Response of Soil Respiration to Nitrogen Addition in Two Subtropical Forest Types

Response of Soil Respiration to Nitrogen Addition in Two Subtropical Forest Types

Academic Unit

College of Arts and Sciences

Publication Date

8-2020

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities have increased nitrogen (N) deposition in terrestrial ecosystems, which directly and indirectly affects soil biogeochemical processes, including soil respiration. However, the effects of the increases in N availability on soil respiration are not fully understood. In this study, soil respiration was measured using an infrared gas analyzer system with soil chambers under four N treatments (0, 5, 15, and 30 g N m–2 year–1 as control, low N (LN), moderate N (MN), and high N (HN), respectively) in camphor tree and slash pine forests in subtropical China. Results showed that soil respiration rates decreased by 37% in the camphor tree forest and 27% in the slash pine forest on average on an annual base, respectively, in the N-fertilized treatments when compared with the control. No significant differences were found in the soil respiration rate among the LN, MN, and HN treatments in both forest types as these fertilized plots reached an adequate N content zone. In addition, soil microbial biomass carbon (C) content and fine root biomass declined in N-treated plots compared to the control. Our results indicated that elevated N deposition might alter the tree growth pattern, C partitioning, and microbial activity, which further affect soil C sequestration by reducing soil respiration in subtropical forests of China.

Journal Title

Pedosphere

Volume

30

Issue

4

Beginning Page Number

478

Last Page Number

486

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(17)60471-5

Response of Soil Respiration to Nitrogen Addition in Two Subtropical Forest Types

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