程,然后运用替代价格法估算了稻田氮素吸收经济价值,同时还对不同地区、施氮水平和作物的氮素吸收物理量和价值量进行了对比。结果表明,稻田植株地上部分氮素累积吸收量在拔节期至抽穗期之间增长最快,抽穗期至成熟期增加减缓,而在收获前有所下降。稻田植株氮素吸收经济价值随生育期不断提高,到成熟期显著增加。施加氮肥对水稻氮素吸收物理量及其价值量都具有促进作用。就不同作物而言,水稻氮素吸收转化量及其经济价值高于小麦和油菜。几乎所有作物籽粒氮素吸收量及其经济价值都高于秸秆。     

Nutrient budgets and biogeochemistry in an experimental agricultural watershed in Southeastern China

During a two-year field study, an annual nutrient budget and cycles were developed for a small agricultural watershed. The study emphasized the integrated unit of the watershed in understanding the biogeochemistry. It was found that the total nutrient input was 39.1× 10⁴ kg nitrogen and 3.91×10⁴ kg phosphorus in the year 1995, of which the greatest input of nutrients to the watershed was chemical fertilizer application, reaching 34.7×10⁴ kg (676 kg/ha) nitrogen and 3.88×10⁴ kg (76 kg/ha) phosphorus. The total nutrient output from the watershed was 13.55×10⁴ kg nitrogen and 0.40×10⁴ kg phosphorus, while the largest output of nitrogen was denitrification, accounting for 44.1% of N output; the largest output of phosphorus was sale of crops, accounting for 99.4% of P output. The results show that the nutrient input is larger than output, demonstrating that there is nutrient surplus within the watershed, a surplus which may become a potential source of nonpoint pollution to area waters. The research showed that both denitrification and volatilization of nitrogen are key ways of nitrogen loss from the watershed. This suggests that careful management of fertilizer application will be important for the sustainable development of agriculture.The research demonstrated that a multipond system within the watershed had high retention rate for both water and nutrients, benefiting the water, nutrient and sediment recycling in the terrestrial ecosystem and helping to reduce agricultural nonpoint pollution at its source. Therefore, this unique watershed system should be recommended due to its great potential relevance for sustainable agricultural development.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus budgets for a tropical watershed impacted by agricultural land use: Guayas, Ecuador

Large-scale changes in land use are occurring in many tropical regions, with significant impacts on nitrogen and phosphorus biogeochemistry. In this study we examine the relationships between land use, anthropogenic nutrient inputs, and riverine nutrient exports in a major agricultural watershed of the Pacific coast of South America, the Guayas River basin of Ecuador. We present comprehensive nutrient budgets for nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) for the Guayas River basin and 10 sub-watersheds. We quantify the four major anthropogenic nutrient fluxes into and out of the region: N and P fertilizer application, N fixation by leguminous crops, net import/export of N and P in agricultural products (food and feed), and atmospheric deposition. We also estimate inputs of N from biological N fixation in forests and of P from weathering sources in soils and bedrock. The sum of these sources represents net inputs of N and P to each watershed region. Overall, synthetic fertilizers are the largest input to the Guayas Basin for N (53%) and P (57%), and the largest outputs are N and P in crops. Losses of N and P in river export account for 14–38% of total N and P inputs, and there is significant accumulation of N and P, or unmeasured forms of N and P export, in most of the sub-basins. Nutrient balances are indicative of the sustainability of land use practices in a region, where a negative balance of N or P indicates nutrient depletion and subsequent loss of soil fertility, yield, and economic viability. Although the nutrient balance of the entire Guayas Basin is positive, there are negative or near zero balances in two sub-watersheds with extensive banana, coffee and permanent crops. In these basins, degradation of soil quality may be occurring due to these net nutrient losses. Our data show that nutrients are leaving the basin primarily as export crops, with riverine losses of nutrients smaller than crop exports. Nonetheless, there is a direct relationship between nutrient inputs and river outputs, suggesting that agricultural management practices in the basin may have direct impacts on N and P delivery to the highly productive Guayas estuary.     

减氮配施稻秆生物炭对稻田土壤养分及植株氮素吸收的影响

通过2018年早稻和晚稻田间试验,研究化学氮肥减量及配施稻秆生物炭对稻田土壤养分特性及植株氮素吸收的影响。试验包括6个处理:不施氮(CK)、常规施氮(N₁₀₀)、减氮20%(N₈₀)、减氮20%配施生物炭(N₈₀+BC)、减氮40%(N₆₀)、减氮40%配施生物炭(N₆₀+BC)。结果表明: 与常规施氮相比,单纯减氮20%和40%或配施生物炭对早晚稻不同生育期土壤pH、有机质、全氮、铵态氮、全磷、有效磷、全钾、速效钾无显著影响;减氮20%配施生物炭显著增加晚稻分蘖期的土壤阳离子交换量(CEC),而减氮40%配施生物炭则显著增加晚稻抽穗期的电导率(EC)值。与单纯减氮相比,N₈₀+BC的土壤速效钾含量在早晚稻抽穗期均显著升高,土壤pH值、全氮在晚稻成熟期显著增加;N₆₀+BC的土壤全钾含量在早稻成熟期显著升高。不同处理早稻土壤硝态氮含量随生育进程逐渐降低,与分蘖期相比,抽穗期和成熟期的常规施氮土壤硝态氮含量分别降低50.0%和71.6%,而配施生物炭处理则降低6.3%～45.5%,减氮配施生物炭显著降低了硝态氮的流失。在晚稻抽穗期,减氮配施生物炭植株吸氮量显著高于常规施氮和单纯减氮,增加幅度为34.8%～52.4%。综上,适度的减氮或配施稻秆生物炭能有效保持土壤养分,促进水稻对氮素的吸收,提高氮素利用率。     

Sulfur and molybdenum fractionation in marine and riverine alluvium paddy soils

Intermittently submergence and drainage status of paddy fields can cause alterations in morphological and chemical characteristics of soils. We conducted a sequential fractionation study to provide an insight into solubility of Sulfur (S) and Molybdenum (Mo) in flooded alluvial paddy soils. The samples (0–15 and 15–30 cm) were taken from marine and riverine alluvial soils in Kedah and Kelantan areas, respectively, and were sequentially extracted with NaHCO₃, NaOH, HCl, and HClO₄–HNO₃. Total S in upper and lower layers of Kedah and Kelantan ranged between 273 and 1121 mg kg^?1, and 177 to 1509 mg kg^?1, respectively. In upper layers and subsoil of Kedah, average total Mo were 0.34 and 0.27 mg kg^?1, respectively. Average total Mo in Kelantan were 0.25 mg kg^?1 (surface layer) and 0.28 mg kg^?1 (subsoil). Cation exchange capacity (CEC) was positively correlated with plant available amounts of Mo in upper layers of Kedah area. Also, total and medium-term plant-available S was correlated with total carbon (C) at lower layers of Kelantan soil series. But in surface layers of Kelantan soil series, CEC was strongly correlated with total and medium-term plant-available S. Our results indicates that the influence of flooding conditions on soil S and Mo contents in paddy fields may cause long-term changes in S and Mo chemical reactivities.     

Nitrogen solutes in an Adirondack forested watershed: Importance of dissolved organic nitrogen

Nitrogen (N) dynamics were evaluated from 1 June 1995 through 31 May 1996 within the Arbutus Lake watershed in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, USA. At the Arbutus Lake outlet dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), NO₃ ^- and NH₄ ⁺ contributed 61%, 33%, and 6% respectively, to the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) flux (259 mol ha^-1 yr^-1). At the lake inlet DON, NO₃ ^-, and NH₄ ^- constituted 36%, 61%, and 3% respectively, of TDN flux (349 mol ha^-1 yr^-1). Differences between the factors that control DON, NO₃ ⁺, and NH₄ ⁺ stream water concentrations were evaluated using two methods for estimating annual N flux at the lake inlet. Using biweekly sampling NO₃ ^- and NH₄ ⁺ flux was 10 and 4 mol ha^-1 yr^-1 respectively, less than flux estimates using biweekly plus storm and snowmelt sampling. DON flux was 18 mol ha^-1 yr^-1 greater using only biweekly sampling. These differences are probably not of ecological significance relative to the total flux of N from the watershed (349 mol ha^-1 yr^-1). Dissolved organic N concentrations were positively related to discharge during both the dormant (R² = 0.31; P < 0.01) and growing season (R² = 0.09; P < 0.01). There was no significant relationship between NO₃ ^- concentration and discharge during the dormant season, but a significant negative relationship was found during the growing season (R² = 0.29; P < 0.01). Biotic controls in the growing season appeared to have had a larger impact on stream water NO₃ ^- concentrations than on DON concentrations. Arbutus Lake had a major impact on stream water N concentrations of the four landscape positions sampled, suggesting the need to quantify within lake processes to interpret N solute losses and patterns in watershed-lake systems.     

三峡库区典型小流域农业非点源氮磷流失特征

基于2007-2009年的野外观测数据对戴家沟小流域降雨径流与农业非点源氮磷流失的时间序列变化关系及其特征进行研究.结果表明:2007-2009年,戴家沟小流域降雨量和径流量峰值变化一致,二者相关系数为0.904.总氮和总磷浓度变化趋势吻合,但总氮对降雨径流变化响应的灵敏度高于总磷;氮流失浓度受降雨径流变化影响显著,而磷流失则表现出逐年递增的趋势;氮磷比的变化特征与总氮浓度的变化特征一致,且与径流波动有良好的耦合关系.2007-2009年,戴家沟小流域降雨径流量累积百分比峰值出现时刻与总氮、总磷流失量累积百分比峰值出现时刻不吻合,表明流域农业非点源污染具有较大的随机性和分散性,二者没有严格的对应关系.     

Effects of agricultural practices and fine-scale landscape factors on spiders and a pest insect in Japanese rice paddy ecosystems

We examined the effects of environmentally friendly (EF) farming and landscape factors on the abundances of major spider guilds and a rice pest, the small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén), in a Japanese rice paddy ecosystem. The abundances of all spider guilds increased by EF farming, whereas different spider guilds showed contrasting responses to the size of the forest within 200 m of the fields. The abundances of ground spiders and horizontal web weavers increased with increasing forest area, unlike small ground spiders, whose abundance decreased. The abundances of SBPH nymphs and adults decreased by EF farming but responded differently to landscape: nymphs decreased with increasing forest area, but adults did not. Further analysis indicated a potential negative relationship between web-weaving spiders and SBPH nymphs. Our findings suggest that the size of the forest adjacent to fields is an important determinant of spider guild composition and pest abundance.     

Transformation of soil and fertilizer nitrogen in paddy soil and their availability to rice plants

Summary A pot experiment in the field showed that addition of ammonium sulfate increased the uptake of soil nitrogen. A-value was found to be independent of the rate of nitrogen application. The rice plant took up about 13 percent of the nitrogen in rice straw which was incorporated into the soil when nitrogen fertilizer was not added, and about 15 percent when 50 ppm N was added. Addition of different levels of fertilizer did not affect the release of immobilized fertilizer nitrogen. Recovery of fertilizer by the rice plant was low when nitrogen was added as basal (broadcast). Recovery was improved by incorporating fertilizer nitrogen before transplanting. Recovery of fertilizer nitrogen when topdressed at reproductive stages was much higher than when applied as basal. A fairly large portion of fertilizer nitrogen was immobilized into the soil. Availability of immobilized nitrogen in the soil appeared low. re]19751117     

Accumulation of nitrogen and microbial residues during 2000 years of rice paddy and non‐paddy soil development in the Yangtze River Delta,China

Lowland rice paddy soils may accumulate significant amounts of organic matter. Our aim was to investigate the role of prolonged paddy management on the nitrogen (N) status of the soils, and to elucidate the contribution of bacteria and fungi to long‐term N accumulation processes. For this purpose, we sampled a chronosequence of 0–2000 years of rice cropping with adjacent non‐paddy systems in the Bay of Hangzhou, China. The samples were analyzed for bulk density, total, mineral and microbial N (N_mic), and amino sugars as markers for microbial residues. The results showed that during the first 100 years of land embankment, both paddy and non‐paddy soils accumulated N at a rate of up to 61 and 77 kg ha^?1 per annum, reaching steady‐state conditions after 110–172 years, respectively. Final N stocks in paddy fields exceeded those of the non‐paddies by a factor of 1.3. The contribution of amino sugars to total N increased to a maximum of 34 g N kg^?1 N in both land‐use systems, highlighting a significant accumulation of N in microbial residues of the surface soils. Correspondingly, the ratio of N_mic to microbial residue‐N decreased to a constant value. In the paddy subsoils, we found that bacterial residues particularly contributed to the pool of microbial residue‐N. Nevertheless, the absolute contents of amino sugars in paddy subsoils decreased during the last 1700 years of the chronosequence. We conclude that under paddy cultivation, soil microorganisms may accumulate parts of this N in their residues despite low overall N availability. However, this N accumulation is limited to initial stages of paddy soil development and restricted to the surface horizons, thus challenging its sustainability with future land‐use changes.     

The nitrogen cascade from agricultural soils to the sea: modelling nitrogen transfers at regional watershed and global scales

The nitrogen cycle of pre-industrial ecosystems has long been remarkably closed, in spite of the high mobility of this element in the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Inter-regional and international commercial exchanges of agricultural goods, which considerably increased after the generalization of the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, introduced an additional type of nitrogen mobility, which nowadays rivals the atmospheric and hydrological fluxes in intensity, and causes their enhancement at the local, regional and global scales. Eighty-five per cent of the net anthropogenic input of reactive nitrogen occurs on only 43 per cent of the land area. Modern agriculture based on the use of synthetic fertilizers and the decoupling of crop and animal production is responsible for the largest part of anthropogenic losses of reactive nitrogen to the environment. In terms of levers for better managing the nitrogen cascade, beyond technical improvement of agricultural practices tending to increase nitrogen use efficiency, or environmental engineering management measures to increase nitrogen sinks in the landscape, the need to better localize crop production and livestock breeding, on the one hand, and agriculture and food demand on the other hand, is put forward as a condition to being able to supply food to human populations while preserving environmental resources.