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Houle D, Renaudin M, Duchesne L, Moore JD, Benoist A. Soil solution chemistry weak response to long-term N addition points towards a strong resilience of northeastern American forests to past and future N deposition. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174387. [PMID: 38955275 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Northern temperate and boreal forests are large biomes playing crucial ecological and environmental roles, such as carbon sequestration. Despite being generally remote, these forests were exposed to anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition over the last two centuries and may still experience elevated N deposition as human activities expand towards high latitudes. However, the impacts of long-term high N deposition on these N-limited forest ecosystems remain unclear. For 18 years, we simulated N deposition by chronically adding ammonium nitrate at rates of 3 (LN treatment) and 10 (HN treatment) times the ambient N deposition estimated at the beginning of the experiment at a temperate sugar maple and a boreal balsam fir forest site, both located in northeastern America. LN and HN treatments corresponded respectively to addition of 26 kgN·ha-1·yr-1 and 85 kgN·ha-1·yr-1 at the temperate site and 17 kgN·ha-1·yr-1 and 57 kgN·ha-1·yr-1 at the boreal site. Between 2002 and 2018, soil solution was collected weekly during summer and concentrations of NO3-, NH4+, Ca2+ and pH were measured, totalling ~12,700-13,500 observations per variable on the study period. N treatments caused soil solution NO3-, NH4+ and Ca2+ concentrations to increase while reducing its pH. However, ion responses manifested through punctual high concentration events (predominantly on the HN plots) that were very rare and leached N quantity was extremely low at both sites. Therefore, N addition corresponding to 54 years (LN treatment) and 180 years (HN treatment) of accelerated ambient N deposition had overall small impacts on soil solution chemistry. Our results indicate an important N retention of northeastern American forests and an unexpected strong resilience of their soil solution chemistry to long-term simulated N deposition, potentially explained by the widespread N-limitation in high latitude ecosystems. This finding can help predict the future productivity of N-limited forests and improve forest management strategies in northeastern America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Houle
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 105 McGill St., Montréal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada; Université du Québec à Montréal, Département des Sciences Biologiques, 141 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y4, Canada.
| | - Marie Renaudin
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 105 McGill St., Montréal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada; Université du Québec à Montréal, Département des Sciences Biologiques, 141 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y4, Canada
| | - Louis Duchesne
- Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec, QC G1P 3W8, Canada
| | - Jean-David Moore
- Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec, QC G1P 3W8, Canada
| | - Apolline Benoist
- Université de Sherbrooke, Département de Chimie, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
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Li H, Zhao Y, Weng X, Zhou Y, Huo Y, Zhang S, Liu L, Pei J. Effects of exogenous calcium additions on the ecological stoichiometric characteristics of various organs and soil nutrients and their internal stability in Pinus tabuliformis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1428011. [PMID: 39301157 PMCID: PMC11410691 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1428011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Pinus tabuliformis as a crucial afforestation species in semi-arid regions, faces issues such as the reduction of plantations. Calcium plays a significant role in alleviating drought stress and promoting nutrient uptake in plants. Methods Utilizing a pot experiment approach, seedlings were treated with exogenous calcium at five concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg•kg-1). The nutrient content of the plants and soil was measured, and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics and internal stability were analyzed. This was followed by a series of related studies. Results As the concentration of calcium increases, the contents of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in various organs and the whole plant exhibit a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, peaking at calcium treatment of 50-100 mg•kg-1. Concurrently, the calcium concentration in plant organs and the entire plant gradually increases with the availability of calcium in the soil. The addition of exogenous calcium has a certain impact on the ecological stoichiometric ratios (C:N, C:P, N:P) of Pinus tabuliformis seedlings' leaves, stems, roots, and the whole plant, exhibiting distinct variation characteristics. At calcium concentrations of 50-100 mg•kg-1, the ratios of C:N and C:P are relatively lower. Under calcium concentrations of 0, 50, and 100 mg•kg-1, soil calcium shows a positive correlation with the total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), and calcium contents in leaves, stems, roots, and the entire plant. However, at calcium concentrations of 200 and 400 mg•kg-1, soil calcium exhibits a significant positive correlation with the calcium content in leaves, stems, roots, and the entire plant, and a significant negative correlation with the total phosphorus, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium contents. After the addition of exogenous calcium at different concentrations, most stoichiometric indices of various organs of Pinus tabuliformis seedlings demonstrate strong balance. Discussion Calcium, as an essential structural component and second messenger, regulates the nutrient uptake and utilization in plants, influencing the stoichiometry. However, both low and high concentrations of calcium can be detrimental to plant growth by disrupting nutrient metabolism and internal structures. Consequently, there exists an optimal calcium concentration for nutrient absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Changtu, China
| | - Yaoyao Zhao
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Changtu, China
| | - Xiaohang Weng
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Changtu, China
| | - Yongbin Zhou
- Institute of Modern Agricultural Research, Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Yan Huo
- Liaoning Dryland Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Chaoyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Songzhu Zhang
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Changtu, China
| | - Liying Liu
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Changtu, China
| | - Jiubo Pei
- College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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Houle D, Moore JD, Renaudin M. Eastern Canadian boreal forest soil and foliar chemistry show evidence of resilience to long-term nitrogen addition. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2958. [PMID: 38425036 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The boreal forest is one of the world's largest terrestrial biome and plays crucial roles in global biogeochemical cycles, such as carbon (C) sequestration in vegetation and soil. However, the impacts of decades of N deposition on N-limited ecosystems, like the eastern Canadian boreal forest, remain unclear. For 13 years, N deposition was simulated by periodically adding ammonium nitrate on soils of two boreal coniferous forests (i.e., balsam fir and black spruce) of eastern Canada, at low (LN) and high (HN) rates, corresponding to 3 and 10 times the ambient N deposition, respectively. We show that more than a decade of N addition had no strong effects on mineral soil C, N, P, and cation concentrations and on foliar total Ca, K, Mg, and Mn concentrations. In organic soil, C stock was not affected by N addition while N stock increased, and exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ decreased at the balsam fir site under HN treatment. At both sites, LN treatment had nearly no impact on foliage and soil chemistry but foliar N and N:P significantly increased under HN treatment, potentially leading to foliar nutrient imbalance. Overall, our work indicates that, in the eastern Canadian boreal forest, soil and foliar nutrient concentrations and stocks are resilient to increasing N deposition potentially because, in the context of N limitation, extra N would be rapidly immobilized by soil micro-organisms and vegetation. These findings could improve modeling future boreal forest soil C stocks and biomass growth and could help in planning forest management strategies in eastern Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Houle
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-David Moore
- Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie Renaudin
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Xing A, Du E, Shen H, Xu L, Zhao M, Liu X, Fang J. High-level nitrogen additions accelerate soil respiration reduction over time in a boreal forest. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1869-1878. [PMID: 35763602 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Increased nitrogen (N) inputs are widely recognised to reduce soil respiration (Rs), but how N deposition affects the temporal dynamics of Rs remains unclear. Using a decade-long fertilisation experiment in a boreal larch forest (Larix gmelini) in northeast China, we found that the effects of N additions on Rs showed a temporal shift from a positive effect in the short-term (increased by 8% on average in the first year) to a negative effect over the longer term (decreased by 21% on average in the 11th year). The rates of decrease in Rs for the higher N levels were almost twice as high as those of the low N level. Our results suggest that the reduction in Rs in response to increased N input is accelerated by high-level N additions, and experimental high N applications are likely to overestimate the contribution of N deposition to soil carbon sequestration in a boreal forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijun Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Enzai Du
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Haihua Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Longchao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mengying Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyun Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Xing A, Du E, Shen H, Xu L, de Vries W, Zhao M, Liu X, Fang J. Nonlinear responses of ecosystem carbon fluxes to nitrogen deposition in an old-growth boreal forest. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:77-88. [PMID: 34694058 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) deposition is known to increase carbon (C) sequestration in N-limited boreal forests. However, the long-term effects of N deposition on ecosystem carbon fluxes have been rarely investigated in old-growth boreal forests. Here we show that decade-long experimental N additions significantly stimulated net primary production (NPP) but the effect decreased with increasing N loads. The effect on soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) shifted from a stimulation at low-level N additions to an inhibition at higher levels of N additions. Consequently, low-level N additions resulted in a neutral effect on net ecosystem productivity (NEP), due to a comparable stimulating effect on NPP and Rh, while NEP was increased by high-level N additions. Moreover, we found nonlinear temporal responses of NPP, Rh and NEP to low-level N additions. Our findings imply that actual N deposition in boreal forests likely exerts a minor contribution to their soil C storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijun Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Enzai Du
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Haihua Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Longchao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wim de Vries
- Wageningen University and Research, Environmental Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Mengying Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyun Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing, China
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