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Nitrogen additions reduce rhizospheric and heterotrophic respiration in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

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Abstract

Background and aims

Increasing global atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has a considerable impact on soil respiration. Due to different carbon dioxide (CO2) resources of different components of soil respiration, there may be different mechanisms by which soils respond to N additions. The aims of this study are to investigate the effects of N additions on total soil respiration (RST), rhizospheric respiration (RSR) and heterotrophic respiration (RSH), and to elucidate the potential causal mechanisms.

Methods

An artificial N addition experiment was conducted in an evergreen broad-leaved forest at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin in China. The effects of three N treatment levels (+0, +50, +150 kg N ha−1 yr.−1) were measured, with the N application initiated in April 2013. Trenching method was used for partitioning RST into RST and RSR. The values of RST and its components were measured monthly from May 2015 to April 2016.

Results

The mean annual RST was 1.92 ± 0.18 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1, with RSH and RSR contributing 75 ± 1% and 25 ± 1% to RST, respectively. Nitrogen addition significantly reduced RST and its two components, as well as the contribution of RSR to RST. Microbial biomass carbon (C) and pH in bulk soil decreased significantly after N application. Nitrogen addition had no effect on rhizospheric soil biochemical properties. RSR was significantly positively correlated with root biomass of Castanopsis platyacantha, while RSH was significantly positively correlated with the concentrations of microbial biomass C (MBC) and microbial biomass N (MBN) for bulk soil.

Conclusions

The positive correlation between RSR and root biomass indicates that N application reduced RSR by reducing belowground C allocation and thus C inputs to the rhizosphere. The value of RSH decreased primarily due to a reduction in microbial activity and soil organic matter decomposition in root-free soil after N was added. The presence of plant roots may mitigate the effect of N inputs to the rhizosphere via alteration of root morphology and exudates.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31300522).

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Author notes

  1. Li-hua Tu

    Present address: Key Laboratory of National Forestry Administration on Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of National Forestry Administration on Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China

    Yong Peng, Guan-tao Chen, Shun Li, Hong-ling Hu & Ting-xing Hu

  2. The University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Furano, Hokkaido, 079-1564, Japan

    Yong Peng

  3. Personnel Department, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China

    Li Liu

  4. College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China

    Yi Tang

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  1. Yong Peng
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Peng, Y., Chen, Gt., Li, S. et al. Nitrogen additions reduce rhizospheric and heterotrophic respiration in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. Plant Soil 431, 449–463 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3751-1

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