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The effects of simulated deposited nitrogen on nutrient dynamics in decomposing litters across a wide quality spectrum using a 15N tracing technique

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Abstract

Background and aims

Nitrogen (N) deposition affects litter decomposition. However, how nutrients, especially deposited N are immobilized and released in decomposing litters with different qualities (C/N and C/P) remains unclear.

Methods

We conducted a laboratory microcosm experiment with four litter types and a combination of a coniferous and deciduous litter treated with N addition (6 mg 99.99% 15N g−1 litter) and control by measuring N-deposition effect on mass (NDEM), N (NDEN), and P remaining percentages (NDEP), deposited 15N immobilized abundance, and microbial composition and enzyme activities in decomposing litters during two years of incubation.

Results

The values of NDEM, NDEN, and NDEP were generally greater for the litters with intermediate C/N and C/P than those with the highest and lowest ratios after 360 days, although these parameters varied among different quality litters before 180 days. Immobilized exogenous 15N abundance by microbes showed an increasing trend with increasing litter C/N and C/P across the whole 720-day period. Both C/N and C/P were generally correlated with decomposition rate, 15N immobilization abundance, the microbial richness, and main enzyme activities in decomposing litters.

Conclusions

N-deposition effects on N and P dynamics in decomposing litters varied with their C/N and C/P, generally exerting an unimodal curve at later decomposition stages. Lower quality litter with higher C/N and C/P favoured N immobilization in response to N addition.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 31730014, 31760200 and 31870427) and by Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology (grant numbers 20165BCB19006 & 20181ACH80006). We greatly appreciate Hans Lambers for full text modification during visiting our university and Jing Fan, Pei-Qing Li, Yu-Fei Zhang, and Yu Liu for their help in field sampling and laboratory measurement.

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  1. Xue-Min Ye and Yang Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, No. 1101, Zhiminda Road, Ganjiang New Area, Nanchang, 330045, People’s Republic of China

    Xue-Min Ye & Fu-Sheng Chen

  2. Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Forest Ecosystem Protection and Restoration of Poyang Lake Watershed, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China

    Yang Zhang, Fu-Sheng Chen, Xiang-Min Fang, Xiao-Fan Lin, Song-Ze Wan & Ping He

  3. Department Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA

    G. Geoff Wang

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  1. Xue-Min Ye
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  2. Yang Zhang
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Correspondence to Fu-Sheng Chen.

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Ye, XM., Zhang, Y., Chen, FS. et al. The effects of simulated deposited nitrogen on nutrient dynamics in decomposing litters across a wide quality spectrum using a 15N tracing technique. Plant Soil 442, 141–156 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-04158-y

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