Abstract
The vertical variation and storage of nitrogen in the depth of 0–150 cm of an aquic brown soil were studied under 14 years of four land use patterns, i.e., paddy field, maize field, fallow field and woodland in Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in November of 2003. The results showed that different land uses had different profile distributions of soil total nitrogen (STN), alkali N, ammonium (NH4 +-N) and nitrate (NO3 −-N). The sequence of STN storage was woodland>maize field>fallow field>paddy field, while that of NO3 −-N content was maize field>paddy field>woodland>fallow field, suggesting the different root biomass and biological N cycling under various land uses. The STN storage in the depth of 0–100 cm of woodland averaged to 11.41 t·hm−1, being 1.65 and 1.25 times as much as that in paddy and maize fields, respectively, while there was no significant difference between maize and fallow fields. The comparatively higher amount NO3 −-N in maize and paddy fields may be due to nitrogen fertilization and anthropogenic disturbance. Soil alkali N was significantly related with STN, and the correlation could be expressed by a linear regression model under each land use (R 2≥0.929,p<0.001). Such a correlation was slightly closer in nature (woodland and fallow field) than in agro ecosystems (paddy and maize fields). Heavy N fertilization induced an excess of crop need, and led to a comparatively higher amount of soil NO3 −-N in cultivated fields than in fallow field and woodland. It is suggested that agroforestry practices have the potential to make a significant contribution to both crop production and environment protection.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adger, W.N., Brown, K., Shiel, R.S.,et al. 1992. Carbon dynamics of land use in Great Britain [J]. J. Environ. Manage.,36: 117–133.
Berg, B., and Meentemeyer, V. 2002. Litter quality in a north European transect versus carbon storage potential [J]. Plant Soil,242: 83–92.
Brady, A.C., and Weil, R.R. 2002. The nature and properties of soils (13eds) [M]. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, USA, p521–526.
Burke, I.C., Lauenroth, W.K., Vinton, M.A.,et al. 1998. Plant-soil interactions in temperate grasslands [J]. Biogeochemistry,42: 121–143.
Cambardella, C., and Elliott, E., 1994. Carbon and nitrogen dynamics of soil organic matter fractions from cultivated grassland soils [J]. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.,58: 122–130.
Chikowo, R., Mapfumo, P., Nyamugafata P.,et al. 2004. Mineral N dynamics, leaching and nitrous oxide losses under maize following two-year improved fallows on a sandy loam soil in Zimbabwe [J]. Plant Soil,259: 315–330.
CRGCST (Cooperative Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy). 2001. Chinese Soil Taxonomy [M]. Beijing & New York: Science Press, p166–167.
Jug, A., Makeschin, F., Rehfuess, K.E.,et al. 1999. Short-rotation plantations of balsam poplars, aspen and willows on former arable land in the Federal Republic of Germany. III. Soil ecological effects [J]. For. Ecol. Manage.,121: 85–99.
Kaur B., Gupta S.R., Singh, G. 2000. Soil carbon, microbial activity and nitrogen availability in agroforestry systems on moderately alkaline soils in northern India [J]. Appl. Soil Ecol.,15: 283–294.
Kaur, B., Gupta, S.R., Singh, G. 2002. Carbon storage and nitrogen cycling in silvopastoral systems on a sodic soil in northwestern India [J]. Agroforestry Syst.,54: 21–29.
Mofongoya, P.L., and Dzowela, B.H. 1999. Biomass production of tree fallows and their residual effect on maize in Zimbabwe [J]. Agroforestry Syst.,47: 139–151.
Ogutu, Z.A. 1999. An inverstigation of the influence of human disturbance on selected soil nutrients in Narok District, Kenya [J]. Environ. Monitor. Assess.,58: 39–60.
Osher, L.J., Matson, P.A., Amundson, R. 2003. Effect of land use change on soil carbon in Hawaii [J]. Biogeochemistry,65: 213–232.
Page, A.L., Miller, R.H., Keeney, D.R. 1982. Methods of soil analysis, Part 2: Chemical and microbiological properties (2nd eds) [M]. Wisconsin: ASA and SSSA, Madison, USA. p595–734.
Potter, K.N., Torbert, H.A., Johnson, H.B.,et al. 1999. Carbon storage after long-term gras estabilishment on degraded soils[[J]. Soil Sci.,164: 718–725.
Qafoku, N.P., Summer, M.E., Radcliffe, D.E. 2000. Anion transport in columns of variable charge subsoils: nitrate and chloride [J]. J. Environ. Qual.,29: 484–493.
Riley, W.J., Ortiz-Monasterio, I., Matson, P.A. 2001. Nitrogen leaching and soil nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium levels under irrigated wheat in Northern Mexico [J]. Nutri. Cycl. Agroecosyst.,61: 1385–1314.
Ritter, E., Vesterdal, L., Gundersen P 2003. Changes in soil properties after afforestation of former intensively managed soils with oak and Norway spruce [J]. Plant Soil,249: 319–330.
Sanchez, P.A., Buresh, R.J., Leakey R.R.B. 1997. Trees, soils, and food security [J]. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences,352: 949–961.
Schwertmann, U. 1988. Occurrence and formation of iron oxides in various pedoenvironments. In: Stucki, J.W., Goodman, B.A., Schwertmann, U. (eds), Iron in Soils and Clay Minerals [M], Reidel Publishing Company, Norwell, MA, USA 267–308.
Sharrow, S.H., and Ismail, S. 2004. Carbon and nitrogen storage in agroforests, tree plantations, and pastures in western Oregon, USA [J]. Agroforestry Syst.,60: 123–130.
Shen Shan-min, Yu Wan-tai, Zhang Lu,et al. 1993. Internal and external nutrient cyclings of poplar tree II. Transferring and cycling of nutrients in and out of the tree before and after leaf fallen [J]. Chin. J. Appl. Ecol.,4(1): 27–31. (in Chinese)
Thuille, A., Buchmann, N., Schulze, E.D. 2000. Carbon stocks and soil respiration rates during deforestation, grassland use and subsequent Norway spruce afforestation in the Southern Alps, Italy [J]. Tree Physiol.,20: 849–857.
Wedin, D.A., and Tilman, D. 1996. Influence of nitrogen loading and species composition on the carbon balance of grasslands [J]. Science,274: 1720–1723.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Foundation item: The project was supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-413-9) and Fund of Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology, CAS (STZ0204)
Biography: ZHANG Yu-ge, (1968-), female, Ph.D. candidate, associate research fellow in Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, P.R. China.
Responsible editor: Song Funan
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, Yg., Jiang, Y., Liang, Wj. et al. Vertical variation and storage of nitrogen in an aquic brown soil under different land uses. J. of For. Res. 15, 192–196 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02911023
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02911023