外源输入氮素在藓类生物土壤结皮中各氮组分的分配特征与归趋途径

针对黄土高原典型藓类生物结皮,以无结皮裸地为对照,通过野外原位同位素标记试验,在标记后1~30 d连续取样测定,示踪外源添加¹⁵N在生物结皮中各氮组分的分配特征,并分析¹⁵N在土壤-微生物-藓植株中的归趋途径,对比揭示生物结皮对土壤氮循环的影响。结果表明: 1)生物结皮的全氮、微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机氮中¹⁵N含量分别平均比裸地高2.9、17.5、9.0倍,且藓植株固定的¹⁵N含量高达4.73 mg·kg^-1。2)生物结皮的¹⁵N残留率平均为13.0%,其氮固持能力是裸地(3.3%)的4.0倍;生物结皮中各组分¹⁵N占全氮的比率依次为微生物生物量氮(54.3%)>藓植株氮(22.5%)>可溶性有机氮(6.2%),而裸地则为微生物生物量氮(11.5%)>可溶性有机氮(2.6%),显示生物结皮中微生物和藓植株的氮固持能力合计比裸地高65.3%。3)生物结皮中微生物生物量¹⁵N的转移量和库容量分别比裸地高17.2和20.5倍,但其周转率为每月5.8次,低于裸地的每月7.2次,其周转期是裸地的1.2倍。综上,与无结皮裸地相比,生物结皮具有更高的氮固持能力,同时能够改变土壤各氮组分的分配率,因此,在干旱生态系统土壤氮循环过程中具有重要作用。

Distribution of exogenous nitrogen fractions and their fate in moss-dominated biological soil crusts

Nitrogen (N) labeled with ¹⁵N was evenly added into plots of moss-dominated biological soil crusts (BSCs) and bare soil on the Chinese Loess Plateau. After that, the surface BSCs and bare soil samples were continuously collected within 1-30 days. The ¹⁵N content of each N fraction in soil, microorganisms, and mosses was measured for each sample. The effects of BSCs on soil N fate and cycling was determined through analyzing the differences in the distribution of ¹⁵N fractions between the BSCs and bare soil. Our results showed that: 1) The ¹⁵N content of total N (TN), microbial biomass N (MBN), and dissolved organic N (DON) in the BSCs was 2.9, 17.5, and 9.0 times higher than that in the bare soil, respectively. The ¹⁵N content of moss plants in the BSCs was 4.73 mg kg^-1. 2) The residual rate of ¹⁵N in the BSCs and bare soil was 13.0% and 3.3%, respectively, indicating that the N fixing and holding ability of BSCs was four times higher than that of bare soil. The percentage of each ¹⁵N fraction in T¹⁵N in the BSCs was in the order of MBN (54.3%)>moss plant N (22.5%)>DON (6.2%), while that in the bare soil was in the order of MBN (11.5%)>DON (2.6%). Over all, microorganisms and mosses in the BSCs had 65.3% higher capacity of N fixation as compared with the bare soil. 3) The transferred amount and storage capacity of MB¹⁵N in the BSCs were 17.2 and 20.5 times higher than that in the bare soil, respectively. Accordingly, the turnover rate of MB¹⁵N in the BSCs and bare soil was 5.8 and 7.2 times per month, respectively, with the turnover time of MB¹⁵N in the BSCs being 1.2 times longer than that in bare soil. In conclusion, BSCs fix and hold more N than bare soil and change the distribution of each N fraction, implying that BSCs play a critical role in N cycling in dryland ecosystems.