Abstract
The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of fertiliser N on C stocks in trees (stems, stumps, branches, needles, and coarse roots) and soils (organic layer +0–10 cm mineral soil) by analysing data from 15 long-term (14–30 years) experiments in Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris stands in Sweden and Finland. Low application rates (30–50 kg N ha−1 year−1) were always more efficient per unit of N than high application rates (50–200 kg N ha−1 year−1). Addition of a cumulative amount of N of 600–1800 kg N ha−1 resulted in a mean increase in tree and soil C stock of 25 and 11 kg (C sequestered) kg−1 (N added) (“N-use efficiency”), respectively. The corresponding estimates for NPK addition were 38 and 11 kg (C) kg−1 (N). N-use efficiency for C sequestration in trees strongly depended on soil N status and increased from close to zero at C/N 25 in the humus layer up to 40 kg (C) kg−1 (N) at C/N 35 and decreased again to about 20 kg (C) kg−1 (N) at C/N 50 when N only was added. In contrast, addition of NPK resulted in high (40–50 kg (C) kg−1 (N)) N-use efficiency also at N-rich (C/N 25) sites. The great difference in N-use efficiency between addition of NPK and N at N-rich sites reflects a limitation of P and K for tree growth at these sites. N-use efficiency for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration was, on average, 3–4 times lower than for tree C sequestration. However, SOC sequestration was about twice as high at P. abies as at P. sylvestris sites and averaged 13 and 7 kg (C) kg−1 (N), respectively. The strong relation between N-use efficiency and humus C/N ratio was used to evaluate the impact of N deposition on C sequestration. The data imply that the 10 kg N ha−1 year−1 higher deposition in southern Sweden than in northern Sweden for a whole century should have resulted in 2.0 ± 1.0 (95% confidence interval) kg m−2 more tree C and 1.3 ± 0.5 kg m−2 more SOC at P. abies sites in the south than in the north for a 100-year period. These estimates are consistent with differences between south and north in tree C and SOC found by other studies, and 70–80% of the difference in SOC can be explained by different N deposition.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Bertil Andersson, Folke Andersson, Leif Hallbäcken, Peter Högberg, Ulf Johansson, Eino Mälkönen, Göran Möller, Lars-Owe Nilsson, Budimir Popovic´, Carl Olof Tamm and a large number of other persons who have either designed or been involved in the management of the long-term experiments and to those who have put unpublished data into our disposal. We are also grateful to Birgitta Vegerfors-Persson for statistical advice. This work formed part of the LUSTRA research programme, supported by the Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research, Mistra. Financial support has also been received from the Swedish Energy Agency, the Foundation of Swedish Plant Nutrition Research and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences through its programme CarbonSweden.
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Hyvönen, R., Persson, T., Andersson, S. et al. Impact of long-term nitrogen addition on carbon stocks in trees and soils in northern Europe. Biogeochemistry 89, 121–137 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-007-9121-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-007-9121-3