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Nitrogen deposition affects both net and gross soil nitrogen transformations in forest ecosystems: A review.
- Source :
-
Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) [Environ Pollut] 2019 Jan; Vol. 244, pp. 608-616. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Oct 11. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Nitrogen (N) deposition has rapidly increased and is influencing forest ecosystem processes and functions on a global scale. Understanding process-specific N transformations, i.e., gross N transformations, in forest soils in response to N deposition is of great significance to gain mechanistic insights on the linkages between global N deposition and N availability or loss in forest soils. In this paper, we review factors controlling N mineralization, nitrification and N immobilization, particularly in relation to N deposition, discuss the limitations of net N transformation studies, and synthesize the literature on the effect of N deposition on gross N transformations in forest ecosystems. We found that more than 97% of published papers evaluating the effect of N deposition (including N addition experiments that simulate N deposition) on soil N cycle determined net rates of mineralization and nitrification, showing that N deposition significantly increased those rates by 24.9 and 153.9%, respectively. However, studies on net N transformation do not provide a mechanistic understanding of the effect of N deposition on N cycling. To date, a small number of studies (<20 published papers) have directly quantified the effect of N deposition on gross N transformation rates, limiting our understanding of the response of soil N cycling to N deposition. The responses to N deposition of specific N transformation processes such as autotrophic nitrification, heterotrophic nitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, N mineralization, and N immobilization are poorly studied. Future research needs to use more holistic approaches to study the impact of N deposition on gross N transformation rates, N loss and retention, and their microbial-driven mechanisms to provide a better understanding of the processes involved in N transformations, and to understand the differential responses between forest and other ecosystems.<br /> (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1873-6424
- Volume :
- 244
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 30384066
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.054