Decomposition of soil organic matter from boreal black spruce forest: environmental and chemical controls

Black spruce forests are a dominant covertype in the boreal forest region, and they inhabit landscapes that span a wide range of hydrologic and thermal conditions. These forests often have large stores of soil organic carbon. Recent increases in temperature at northern latitudes may be stimulating decomposition rates of this soil carbon. It is unclear, however, how changes in environmental conditions influence decomposition in these systems, and if substrate controls of decomposition vary with hydrologic and thermal regime. We addressed these issues by investigating the effects of temperature, moisture, and organic matter chemical characteristics on decomposition of fibric soil horizons from three black spruce forest sites. The sites varied in drainage and permafrost, and included a “Well Drained” site where permafrost was absent, and “Moderately well Drained” and “Poorly Drained” sites where permafrost was present at about 0.5 m depth. Samples collected from each site were incubated at five different moisture contents (2, 25, 50, 75, and 100% saturation) and two different temperatures (10°C and 20°C) in a full factorial design for two months. Organic matter chemistry was analyzed using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry prior to incubation, and after incubation on soils held at 20°C, 50% saturation. Mean cumulative mineralization, normalized to initial carbon content, ranged from 0.2% to 4.7%, and was dependent on temperature, moisture, and site. The effect of temperature on mineralization was significantly influenced by moisture content, as mineralization was greatest at 20°C and 50–75% saturation. While the relative effects of temperature and moisture were similar for all soils, mineralization rates were significantly greater for samples from the “Well Drained” site compared to the other sites. Variations in the relative abundances of polysaccharide-derivatives and compounds of undetermined source (such as toluene, phenol, 4-methyl phenol, and several unidentifiable compounds) could account for approximately 44% of the variation in mineralization across all sites under ideal temperature and moisture conditions. Based on our results, changes in temperature and moisture likely have similar, additive effects on in situ soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition across a wide range of black spruce forest systems, while variations in SOM chemistry can lead to significant differences in decomposition rates within and among forest sites.     

Long-term effects of elevated nitrogen on forest soil organic matter stability

Nitrogen addition may alter the decomposition rate for different organic-matter pools in contrasting ways. Using a paired-plot design, we sought to determine the effects of long-term elevated N on the stability of five organic-matter pools: organic horizons (Oe+a), whole mineral soil (WS), mineral soil fractions including the light fraction (LF), heavy fraction (HF), and a physically recombined fraction (RF). These substrates were incubated for 300 days, and respiration, mineralized N, and active microbial biomass were measured. Samples with elevated N gave 15% lower cumulative respiration for all five substrates. Over the 300-day incubation, the Oe+a gave twice the cumulative respiration (gCkg^–1 initial C) as the LF, which gave slightly higher respiration than the HF. Respiration was 35% higher for the WS than for the RF. Mineralized N was similar between N treatments and between the LF and HF. Net N mineralized by the LF over the course of the 300-day incubation decreased with higher C:N ratio, due presumably to N immobilization to meet metabolic demands. The pattern was opposite for HF, however, which could be explained by a release of N in excess of metabolic demands due to recalcitrance of the HF organic matter. Mineralized N increased with respiration for the HF but showed no pattern, or perhaps even decreased, for the LF. WS and RF showed decreasing active microbial biomass near the end of the incubation, which corresponded with decreasing respiration and increasing nitrate. Our results show that long-term elevated N stabilized organic matter in whole soil and soil fractions.     

Nitrogen acquisition from inorganic and organic sources by boreal forest plants in the field

A wide range of recent studies have indicated that organic nitrogen may be of great importance to plant nitrogen (N) nutrition. Most of these studies have, however, been conducted in laboratory settings, excluding important factors for actual plant uptake, such as competition, mycorrhizal associations and soil interactions. In order to accurately evaluate the importance of different N compounds to plant N nutrition, field studies are crucial. In this study, we investigated short- as well as long-term plant nitrogen uptake by Deschampsia flexuosa, Picea abies and Vaccinium myrtillus from ¹⁵NO₃^–, ¹⁵NH₄⁺ and (U-¹³C, ¹⁵N) arginine, glycine or peptides. Root N uptake was analysed after 6 h and 64 days following injections. Our results show that all three species, irrespective of their type of associated mycorrhiza (arbuscular, ecto- or ericoid, respectively) rapidly acquired similar amounts of N from the entire range of added N sources. After 64 days, P. abies and V. myrtillus had acquired similar amounts of N from all N sources, while for D. flexuosa, the uptake from all N sources except ammonium was significantly lower than that from nitrate. Furthermore, soil analyses indicate that glycine was rapidly decarboxylated after injections, while other organic compounds exhibited slower turnover. In all, these results suggest that a wide range of N compounds may be of importance for the N nutrition of these boreal forest plants, and that the type of mycorrhiza may be of great importance for N scavenging, but less important to the N uptake capacity of plants.     

寒温针叶林土壤呼吸作用的时空特征

利用Li-6400便携式CO2分析系统对寒温针叶林土壤呼吸作用观测数据分析表明,土壤呼吸作用日、季动态均呈单峰型变化,日最大值出现在16:00左右,与5 cm土壤温度日动态相似,滞后于气温日动态变化;月最大值出现在8月份,2006年和2007年分别为8.19 和6.89 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1。日、季土壤呼吸作用与土壤温度的相关性均好于气温。土壤呼吸作用存在较大的空间变异性,一天内3:00 am、7:00 am和11:00 am的土壤呼吸作用变异系数分别为35.5%、27.6%和23.0%,根系和凋落物与土壤呼吸作用表现出相似的空间变异性,其中细根与土壤呼吸作用的相关性最好。     

The origin of soil organic matter controls its composition and bioreactivity across a mesic boreal forest latitudinal gradient

Warmer climates have been associated with reduced bioreactivity of soil organic matter (SOM) typically attributed to increased diagenesis; the combined biological and physiochemical transformation of SOM. In addition, cross‐site studies have indicated that ecosystem regime shifts, associated with long‐term climate warming, can affect SOM properties through changes in vegetation and plant litter production thereby altering the composition of soil inputs. The relative importance of these two controls, diagenesis and inputs, on SOM properties as ecosystems experience climate warming, however, remains poorly understood. To address this issue we characterized the elemental, chemical (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and total hydrolysable amino acids analysis), and isotopic composition of plant litter and SOM across a well‐constrained mesic boreal forest latitudinal transect in Atlantic Canada. Results across forest sites within each of three climate regions indicated that (1) climate history and diagenesis affect distinct parameters of SOM chemistry, (2) increases in SOM bioreactivity with latitude were associated with elevated proportions of carbohydrates relative to plant waxes and lignin, and (3) despite the common forest type across regions, differences in SOM chemistry by climate region were associated with chemically distinct litter inputs and not different degrees of diagenesis. The observed climate effects on vascular plant litter chemistry, however, explained only part of the regional differences in SOM chemistry, most notably the higher protein content of SOM from warmer regions. Greater proportions of lignin and aliphatic compounds and smaller proportions of carbohydrates in warmer sites' soils were explained by the higher proportion of vascular plant relative to moss litter in the warmer relative to cooler forests. These results indicate that climate change induced decreases in the proportion of moss inputs not only impacts SOM chemistry but also increases the resistance of SOM to decomposition, thus significantly altering SOM cycling in these boreal forest soils.     

Tree growth and soil acidification in response to 30 years of experimental nitrogen loading on boreal forest

Relations among nitrogen load, soil acidification and forest growth have been evaluated based on short‐term (<15 years) experiments, or on surveys across gradients of N deposition that may also include variations in edaphic conditions and other pollutants, which confound the interpretation of effects of N per se. We report effects on trees and soils in a uniquely long‐term (30 years) experiment with annual N loading on an un‐polluted boreal forest. Ammonium nitrate was added to replicated (N=3) 0.09 ha plots at two doses, N1 and N2, 34 and 68 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively. A third treatment, N3, 108 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1, was terminated after 20 years, allowing assessment of recovery during 10 years. Tree growth initially responded positively to all N treatments, but the longer term response was highly rate dependent with no gain in N3, a gain of 50 m³ ha^?1 stemwood in N2 and a gain of 100 m³ ha^?1 stemwood in excess of the control (N0) in N1. High N treatments caused losses of up to 70% of exchangeable base cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺) in the mineral soil, along with decreases in pH and increases in exchangeable Al³⁺. In contrast, the organic mor‐layer (forest floor) in the N‐treated plots had similar amounts per hectare of exchangeable base cations as in the N0 treatment. Magnesium was even higher in the mor of N‐treated plots, providing evidence of up‐lift by the trees from the mineral soil. Tree growth did not correlate with the soil Ca/Al ratio (a suggested predictor of effects of soil acidity on tree growth). A boron deficiency occurred on N‐treated plots, but was corrected at an early stage. Extractable NH₄⁺ and NO₃^?were high in mor and mineral soils of on‐going N treatments, while NH₄+ was elevated in the mor only in N3 plots. Ten years after termination of N addition in the N3 treatment, the pH had increased significantly in the mineral soil; there were also tendencies of higher soil base status and concentrations of base cations in the foliage. Our data suggest the recovery of soil chemical properties, notably pH, may be quicker after removal of the N‐load than predicted. Our long‐term experiment demonstrated the fundamental importance of the rate of N application relative to the total amount of N applied, in particular with regard to tree growth and C sequestration. Hence, experiments adding high doses of N over short periods do not mimic the long‐term effects of N deposition at lower rates.     

Altered litter inputs modify carbon and nitrogen storage in soil organic matter in a lowland tropical forest

Biogeochemistry - Soil organic matter (SOM) in tropical forests is an important store of carbon (C) and nutrients. Although SOM storage could be affected by global changes via altered plant...     

凋落物与单宁酸对森林土壤无机氮的影响

采用室内培养试验,研究了不同凋落物和单宁酸对森林土壤硝态氮和铵态氮的影响.结果表明：凋落物和单宁酸加入均降低了土壤硝态氮和铵态氮含量.杉木凋落物使红壤硝态氮和铵态氮含量分别降低6.1%～25.9%和19.7%～68.6%.杉木凋落物中黄红壤无机氮含量的降幅大于毛竹,对铵态氮的影响极显著.与对照相比,单宁酸处理能显著降低黄红壤中铵态氮含量,单宁酸浓度越高,其降幅越大,至高浓度(HG)时,其降幅达31.9%～57.8%.随着培养时间的延长,低浓度单宁酸处理(HL)中硝态氮含量降幅逐渐增大,第84天达到4.5%;在HG处理下,第7～28天的硝态氮含量增加了10.3%～18.5%,而第56和85天分别降低 23.9%和42.3%.     

Community food web, decomposition and nitrogen mineralisation in a stratified Scots pine forest soil

A soil community food web model was used to improve the understanding of what factors govern the mineralisation of nutrients and carbon and the decay of dead organic matter. The model derives the rates of C and N mineralisation by organisms by splitting their uptake rate of food resources into a rate at which faeces or prey remains are added to detritus, a rate at which elements are incorporated into biomass, and a rate at which elements are released by organisms as inorganic compounds. The functioning of soil organisms in the mineralisation of C and N was modelled in the soil horizon of a Scots pine forest. The organic horizon was divided into three distinct layers, representing successive stages of decay, i.e. litter, fragmented litter, and humus. Each of the layers had a different, quantitative, biota composition. For each layer the annual C and N mineralisation rates were simulated and compared to observed C and N mineralisation rates from organic matter in stratified litterbags. Simulated C and N mineralisation was relatively close to measured losses of C and N, but the fit was not perfect. Discrepancies between the observed and predicted mineralisation rates are discussed in terms of variation in model parameter values of those organisms that showed the highest contribution to mineralisation rates. The measured, and by the model predicted, significant decrease in mineralisation rates down the profile was not explained by the biomass of the primary decomposers and only partly by the total food web biomass. Modelling results indicated that indirect effects of soil fauna, due to trophic interactions with their resources, are an important explanatory factor. In addition, the analyses suggest that community food web structure is an important factor in the regulation of nutrient mineralisation. The model provided the means to evaluate the contribution of functionally defined groups of organisms, structured in a detrital food web, to losses of C and N from successive decay stages.     

Heavy metals fractionation and organic matter mineralisation in contaminated calcareous soil amended with organic materials

Degradation of organic matter (OM) from organic amendments used in the remediation of metal contaminated soils leads to changes in soil chemical properties shortly after their addition, which may affect the soil metal distribution. The effects of two differing organic amendments on OM mineralisation and fractionation of heavy metals in a contaminated soil were investigated in an incubation experiment. The treatments were: control unamended soil, soil amended with fresh cow manure, and soil amended with a compost having a high maturity degree. The soil used was characteristic of the mining area at La Unión (Murcia, Spain) with 28% CaCO(3) and sandy-loam texture (pH 7.7; 2602 mg kg(-1)Zn; 1572 mg kg(-1)Pb). Manure and compost C-mineralisation after 56 days (24% and 3.8%, respectively) were below values reported previously for uncontaminated soils. Both amendments favoured Zn and Pb fixation, particularly the manure. Mn solubility increased at the beginning of the experiment due to a pH effect, and only Cu solubility increased through organic matter chelation in both amended soils.     

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.     

Hydrologic flowpaths influence inorganic and organic nutrient leaching in a forest soil

Hydrologic pathways through soil affect element leaching by determining the relative importance of biogeochemical processes such as sorption and decomposition. We used stable hydrogen isotopes of water (δD) to examine the influence of flowpaths on soil solution chemistry in a mature spruce–hemlock forest in coastal Oregon, USA. Soil solutions (50 cm depth, n = 13) were collected monthly for 1 year and analyzed for δD, major ions and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON). We propose that the variability of δD can be used as an index of flowpath length and contact time. Throughfall variability in δD was much greater than soil solution variability, illustrating that soil solution integrates the variation in inputs. Lysimeters with greater variation in δD presumably have a greater proportion of flow through rapid flowpaths such as macropores. The variation in soil solution δD for individual lysimeters explained up to 53% of the variation in soil solution chemistry, and suggests that flowpaths influence leaching of some constituents. Soil solutions from lysimeters with greater δD variation had higher DOC and DON (r ² = 0.51 and 0.37, respectively), perhaps because transport via macropores reduces interaction of DOM with the soil matrix. In contrast, nitrate concentrations were highest in lysimeters with a small variation in δD, where long contact time and low DOC concentrations may yield higher net nitrification. Our results demonstrate the utility of stable isotopes to link flowpaths and soil solution chemistry, and illustrate how the spatial complexity of soils can influence ecosystem-level nutrient losses.     

凋落物中水溶性有机物和残渣对亚热带森林土壤氮素转化的影响

设置60%和90%WHC两种土壤水分条件,并添加凋落物过滤液、剩余残渣和丙氨酸,进行为期36 d的室内培养(25 ℃),研究了凋落物中水溶性有机物和残渣对土壤氮素转化的影响.结果表明: 在60%和90%WHC条件下,丙氨酸在土壤中迅速矿化,该处理的土壤铵态氮(NH₄⁺-N)含量分别比对照显著提高5.4%～44.7%和16.1%～41.3%,净氮矿化和氨化速率在培养前期也高于对照,而凋落物过滤液和残渣添加处理则降低了土壤NH₄⁺-N含量,且残渣的降幅大于过滤液.试验期间,土壤硝态氮(NO₃^--N)含量呈直线增长趋势,培养结束时60%WHC条件下NO₃^--N含量显著高于90%WHC.土壤水分含量增多不利于土壤有机质的矿化;90%WHC条件下可溶性有机碳(SOC)含量明显低于60%WHC,而土壤氧化亚氮(N₂O)排放量比60%WHC提高1.5～63.0倍,且在60%WHC条件下凋落物残渣添加处理显著促进了土壤N₂O的排放.凋落物在分解过程中的可溶性物质和剩余物对土壤氮的影响存在差异,且这种差异随分解而发生动态变化.     

Microbial activity and soil respiration under nitrogen addition in Alaskan boreal forest

Climate warming could increase rates of soil organic matter turnover and nutrient mineralization, particularly in northern high‐latitude ecosystems. However, the effects of increasing nutrient availability on microbial processes in these ecosystems are poorly understood. To determine how soil microbes respond to nutrient enrichment, we measured microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme activities, soil respiration, and the community composition of active fungi in nitrogen (N) fertilized soils of a boreal forest in central Alaska. We predicted that N addition would suppress fungal activity relative to bacteria, but stimulate carbon (C)‐degrading enzyme activities and soil respiration. Instead, we found no evidence for a suppression of fungal activity, although fungal sporocarp production declined significantly, and the relative abundance of two fungal taxa changed dramatically with N fertilization. Microbial biomass as measured by chloroform fumigation did not respond to fertilization, nor did the ratio of fungi : bacteria as measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. However, microbial biomass C : N ratios narrowed significantly from 16.0 ± 1.4 to 5.2 ± 0.3 with fertilization. N fertilization significantly increased the activity of a cellulose‐degrading enzyme and suppressed the activities of protein‐ and chitin‐degrading enzymes but had no effect on soil respiration rates or ¹⁴C signatures. These results indicate that N fertilization alters microbial community composition and allocation to extracellular enzyme production without affecting soil respiration. Thus, our results do not provide evidence for strong microbial feedbacks to the boreal C cycle under climate warming or N addition. However, organic N cycling may decline due to a reduction in the activity of enzymes that target nitrogenous compounds.     

Effect of a legume on soil nitrogen mineralisation and percentage nitrogen in grasses

Summary The percentage nitrogen in three mature grasses,Pennisetum purpureum, Tripsacum laxum andPanicum maximum was significantly increased when grown in association with a legumeDesmodium uncinatum. When the grasses were grazed and cut back a similar but non-significant effect occurred in the regrowth material. Soil analyses showed that the legume effectively increased the surface organic horizon and the amount of nitrogen mineralised in the underlying soil. The surface layer also produced large amounts of nitrate on mineralisation. Both with the soil and the organic surface mineralisation was greatest at the start of the rains when the influence of the legume on the percentage nitrogen in the grass was most apparent.     

Drivers of postfire soil organic carbon accumulation in the boreal forest

The accumulation of soil carbon (C) is regulated by a complex interplay between abiotic and biotic factors. Our study aimed to identify the main drivers of soil C accumulation in the boreal forest of eastern North America. Ecosystem C pools were measured in 72 sites of fire origin that burned 2–314 years ago over a vast region with a range of ? mean annual temperature of 3°C and one of ? 500 mm total precipitation. We used a set of multivariate a priori causal hypotheses to test the influence of time since fire (TSF), climate, soil physico‐chemistry and bryophyte dominance on forest soil organic C accumulation. Integrating the direct and indirect effects among abiotic and biotic variables explained as much as 50% of the full model variability. The main direct drivers of soil C stocks were: TSF >bryophyte dominance of the FH layer and metal oxide content >pH of the mineral soil. Only climate parameters related to water availability contributed significantly to explaining soil C stock variation. Importantly, climate was found to affect FH layer and mineral soil C stocks indirectly through its effects on bryophyte dominance and organo‐metal complexation, respectively. Soil texture had no influence on soil C stocks. Soil C stocks increased both in the FH layer and mineral soil with TSF and this effect was linked to a decrease in pH with TSF in mineral soil. TSF thus appears to be an important factor of soil development and of C sequestration in mineral soil through its influence on soil chemistry. Overall, this work highlights that integrating the complex interplay between the main drivers of soil C stocks into mechanistic models of C dynamics could improve our ability to assess C stocks and better anticipate the response of the boreal forest to global change.