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Long-term changes of the δ15N natural abundance of plants and soil in a temperate grassland

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Abstract

Tracing back the N use efficiency of long-term fertilizer trials is important for future management recommendations. Here we tested the changes in natural N-isotope composition as an indicator for N- management within a long-term fertilization lysimeter experiment in a low mountain range pasture ecosystem at Rengen (Eifel Mountains), Germany. Cattle slurry (δ15N = 8.9 ± 0.5‰) and mineral fertilizers (calcium ammonium nitrate; δ15N = −1.0 ± 0.2‰) were applied at a rate between 0 and 480 kg N ha−1 yr−1 throughout 20 years from 1985 onwards. In 2006, samples were taken from different grass species, coarse and fine particulate soil organic matter, bulk soil and leachates. Total soil N content hardly changed during fertilization experiment. As also N leaching has been small within the stagnant water regime, most N was lost through the gaseous phase beside plant uptake and cutting. Unlike N uptake by plants, the process of N volatilization resulted in strong discrimination against the 15N isotope. As a consequence, the δ15N values of top soil samples increased from 1.8 ± 0.4‰ to 6.0 ± 0.4‰ and that of the plants from −1.2 ± 1.3‰ to 4.8 ± 1.2‰ with increasing N fertilizer rate. Samples receiving organic fertilizer were most enriched in δ15N. The results suggest that parts of the fertilizer N signal was preserved in soils and even discovered in soil organic matter pools with slow N turnover. However, a 15N/14N isotope fractionation of up to 1.5‰ added to the δ15N values recovered in soils and plants, rendering the increase in δ15N value a powerful indicator to long-term inefficient N usage and past N management in the terrestrial environment.

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Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the German Science Foundation (DFG) for the financial support of this investigation.

We are indebted to Hans Schnyder and Rudi Schäufele of the Grassland Science Laboratory of the Munich Technical University for analyses of isotopic composition and helpful discussions and comments. The technical assistance of the colleagues of the Research Station and the laboratory staff is greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University Bonn, Katzenburgweg 5, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Melanie Kriszan, Jürgen Schellberg & Walter Kühbauch

  2. Department of Soil Science, University Bonn, Nussallee 13, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Wulf Amelung

  3. Chamber of Agriculture North Rhine-Westphalia, Siebengebirgsstraße 200, 53229, Bonn, Germany

    Thomas Gebbing

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  1. Melanie Kriszan
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  2. Wulf Amelung
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Correspondence to Melanie Kriszan.

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Kriszan, M., Amelung, W., Schellberg, J. et al. Long-term changes of the δ15N natural abundance of plants and soil in a temperate grassland. Plant Soil 325, 157–169 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-9965-5

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