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Elevated CO2 and O3 Alter Soil Nitrogen Transformations beneath Trembling Aspen, Paper Birch, and Sugar Maple

Ecosystems volume 9, pages 1354–1363 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Nitrogen cycling in northern temperate forest ecosystems could change under increasing atmospheric CO2 and tropospheric O3 as a result of quantitative and qualitative changes in plant litter production. At the Aspen Free Air CO2–O3 Enrichment (FACE) experiment, we previously found that greater substrate inputs to soil under elevated CO2 did not alter gross N transformation rates in the first 3 years of the experiment. We hypothesized that greater litter production under elevated CO2 would eventually cause greater gross N transformation rates and that CO2 effects would be nullified by elevated O3. Following our original study, we continued measurement of gross N transformation rates for an additional four years. From 1999 to 2003, gross N mineralization doubled, N immobilization increased 4-fold, but changes in microbial biomass N and soil total N were not detected. We observed year-to-year variation in N transformation rates, which peaked during a period of foliar insect damage. Elevated CO2 caused equivalent increases in gross rates of N mineralization (+34%) and NH +4 immobilization (+36%). These results indicate greater rates of N turnover under elevated CO2, but do not indicate a negative feedback between elevated CO2 and soil N availability. Elevated O3 decreased gross N mineralization (−16%) and had no effect on NH +4 immobilization, indicating reduced N availability under elevated O3. The effects of CO2 and O3 on N mineralization rates were mainly related to changes in litter production, whereas effects on N immobilization were likely influenced by changes in litter chemistry and production. Our findings also indicate that concomitant increases in atmospheric CO2 and O3 could lead to a negative feedback on N availability.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Matt Tomlinson, Jana Gastellum, Michelle Martin, Andrea Firman, Beth Christensen, and Nicole Tuttle for assisting in the field and laboratory. Dave Karnosky, Judd Isebrands, Jaak Sober and Wendy Jones provided logistical support by maintaining the Aspen FACE experiment. Aspen FACE is principally supported by the Office of Science (BER), U.S. Department of Energy (DE-FG02-95ER62125), the U.S. Forest Service Northern Global Change Program and North Central Research Station, Michigan Technological University, and Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-1115, USA

    William E. Holmes & Donald R. Zak

  2. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-1048, USA

    Donald R. Zak

  3. School of Forest Resources & Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, 49931, USA

    Kurt S. Pregitzer

  4. Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA

    John S. King

Authors
  1. William E. Holmes
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  2. Donald R. Zak
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  3. Kurt S. Pregitzer
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  4. John S. King
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Correspondence to William E. Holmes.

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Holmes, W.E., Zak, D.R., Pregitzer, K.S. et al. Elevated CO2 and O3 Alter Soil Nitrogen Transformations beneath Trembling Aspen, Paper Birch, and Sugar Maple. Ecosystems 9, 1354–1363 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-006-0163-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-006-0163-5

Keywords

  • Acer saccharum
  • Betula papyrifera
  • Carbon dioxide
  • FACE
  • Gross N immobilization
  • Gross N mineralization
  • Microbial biomass
  • Nitrogen cycling
  • Ozone
  • Populus tremuloides

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