Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization in two soils amended with distillery yeast

The concentrations and the seasonal changes of heavy metals and organic carbon in the sediments underlying a Zostera marina L. bed were measured monthly during one year, in two Mediterranean lagoons: Thau (France) and Venice (Italy). While at Thau sediments showed Cu (18.7+/-3.9 microg g-1) and Pb (13.8+/-3.8 microg g-1) average concentrations twofold higher than at Venice (Cu: 8.4+/-4.8 microg g-1; Pb: 6.1+/-0.70 microg g-1), the Italian site exhibited average concentrations of Fe (13383+/-955 microg g-1 versus 6098+/-1089 microg g-1 at Thau), Mn (339+/-12 microg g-1 versus 190+/-23 microg g-1 at Thau), Zn (61.6+/-12.7 microgg -1 versus 36.1+/-7.4 microg g-1 at Thau), Cr (47.3+/-7.3 microg g-1 versus 21.8+/-8.0 microg g-1 at Thau) and Ni (12.7+/-1.7 microg g-1 versus 8.9+/-3.1 microg g-1 at Thau) approximately 1.5-2 times as high as the French site. The organic carbon concentration was systematically higher at Thau (1.0+/-0.3) than at Venice (0.7+/-0.2). A significant seasonal fluctuation was found for Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr in both lagoons while no significant variations were recorded for Pb at Venice and for Cd at Thau. Some of those changes appeared to be significantly correlated with the biomass of Zostera at Thau and the concentration of organic carbon at Venice.     

棉花秸秆还田对土壤团聚体有机碳及氮磷钾含量的影响

试验设置棉花秸秆还田和不还田两个处理,还田年限为3年.于第3年11月采集0～5、5～10、10～20和20～30 cm的原状土,采用干筛法将土壤团粒结构分级,研究棉花秸秆还田对土壤团聚体组成和不同粒径土壤团聚体中有机碳和速效氮、磷、钾含量的影响.结果表明: 在0～5 cm土层,棉花秸秆还田显著提高了>5和5～2 mm团聚体含量,显著降低了<0.25 mm微团聚体含量;团聚体有机碳、碱解氮和速效钾含量显著提高,平均提高幅度分别为19.2%、14.2%和17.3%.在5～10 cm土层中,棉花秸秆还田显著提高了>5和5～2 mm团聚体含量,显著降低了<0.25 mm微团聚体含量;团聚体有机碳、碱解氮和速效钾显著提高,平均提高幅度分别为19.6%、12.6%和23.4%.在10～20 cm土层中,棉花秸秆还田显著降低了<0.25 mm微团聚体含量;团聚体有机碳、碱解氮和速效钾含量显著提高,平均提高幅度分别为8.4%、10.9%和11.5%.在20～30 cm土层中,棉花秸秆还田仅显著提高了团聚体速效钾含量,比对照提高了12.0%.棉花秸秆还田显著提高了0～5、5～10 cm土层>5和2～5 mm团聚体各养分贡献率及0.25～0.5 mm团聚体有机碳、碱解氮贡献率,显著降低了<0.25 mm微团聚体各养分贡献率.棉花秸秆还田能增加大团聚体百分含量,降低微团聚体百分含量;显著提高各粒径土壤团聚体中有机碳、碱解氮和速效钾的含量,对速效磷含量无显著影响;提高了大团聚体对土壤养分的贡献率,有利于土壤结构及其养分状况的改善和棉花籽棉、皮棉产量的提高.     

Distribution of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in water-stable aggregates of an organic waste amended Ultisol in southern Nigeria

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of different organic and inorganic amendments on nutrient (C, N and P) distribution in water-stable aggregates (WSA) of a degraded tropical Ultisol at Nsukka in southern Nigeria. The treatments were control (C), inorganic fertilizer (F) (N-P-K, 12-12-17), rice-mill wastes (RW), RW + F, poultry manure (PM) and RW + PM. These were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. At 0, 3, 6 and 12 months after application of the amendments, topsoil (0-20 cm) samples were collected from all the treatments, dried and separated into 4.75-2.0, 2.0-1.0, 1.0-0.5, 0.50-0.25 and <0.25 mm aggregates classes by wet sieving. The mesoaggregates fraction (1.0-0.50 mm) made up the highest percentage of the whole soil irrespective of the treatments. From the sixth month, the treatments generally reduced the proportion of these mesoaggregates as well as those of the microaggregates (<0.25 mm diameter) while increasing those of the other sizes. The largest (>2.0 mm) and the smallest (<0.25 mm) aggregates were preferentially enriched in C and N relative to the 2.0-0.25 mm aggregates in all the treatments, whereas P distribution within the aggregates was random. There was a low, but significant correlation between organic carbon and mean-weight diameter (MWD) of the aggregates. The correlation between C and N within the aggregates was also positive (r = 0.917) and highly significant (P < 0.01). The implication of these results for management of these soils is discussed.     

Carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus net mineralization in organic horizons of temperate forests: stoichiometry and relations to organic matter quality

The rates of mineralization processes influence C sequestration and soil fertility, but despite their importance for ecosystem functioning, C, N and P net mineralization rates are seldom investigated together. Hence, we studied the relationships between net mineralization rates and organic matter stoichiometry in an 8-week incubation experiment with Oi, Oe and Oa horizon material of six beech, one spruce and one pine site. We determined C, N and P net mineralization rates, organic C quality and C:N:P stoichiometry. Net N mineralization only occurred below molar organic matter C:N ratios of 40 (Oi) or 28 (Oa) and N:P ratios of 42 (Oi) or 60 (Oa), and increased with decreasing C:N and N:P ratios. Net P mineralization only occurred below C:P ratios of 1400 (Oi) and N:P ratios of 40 (Oi), and increased with decreasing C:P and N:P ratios. Net N and P mineralization were strongly positively correlated with each other (r = 0.64, p < 0.001), whereas correlations of both net N and net P mineralization with C mineralization were weak. The average C:N:P stoichiometry of net mineralization was 620:4:1 (beech, Oi), 15,350:5:1 (coniferous, Oi), 1520:8:1 (Oe) and 2160:36:1 (Oa). On average, ratios of C:N net mineralization were higher, and ratios of N:P net mineralization lower than organic matter C:N and N:P ratios. This difference contributed to the decrease of C:N ratios and increase of N:P ratios from the Oi to the Oa horizons. In conclusion, the study shows that C, N and P net mineralization rates were closely correlated with the organic matter stoichiometry and that these correlations were modified by the degree of decomposition of the organic matter.     

茯苓碳氮磷化学计量学特征

为探明茯苓的碳、氮、磷生态化学计量学特征,采集了云南省11个州、市42个居群的茯苓样本,分析了其菌核与表皮中碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)的化学计量特征.结果 表明:茯苓菌核中C、N、P的含量分别为40.24％-43.58％、0.176％-0.532％和0.020％-0.077％;C∶N、C∶P和N∶P的范围分别为93....     

Nitrification and organic nitrogen formation in soils

Summary The formation of mineral nitrogen species and of organic nitrogen was studied in three different types of soils in relation to the application of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin. The results indicate that nitrification brings about a deficit in total mineral nitrogen and a concomitant surplus in non biomass organic nitrogen. This phenomenon increases with increasing levels of applied ammonium nitrogen and soil organic matter. The phenomenon is considered to be due to the reaction of the transient nitrite formed with soil phenolic compounds and appears to be of significance in all soils in which nitrification occurs, even neutral to alkaline and low carbon soils.     

Sources of organic nitrogen,phosphorus and carbon in antarctic streams

Dissolved and particulate organic materials were analysed in 14 streamwaters of the McMurdo Sound region of Antarctica. These streams are fed by glacial meltwaters and pass through catchments largely devoid of terrestrial vegetation. Nonetheless they contained measurable amounts of organic material in both dissolved and particulate form. Most of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) values lay in the range 1–3 g C m^–3. Higher values were recorded close to penguin rookeries on the coast. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations were generally two orders of magnitude less than DOC and in flowing waters with rich blue-green algal growth DON increased with distance downstream. Dissolved organic phosphorus levels were generally much lower than DON, but highly variable. Particulate organic carbon concentrations (both fine and coarse) were unexpectedly high. Five sources of organic matter were identified: birdlife (only near the coast), autochthonous algal production (especially important for DON), streambed soils (important at first flows), lacustrine and marine sediments, through which certain streams and glaciers cut, and the glacial ice, which received organic input from wind-blown particulates, snowfall and the underlying bedrock of sedimentary origin. Highest organic levels were recorded in the first melt down the glacier face, suggesting that winter deposition of organic materials may be especially important.     

Changes of soil organic carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations under different land uses in marshes of Sanjiang Plain

Wetlands provide a large pool of organic matter and nutrients, and are important for maintaining material cycle balances in terrestrial ecosystems, and also help retard climate change. Land use changes in wetlands have greatly disturbed the natural evolution of wetland ecosystems. Wetland drainage and reclamation alters the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the wetland, thus significantly disturbing the material cycles, leading to significant changes in the biogeochemical processes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the wetland. The wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain are the largest area of fresh wetlands in China. However, the area has experienced major land uses changes since the 1950s; areas of the wetland have been drained and converted to arable land. Some studies have been conducted into the effects of land use change on material cycles in the Sanjiang Plain wetlands but few reports have discussed the C/N and C/P ratios and pH values as indicators of wetland degradation due to land use changes. We selected eight land uses: humus marsh (HM), marshy meadow (MM), drained humus marsh (DHM), drained marshy meadow (DMM), tillage land (TL), abandoned land (AL), natural secondary forest (NSF) and artificial forest (AF), in the Honghe area of the Sanjiang Plain. We studied changes in the total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), C/N and C/P ratios and pH values in topsoil (0–20 cm) of these eight different land uses. The possible mechanisms underlying the changes, and the significance of the C/N and C/P ratios as indicators of soil quality were also discussed. In the natural wetland, the TOC, TN and TP concentrations in the soil were high, with values of 203.5 g/kg, 20.2 g/kg and 1.44 g/kg, respectively, in HM; and 59.2 g/kg, 5.28 g/kg and 0.83 g/kg, respectively, in MM. Drainage of the HM has led to decreases in the TOC, TN and TP concentrations of about 50%. Significant decreases were also observed in TOC, TN and TP for NSF and AF compared to HM. Drained MM led to decreases in the TOC and TN of about 45%, but had little effect on TP. Marshy meadow that had been drained for more than 10 years experienced an exponential decline in TOC, TN and TP, with decreases of more than 60% for TOC and TN, and 20% for TP. However, after being abandoned for a short time (5 years), the TOC, TN and TP concentrations in soil experienced little change because poor water conditions combined with low productivity led to a large loss of soil organic matter. Land use change in the marsh areas has led to a decrease in C/N and C/P ratios of the soil, which are positively related to TOC and TN with different land uses (P < 0.05). Marsh reclamation has led to decreasing C/N and C/P ratios in soil and increasing pH values, which are negatively related to TOC, TN and TP (P < 0.05). Changes in carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in soil with different land uses were mainly regulated by water-heat conditions and microbial activity, while the C/N and C/P ratios were mainly regulated by substrate availability. Our results suggest that C/N and C/P ratios and the pH value could be used as indicators to evaluate the quality and nutrient status of wetland soil under different land uses.     

Carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus removal mechanisms of aerobic granules

Aerobic granules are the potential tools to develop modern wastewater treatment technologies with improved nutrient removal efficiency. These granules have several promising advantages over conventional activated sludge-based wastewater treatment processes. This technology has the potential of reducing the infrastructure and operation costs of wastewater treatment by 25%, energy requirement by 30%, and space requirement by 75%. The nutrient removal mechanisms of aerobic granules are slightly different from that of the activated sludge. For instance, unlike activated sludge process, according to some reports, as high as 70% of the total phosphorus removed by aerobic granules were attributed to precipitation within the granules. Similarly, aerobic granule-based technology reduces the total amount of sludge produced during wastewater treatment. However, the reason behind this observation is unknown and it needs further explanations based on carbon and nitrogen removal mechanisms. Thus, as a part of the present review, a set of new hypotheses have been proposed to explain the peculiar nutrient removal mechanisms of the aerobic granules.     

Variation in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of wetland plants

The use of nutrient concentrations in plant biomass as easily measured indicators of nutrient availability and limitation has been the subject of a controversial debate. In particular, it has been questioned whether nutrient concentrations are mainly species' traits or mainly determined by nutrient availability, and whether plant species have similar or different relative nutrient requirements. This review examines how nitrogen and phosphorus concentration and the N:P ratio in wetland plants vary among species and sites, and how they are related to nutrient availability and limitation. We analyse data from field studies in European non-forested wetlands, from fertilisation experiments in these communities and from growth experiments with wetland plants. Overall, the P concentration was more variable than the N concentration, while variation in N:P ratios was intermediate. Field data showed that the N concentration varies more among species than among sites, whereas the N:P ratio varies more among sites than among species, and the P concentration varies similarly among both. Similar patterns of variation were found in fertilisation experiments and in growth experiments under controlled nutrient supply. Nutrient concentrations and N:P ratios in the vegetation were poorly correlated with various measures of nutrient availability in soil, but they clearly responded to fertilisation in the field and to nutrient supply in growth experiments. In these experiments, biomass N:P ratios ranged from 3 to 40 and primarily reflected the relative availabilities of N and P, although N:P ratios of plants grown at the same nutrient supply could vary three-fold among species. The effects of fertilisation with N or P on the biomass production of wetland vegetation were well related to the N:P ratios of the vegetation in unfertilised plots, but not to N or P concentrations, which supports the idea that N:P ratios, rather than N or P concentrations, indicate the type of nutrient limitation. However, other limiting or stressing factors may influence N:P ratios, and the responses of individual plant species to fertilisation cannot be predicted from their N:P ratios. Therefore, N:P ratios should only be used to assess which nutrient limits the biomass production at the vegetation level and only when factors other than N or P are unlikely to be limiting.     

贺兰山不同海拔土壤团聚体碳氮磷含量及其化学计量特征变化

探究干旱半干旱区山地森林生态系统不同海拔土壤养分在团聚体中的分布规律,可为理解脆弱山地生态系统养分循环提供理论依据.本研究以贺兰山不同海拔(1380 ～2438 m)土壤为对象,分析0～20 cm土层团聚体分布及其稳定性、不同粒级团聚体有机碳、全氮、全磷储量及其化学计量特征.结果 表明:随海拔升高贺兰山主要土壤团聚体由...     

Carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry of Myrica nana in Yunnan,China

Aims Carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) play important roles in plant growth and physiological functions. We aimed at exploring the intrinsic relationships of C, N and P in Myrica nana—a common shrub in Yunnan Province—as well as their relationships with pant biomass and soil nutrients.
Methods We measured the concentration of C, N and P of M. nana from 29 sites for their magnitudes and correlations with soil nutrients.
Important findings 1) The arithmetic mean value of C, N and P concentration in the roots, stems and leaves of M. nana was 45.94%, 0.54%, 0.03%, and 46.32%, 0.58%, 0.03%, and 49.05%, 1.70%, 0.06%, respectively. C, N and P concentrations in the leaves were significantly higher than those in the roots and the stems. The C:N:P in roots, stems and leaves was 1531:18:1, 1544:19:1, and 818:10:1, respectively. 2) The C concentration and N:P in leaves of M. nana decreased with the increase of biomass of M. nana; the leaf C concentration was significantly correlated with biomass (p < 0.01), while the correlation between N:P and biomass was not significant (p > 0.05). The leaf N increased with the increase of plant biomass, the P was significantly correlated with biomass (p < 0.05), but the correlation between N concentration and biomass was not significant (p > 0.05). N:P in leaves was 34.2, suggesting that plant growth was limited by P. 3) C, N and P concentration in the roots were significantly correlated with soil P (p < 0.05), with N, P concentrations correlated with soil P positively (p < 0.01) and C negatively (p < 0.05). C concentration in the stems was significantly and negatively correlated with soil C, N, with significant correlation with C, N, and P concentration (p < 0.01). P concentration in the stems was significantly and positively correlated with soil P concentration (p < 0.01), while leaf P significantly and positively correlated with soil C, N and P (p < 0.01); leaf C concentration was significantly and negatively correlated with soil P (p < 0.01).     

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus status in Daphnia at varying food conditions

The planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna was fed varying quantitiesor quality (C:N:P ratio) of phytoplankton in a flow-throughchemostat culture. Size-specific dry weight (DW) and egg productionvaried with a factor of >3, mainly governed by food quantity.A maximum was reached at 4 mg C/l. Mean C/DW was 43.96 ±4.43% and insignificant variations were recorded between thegroups of fed animals, but a decrease to 38.09 was found instarved animals. Mean N/DW was 8.18 ± 1.02% with smallvariation between the treatments, and again with the lowestvalue in starved individuals. The mean P/DW of 1.38 ±0.3% of DW, was largely unaffected by food quantity or the absoluteand relative supply of paniculate P in the food. The resultsindicate a rather constant element/DW ratio in Daphnia withinnormal ranges of food supply. This has strong implications forbiomass determinations, and is in particular important whenmodelling elemental turnover and release from Daphnia.     

长期秸秆还田对水稻土团聚体及氮磷钾分配的影响

为了探究秸秆还田配施化肥条件下水稻土团聚体组成及其稳定性,以及土壤团聚体氮、磷、钾养分特征,本研究进行了34年定位试验,设置无肥(CK)、化肥(NPK)、秸秆还田+化肥(NPKS)3个处理.采用湿筛法测定0～20、20～40 cm土层水稳性团聚体组成,量化分析氮、磷、钾养分分配特征、贡献率和活化度.结果 表明:水稻土水...     

长期施肥下农田土壤-有机质-微生物的碳氮磷化学计量学特征

探讨外源养分的输入对土壤系统内碳、氮、磷化学计量特征的影响,对于深刻认识农田土壤有机碳(C)和养分循环及其相互作用过程具有重要意义。以26年的农田长期定位施肥试验为平台,分析长期不同施肥条件下土壤、有机态及微生物生物量碳、氮、磷含量及其化学计量学特征,并根据内稳性模型y=c x~(1/H)计算其化学计量内稳性指数H。结果表明:与长期撂荒处理(CK_0)相比,种植作物条件下26年化肥配施有机肥处理(MNPK和1.5MNPK)显著降低微生物生物量氮含量,但显著提高了微生物生物量磷的含量。相对于撂荒处理,即使长期配施化肥磷处理(NP、PK、NPK),其土壤有机磷降低显著。对于C∶N比而言,化肥配施有机物料处理(秸秆或有机肥)的土壤C∶N比、有机质C∶N及微生物生物量C∶N比均显著低于化肥处理(N、NP、PK和NPK)。对于C∶P比而言,相对于撂荒处理,26年施用磷肥(化肥磷或有机磷)显著降低了土壤C∶P比和微生物生物量C∶P比,而CK和偏施化肥处理(N、NP和PK)显著降低了土壤有机质C∶P比。对于土壤N∶P比而言,撂荒处理土壤N∶P比显著高于其他处理,而撂荒处理土壤有机质N∶P比显著高于CK和化肥处理,表明不施肥或化肥条件下作物种植加剧了土壤有机质中氮素的消耗。微生物生物量C∶N、C∶P、N∶P比的内稳性指数H分别为0.24、0.75、0.64,不具有内稳性特征。微生物生物量C∶N、C∶P、N∶P比分别与土壤C∶N、C∶P、N∶P比呈显著正相关关系,但与土壤有机质碳氮磷化学计量比之间无显著相关性。表明土壤碳、氮、磷元素的改变会直接导致微生物生物量碳、氮、磷化学计量比的改变,但微生物生物量碳氮磷化学计量比对土壤有机质碳氮磷化学计量比无显著影响,土壤有机质的碳氮磷计量比可能更多是受到作物和施肥等养分管理措施的影响。     

黄帚橐吾不同密度斑块植物、土壤和微生物碳氮磷生态化学计量特征

植物-土壤作为构成生态系统养分循环的连续体,在某种程度上决定了草地生态系统的养分平衡和系统稳定性。碳(C)、氮(N)和磷(P)是生态系统中三种主要的营养元素,它们参与了生态系统的养分循环,在生态系统结构功能维持中起着基础性作用,且生态系统内部的C、N、P循环在植物、土壤和微生物之间相互转换。为了探究黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)在扩散过程中对草地生态系统养分循环的影响,以黄帚橐吾微斑块为研究对象,根据斑块密度界定6个密度梯度,分别为D0(0 株/m²)、D1(43 株/m²)、D2(99 株/m²)、D3(163 株/m²)、D4(332 株/m²)和D5(621 株/m²),分析了不同密度斑块的草地植物、土壤和土壤微生物生物量C、N、P含量及其生态化学计量的变化情况。结果表明,随着黄帚橐吾密度的增大,草地植物群落的C含量呈增加趋势,植物N含量略微上升后显著下降,且当黄帚橐吾密度 ≥ 160株/m²时,植物N含量显著降低,植物P含量呈先降低后升高的趋势,C∶N比呈逐渐上升趋势,C∶P比呈先上升后降低趋势,N∶P比呈先上升后降低趋势;土壤C、N、P含量均呈先增加后降低趋势,其中C含量在D2达到最大值,N含量为D1-D4高于D0和D5,但各斑块差异不显著,P含量为D3显著高于其余斑块,C∶N在D5达到最大值,C∶P在D2达到最大值,土壤N∶P呈略微降低后又有所增加,土壤养分主要受N限制;MBC随着黄帚橐吾密度的增加有降低趋势,而MBN和MBP变化均表现为”N”字型,MBN∶MBP呈先增加后降低趋势。通过相关性分析和RDA分析得到,黄帚橐吾密度与植物C、N、MBN以及MBP显著相关,植物C含量和土壤C含量与MBN呈显著正相关,土壤养分与微生物量的关系更为密切。     

松嫩平原草甸三种植物叶片N、P化学计量特征及其与土壤N、P浓度的关系

测定了松嫩平原草甸3种主要植物羊草(Leymus chinensis)、芦苇(Phragmites communis)和尖叶胡枝子(Lespedeza hedysaroides)叶片全氮、全磷浓度,并分析了它们与土壤全氮、全磷浓度的关系.结果表明:3种植物叶片全氮浓度种间差异显著(P＜0.05),而全磷浓度种间差异不显...     

盐渍化条件下土壤团聚体及其有机碳研究进展

土壤团聚体是土壤结构的基本单元,对改善土壤结构和增加土壤固碳具有重要作用.盐渍化导致的特殊土壤性质,如高盐分离子(主要为Na+)浓度、低有机质含量和较差的微生物条件等因素,对团聚体的形成和稳定产生障碍作用,因此探讨盐渍化土壤团聚体特征更具有重要性和特殊性.滨海湿地和内陆盐渍化沼泽湿地是盐渍化生态系统的重要组成部分.本文...     

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics during leaf decay in nutrient-enriched stream microecosystems

We investigated the effects of long-term enrichment with nitrate, phosphate, and nitrate+phosphate on the first 5 weeks of leaf detritus processing in laboratory stream microecosystems. Enrichment with nitrate+phosphate accelerated leaf weight loss and increased rates of respiration associated with the leaves. However, whole-system respiration was little changed from that observed in the control stream since respiration in the water was greatly reduced. Enrichment with phosphate alone had little effect except to lower respiration associated with leaf discs. Enrichment with nitrate alone also decreased leaf-disc respiration but resulted in a greatly increased rate of respiration in the water. Net leaching and fragmentation of carbon from the leaves was also increased by nitrate enrichment. Nitrogen and phosphorus levels in leaf material were little affected by enrichment with nitrate or phosphorus alone. Leaves in those streams and in the control stream released nitrogen and phosphorus to the water. In contrast, percent nitrogen and phosphorus increased greatly in the leaves in the stream enriched with both nitrate and phosphate. The leaves in this system immobilized both nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. We also studied the importance of nitrogen fixation as a vector for nitrogen incorporation associated with leaf decomposition in streams. Somewhat surprisingly, fixation by microbes associated with the leaves and by microbes suspended in the water occurred under all three experimental enrichment treatments as well as in the control, casting doubt on the effectiveness of nitrate in inhibiting nitrogenase synthesis in nature. However, N₂-fixation is only a minor source of nitrogen for leaves decaying under the conditions studied.