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Pine afforestation alters rhizosphere effects and soil nutrient turnover across a precipitation gradient in Patagonia, Argentina

Plant and Soil volume 415, pages 449–464 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Aims

Pine species, when planted outside their native range, can have profound impacts on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, which may be related in part to their association with ectomycorrhizal fungi. We investigated the effects of exotic planting of Pinus ponderosa on C and N cycling in the rhizosphere along a precipitation gradient in Patagonia, Argentina.

Methods

We measured C mineralization, microbial biomass-C, and soil enzyme activity in rhizosphere and bulk soil collected from pine plantations and native vegetation. Rhizosphere effects were calculated as the percent difference between paired rhizosphere and bulk soil samples.

Results

In afforested sites, we found enhanced rhizosphere effects for C mineralization and microbial biomass relative to native vegetation, but not for enzymatic activity. The absolute values of all evaluated variables were significantly reduced in pine plantations compared to native vegetation. We also observed strong correlations between enzymatic activity, and soil organic matter and microbial biomass. For both pine and native trees species, rhizosphere effects for N-degrading enzymes were positively correlated with precipitation.

Conclusions

Pine afforestation reduced overall N turnover and microbial activity in these ecosystems. Our data suggest that these reductions may be driven by reductions in soil organic C pools. Additionally, ecosystem water availability may directly or indirectly regulate the magnitude of rhizosphere effects on N cycling independent of plant species. The negative impacts of afforestation on N cycling should be considered in evaluating the long-term potential for C sequestration in these human modified ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

L.J.T.H. was supported in part by the Organization of American States. Additional financial support came from the University of Buenos Aires (UBACyT G812), the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, (PICT 2008-108, PICT 2010-0147, PICT 2013-1148) of Argentina, the New Phytologist Trust, and the L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science. We thank Laura Martinez, Andrea Tornese, Soledad Méndez, Patricia Araujo, Adelia Gonzalez-Arzac, Gabriela Millapán, and Walter de Nicolo for field and laboratory assistance. We thank Lanin National Park; Corporación Forestal Neuqina; Estancias El Alamo Erecto, Quemquemtreu, Quechuquina and San Jorge; and Hugo Brockerof, Esteban Coliqueo, Silvia Focarazzo, Raúl Písalez and Martín Zimerman for access to and help with study sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Laura J. T. Hess & Amy T. Austin

  2. Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Laura J. T. Hess

  3. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIB), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, B1650HMP, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Amy T. Austin

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  1. Laura J. T. Hess
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Correspondence to Laura J. T. Hess.

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Hess, L.J.T., Austin, A.T. Pine afforestation alters rhizosphere effects and soil nutrient turnover across a precipitation gradient in Patagonia, Argentina. Plant Soil 415, 449–464 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3174-4

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Keywords

  • Afforestation
  • Patagonia
  • Pine
  • Rhizosphere effects
  • Soil enzyme activity
  • Nothofagus spp.
  • Nitrogen
  • Soil organic matter