Simulated nitrogen deposition reduces CH4 uptake and increases N2O emission from a subtropical plantation forest soil in southern China

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 8;9(4):e93571. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093571. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

To date, few studies are conducted to quantify the effects of reduced ammonium (NH4+) and oxidized nitrate (NO3-) on soil CH4 uptake and N2O emission in the subtropical forests. In this study, NH4Cl and NaNO3 fertilizers were applied at three rates: 0, 40 and 120 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1). Soil CH4 and N2O fluxes were determined twice a week using the static chamber technique and gas chromatography. Soil temperature and moisture were simultaneously measured. Soil dissolved N concentration in 0-20 cm depth was measured weekly to examine the regulation to soil CH4 and N2O fluxes. Our results showed that one year of N addition did not affect soil temperature, soil moisture, soil total dissolved N (TDN) and NH4+-N concentrations, but high levels of applied NH4Cl and NaNO3 fertilizers significantly increased soil NO3(-)-N concentration by 124% and 157%, respectively. Nitrogen addition tended to inhibit soil CH4 uptake, but significantly promoted soil N2O emission by 403% to 762%. Furthermore, NH4+-N fertilizer application had a stronger inhibition to soil CH4 uptake and a stronger promotion to soil N2O emission than NO3(-)-N application. Also, both soil CH4 and N2O fluxes were driven by soil temperature and moisture, but soil inorganic N availability was a key integrator of soil CH4 uptake and N2O emission. These results suggest that the subtropical plantation soil sensitively responses to atmospheric N deposition, and inorganic N rather than organic N is the regulator to soil CH4 uptake and N2O emission.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Computer Simulation
  • Environmental Monitoring*
  • Fertilizers / analysis
  • Forests*
  • Methane / analysis*
  • Models, Chemical
  • Nitrates / analysis
  • Nitrogen / analysis
  • Nitrous Oxide / analysis*
  • Soil / chemistry*
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Fertilizers
  • Nitrates
  • Soil
  • Nitrous Oxide
  • Nitrogen
  • Methane

Grants and funding

This project was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31290222, 31130009, 31290221, 31070435, and 41071166), Development Plan Program of State Key Basic Research (No. 2012CB41710, 32010CB833502, and 2010CB833501), Bingwei's Funds for Young Talents from Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, (No. 2011RC202) and CAS Strategic Priority Program (No. XDA 05050600). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.