Effects of liming on carbon and nitrogen mineralization in coniferous forests

Abstract

A temporary decline in tree growth has often been observed after liming in coniferous forests poor in N but seldom in forests rich in N. To test the hypothesis that the decline was caused by decreases in N supply, C and N mineralization were estimated in incubated soil: (1) after liming in the laboratory, and (2) after earlier liming in the field. Liming increased the C mineralization rate in needle litter, mor humus and 0 to 5 cm mineral soil for a period of 40 to 100 days at 15°C. After that period, liming had no effect on the CO₂ evolution rate in materials poor in N (C:N ratios 30 to 62) but increased the CO₂ evolution rate in materials rich in N (C:N ratios 24 to 28). When liming induced nitrification, the CO₂ evolution rate was reduced. Liming resulted in lower net N mineralization rate in needle litter and mor humus. The reduction was more pronounced when NH ⁺₄ was the only inorganic form than when NO ⁻₃ was the predominant form. The reason is probably that chemical fixation of NH₃ and amino compounds increases with increasing pH. Because of the fixation, the incubation technique most likely underestimated the mineralized N available to the roots. Taking this underestimation into consideration, liming initially reduced the N release in the litter layer. In the other soil layers, liming increased the N release in soils rich in N and had only small effects in soils poor in N. For the total N supply to the roots in the litter, humus and 0 to 5 cm mineral soil layers, liming caused a slight reduction in soils poor in N and a slight increase in soils rich in N. Data on tree growth corresponded with these results. The hypotheses that tree growth depressions can be caused by reduced N supply after liming and that tree growth increases can be caused by increased N supply after liming thus seem reasonable.