Reduction of forest soil respiration in response to nitrogen deposition

Citation

Janssens I, Dieleman W, Luyssaert S, Subke J, Reichstein M, Ceulemans R, Ciais P, Dolman AJ, Grace J, Matteucci G, Papale D, Piao S, Schulze E, Tang J & Law BE (2010) Reduction of forest soil respiration in response to nitrogen deposition. Nature Geoscience, 3 (5), pp. 315-322. http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/ngeo844; https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo844

Abstract
The use of fossil fuels and fertilizers has increased the amount of biologically reactive nitrogen in the atmosphere over the past century. As a consequence, forests in industrialized regions have experienced greater rates of nitrogen deposition in recent decades. This unintended fertilization has stimulated forest growth, but has also affected soil microbial activity, and thus the recycling of soil carbon and nutrients. A meta-analysis suggests that nitrogen deposition impedes organic matter decomposition, and thus stimulates carbon sequestration, in temperate forest soils where nitrogen is not limiting microbial growth. The concomitant reduction in soil carbon emissions is substantial, and equivalent in magnitude to the amount of carbon taken up by trees owing to nitrogen fertilization. As atmospheric nitrogen levels continue to rise, increased nitrogen deposition could spread to older, more weathered soils, as found in the tropics; however, soil carbon cycling in tropical forests cannot yet be assessed.

Keywords
NORTHERN HARDWOOD FORESTS; ATMOSPHERIC NITRATE DEPOSITION; ORGANIC-MATTER DECOMPOSITION; LITTER DECOMPOSITION; CARBON SEQUESTRATION; MICROBIAL BIOMASS; BOREAL FOREST; TEMPERATE FOREST; HUMIC SUBSTANCES; EUROPEAN FORESTS; Soil aeration Environmental aspects; Soils Nitrogen content; Forest ecology

Journal
Nature Geoscience: Volume 3, Issue 5

People

Professor Jens-Arne Subke

Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences