Effects of Increased Nitrogen Availability on C and N Cycles in Tropical Forests: A Meta-Analysis

PLoS One. 2015 Dec 3;10(12):e0144253. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144253. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Atmospheric N deposition is predicted to increase four times over its current status in tropical forests by 2030. Our ability to understand the effects of N enrichment on C and N cycles is being challenged by the large heterogeneity of the tropical forest biome. The specific response will depend on the forest's nutrient status; however, few studies of N addition appear to incorporate the nutrient status in tropical forests, possibly due to difficulties in explaining how this status is maintained. We used a meta-analysis to explore the consequences of the N enrichment on C and N cycles in tropical montane and lowland forests. We tracked changes in aboveground and belowground plant C and N and in mineral soil in response to N addition. We found an increasing trend of plant biomass in montane forests, but not in lowland forests, as well as a greater increase in NO emission in montane forest compared with lowland forest. The N2O and NO emission increase in both forest; however, the N2O increase in lowland forest was significantly even at first time N addition. The NO emission increase showed be greater at first term compared with long term N addition. Moreover, the increase in total soil N, ammonium, microbial N, and dissolved N concentration under N enrichment indicates a rich N status of lowland forests. The available evidence of N addition experiments shows that the lowland forest is richer in N than montane forests. Finally, the greater increase in N leaching and N gas emission highlights the importance of study the N deposition effect on the global climate change.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis

MeSH terms

  • Carbon / metabolism*
  • Climate Change*
  • Ecosystem
  • Forests*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism*
  • Soil / chemistry*
  • Trees
  • Tropical Climate

Substances

  • Soil
  • Carbon
  • Nitrogen

Grants and funding

The authors have no support or funding to report.