Differential responses of net N mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern China

Abstract Background Many regions in the world are experiencing changes in precipitation pattern, which likely impact soil nitrogen cycling and availability. However, we know little about how soil nitrogen processes respond to drought stress under climate change. Methods A continuous 5-year experimen...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lin Chen, Yuanguang Wen, Ji Zeng, Hui Wang, Jingxin Wang, Bernard Dell, Shirong Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2019-04-01
Series:Forest Ecosystems
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40663-019-0174-2
_version_ 1797967167096881152
author Lin Chen
Yuanguang Wen
Ji Zeng
Hui Wang
Jingxin Wang
Bernard Dell
Shirong Liu
author_facet Lin Chen
Yuanguang Wen
Ji Zeng
Hui Wang
Jingxin Wang
Bernard Dell
Shirong Liu
author_sort Lin Chen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Many regions in the world are experiencing changes in precipitation pattern, which likely impact soil nitrogen cycling and availability. However, we know little about how soil nitrogen processes respond to drought stress under climate change. Methods A continuous 5-year experiment of throughfall reduction treatment (TRT) was conducted in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in subtropical China to assess how soil nitrogen processes responded to a change in precipitation. Net nitrogen transformation, soil properties, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN), and microbial community phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs as bacteria, fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)) were investigated in the wet and dry seasons over the period of the manipulation experiment. Results TRT had no significant effects on net ammonification rate (NAR) and nitrogen mineralization rate (NMR), and the unchanged NAR and NMR were mainly caused by the no change of soil nitrogen availability (i.e. NH4 +-N, NO3 −-N and dissolved organic nitrogen). However, TRT significantly increased net nitrification rate (NNR) in the wet season primarily due to the increase in NO3 − concentration, and might be further caused by reduced NO3 − leaching, denitrification or NO3 −-N uptake in the TRT. Differently, TRT significantly decreased the NNR in the dry season, which might be linked to the limited SWC that resulted in greater microbial nitrate immobilization than gross nitrate mineralization. In addition, TRT significantly influenced the soil microbial community composition in 0–10 cm soil layer in the wet season, primarily due to the variations in NO3 −-N, DOC and DON. Conclusions Precipitation reduction affected the NNR rather than NAR and NMR, and consequently, further affected soil N availability and N uptake by Castanopsis hystrix.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T02:26:55Z
format Article
id doaj.art-6038abb43beb4f7cb1a0092688709cbd
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2197-5620
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T02:26:55Z
publishDate 2019-04-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Forest Ecosystems
spelling doaj.art-6038abb43beb4f7cb1a0092688709cbd2023-01-02T22:30:20ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Forest Ecosystems2197-56202019-04-016111110.1186/s40663-019-0174-2Differential responses of net N mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern ChinaLin Chen0Yuanguang Wen1Ji Zeng2Hui Wang3Jingxin Wang4Bernard Dell5Shirong Liu6College of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityCollege of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityExperimental Center of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of ForestryInstitute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of ForestryDivision of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia UniversityInstitute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of ForestryCollege of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityAbstract Background Many regions in the world are experiencing changes in precipitation pattern, which likely impact soil nitrogen cycling and availability. However, we know little about how soil nitrogen processes respond to drought stress under climate change. Methods A continuous 5-year experiment of throughfall reduction treatment (TRT) was conducted in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in subtropical China to assess how soil nitrogen processes responded to a change in precipitation. Net nitrogen transformation, soil properties, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN), and microbial community phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs as bacteria, fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)) were investigated in the wet and dry seasons over the period of the manipulation experiment. Results TRT had no significant effects on net ammonification rate (NAR) and nitrogen mineralization rate (NMR), and the unchanged NAR and NMR were mainly caused by the no change of soil nitrogen availability (i.e. NH4 +-N, NO3 −-N and dissolved organic nitrogen). However, TRT significantly increased net nitrification rate (NNR) in the wet season primarily due to the increase in NO3 − concentration, and might be further caused by reduced NO3 − leaching, denitrification or NO3 −-N uptake in the TRT. Differently, TRT significantly decreased the NNR in the dry season, which might be linked to the limited SWC that resulted in greater microbial nitrate immobilization than gross nitrate mineralization. In addition, TRT significantly influenced the soil microbial community composition in 0–10 cm soil layer in the wet season, primarily due to the variations in NO3 −-N, DOC and DON. Conclusions Precipitation reduction affected the NNR rather than NAR and NMR, and consequently, further affected soil N availability and N uptake by Castanopsis hystrix.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40663-019-0174-2Castanopsis hystrixThroughfall reductionMicrobial biomassMicrobial community compositionNet nitrogen mineralization
spellingShingle Lin Chen
Yuanguang Wen
Ji Zeng
Hui Wang
Jingxin Wang
Bernard Dell
Shirong Liu
Differential responses of net N mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern China
Forest Ecosystems
Castanopsis hystrix
Throughfall reduction
Microbial biomass
Microbial community composition
Net nitrogen mineralization
title Differential responses of net N mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern China
title_full Differential responses of net N mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern China
title_fullStr Differential responses of net N mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern China
title_full_unstemmed Differential responses of net N mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern China
title_short Differential responses of net N mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a Castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern China
title_sort differential responses of net n mineralization and nitrification to throughfall reduction in a castanopsis hystrix plantation in southern china
topic Castanopsis hystrix
Throughfall reduction
Microbial biomass
Microbial community composition
Net nitrogen mineralization
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40663-019-0174-2
work_keys_str_mv AT linchen differentialresponsesofnetnmineralizationandnitrificationtothroughfallreductioninacastanopsishystrixplantationinsouthernchina
AT yuanguangwen differentialresponsesofnetnmineralizationandnitrificationtothroughfallreductioninacastanopsishystrixplantationinsouthernchina
AT jizeng differentialresponsesofnetnmineralizationandnitrificationtothroughfallreductioninacastanopsishystrixplantationinsouthernchina
AT huiwang differentialresponsesofnetnmineralizationandnitrificationtothroughfallreductioninacastanopsishystrixplantationinsouthernchina
AT jingxinwang differentialresponsesofnetnmineralizationandnitrificationtothroughfallreductioninacastanopsishystrixplantationinsouthernchina
AT bernarddell differentialresponsesofnetnmineralizationandnitrificationtothroughfallreductioninacastanopsishystrixplantationinsouthernchina
AT shirongliu differentialresponsesofnetnmineralizationandnitrificationtothroughfallreductioninacastanopsishystrixplantationinsouthernchina