Abstract
Ombrotrophic (rain-fed) Sphagnum-mires do not significantly contribute to gaseous nitrogen (N) emissions to the atmosphere. However, increasing levels of N deposition reduce Sphagnum growth and moss cover. As a consequence, higher amounts of mineral N reach the underlying peat beneath the moss layer. The aim of our work was to determine the effects of supplementary N inputs to peat beneath Sphagnum magellanicum carpets. Peat cores were incubated in controlled laboratory conditions of temperature and humidity, and the impact of increasing N inputs was evaluated on denitrification rates, basal respiration and methane emissions. Rates of denitrification were quickly stimulated by addition of 1 g N m−2 but rates were not significantly elevated in the short-term (9 days) by further additions of up to 10 g N m−2. Over a longer term period (up to 45 days), denitrification rates followed an exponential (10 g N m−2 addition) or a gamma (1 g N m−2) function. Findings from this study support the hypothesis that mineral-N addition in atmospheric deposition will have a negative effect on peat biogeochemistry, by modifying its N sink capacity via denitrification leading to a potential increase in N2O emissions.
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Abbreviations
- N:
-
Nitrogen
- N2O:
-
Nitrous oxide
- NO3 − :
-
Nitrate
- NH4 + :
-
Ammonium
- C:
-
Carbon
- DOC:
-
Dissolved organic carbon
- MB-C:
-
Microbial biomass carbon
- CO2 :
-
Carbon dioxide
- CH4 :
-
Methane
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Acknowledgments
This study was part of the PNRZH programme funded by the French Ministry of the Environment (Project 16-2001). We thank Mr. Jury, City Major of Saint-Anthème (Puy-de-Dôme) for permitting access to the site. We would like also to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.
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Francez, AJ., Pinay, G., Josselin, N. et al. Denitrification triggered by nitrogen addition in Sphagnum magellanicum peat. Biogeochemistry 106, 435–441 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9523-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9523-5