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Effects of continuous nitrogen addition on microbial properties and soil organic matter in a Larix gmelinii plantation in China

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Abstract

Continuous increases in anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition are likely to change soil microbial properties, and ultimately to affect soil carbon (C) storage. Temperate plantation forests play key roles in C sequestration, yet mechanisms underlying the influences of N deposition on soil organic matter accumulation are poorly understood. This study assessed the effect of N addition on soil microbial properties and soil organic matter distribution in a larch (Larix gmelinii) plantation. In a 9-year experiment in the plantation, N was applied at 100 kg N ha−1 a−1 to study the effects on soil C and N mineralization, microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and C and N in soil organic matter density fractions, and organic matter chemistry. The results showed that N addition had no influence on C and N contents in whole soil. However, soil C in different fractions responded to N addition differently. Soil C in light fractions did not change with N addition, while soil C in heavy fractions increased significantly. These results suggested that more soil C in heavy fractions was stabilized in the N-treated soils. However, microbial biomass C and N and phenol oxidase activity decreased in the N-treated soils and thus soil C increased in heavy fractions. Although N addition reduced microbial biomass and phenol oxidase activity, it had little effect on soil C mineralization, hydrolytic enzyme activities, δ13C value in soil and C–H stretch, carboxylates and amides, and C–O stretch in soil organic matter chemistry measured by Fourier transform infrared spectra. We conclude that N addition (1) altered microbial biomass and activity without affecting soil C in light fractions and (2) resulted in an increase in soil C in heavy fractions and that this increase was controlled by phenol oxidase activity and soil N availability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Qingyuan Forest Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, People’s Republic of China

    Kai Yang, Jiaojun Zhu, Shuang Xu & Lizhong Yu

  2. Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, People’s Republic of China

    Kai Yang & Jiaojun Zhu

  3. School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People’s Republic of China

    Jiacun Gu & Zhengquan Wang

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  1. Kai Yang
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  2. Jiaojun Zhu
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  3. Jiacun Gu
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  4. Shuang Xu
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Correspondence to Jiaojun Zhu.

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Project funding: This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB416903), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31570600).

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Corresponding editor: Zhu Hong.

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Yang, K., Zhu, J., Gu, J. et al. Effects of continuous nitrogen addition on microbial properties and soil organic matter in a Larix gmelinii plantation in China. J. For. Res. 29, 85–92 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0430-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0430-7

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