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Variations of soil N transformation and N2O emissions in tropical secondary forests along an aridity gradient

  • Soils, Sec 3 • Remediation and Management of Contaminated or Degraded Lands • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to explore the effects of climate-induced soil properties on nitrogen (N) transformation and N2O emissions in the tropical region.

Materials and methods

Soil samples were collected from the soils developed from granite and covered with secondary forest vegetation along with the aridity gradient in the Hainan Islands, China, in which the annual mean temperature ranged from 24 to 25 °C, but the annual precipitation from 1,000 to 2,166 mm, and the annual evaporation from 1,861 to 2,409 mm within about 180 km. The gross of N transformation rates and N2O emissions in the soils were determined by employing 15N tracing methods at laboratory incubation under conditions of 60 % WHC and 25 °C.

Results and discussion

The gross rate of mineralization and turnover rate of soil organic N increased significantly (P < 0.05 for both), but net mineralization rate did not differ significantly with the increase of aridity index (Di) (P > 0.05). Gross and net rate of nitrification increased significantly (P < 0.05 for both), while cumulative N2O emissions over the incubation period did not differ significantly along the aridity gradient (P > 0.05). Statistical analysis showed that soil pH, which was correlated significantly with Di, was correlated significantly with the gross rate of N mineralization, turnover rate of soil organic N, gross nitrification, and the ratio of N2O in nitrification products.

Conclusions

The investigation indicated that the climate-induced soil properties had significant effects on the gross and net N transformation rates, but not on net mineralization and N2O emissions in the tropical secondary forests in the Hainan Island.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41330744), the “973” project (2014CB953800), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20140062), the Qing Lan Project (184080H102142), the Outstanding Innovation Team in Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province, and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD, 164320H116).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Yu Xie, Jinbo Zhang & Zucong Cai

  2. Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Materials Cycling and Pollution Control, Nanjing, China

    Jinbo Zhang

  3. Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    Lei Meng & Zucong Cai

  4. Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographical Environment (VGE), Ministry of Education, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    Christoph Müller

  5. College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, 570208, China

    Christoph Müller

  6. Department of Plant Ecology (IFZ), Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Christoph Müller

  7. School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Christoph Müller

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  1. Yu Xie
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  2. Jinbo Zhang
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  3. Lei Meng
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  5. Zucong Cai
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Correspondence to Zucong Cai.

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Responsible editor: Hong Jie Di

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Xie, Y., Zhang, J., Meng, L. et al. Variations of soil N transformation and N2O emissions in tropical secondary forests along an aridity gradient. J Soils Sediments 15, 1538–1548 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1121-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1121-7

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