1
|
Wang Y, Yao Z, Wang Y, Yan G, Janz B, Wang X, Zhan Y, Wang R, Zheng X, Zhou M, Zhu B, Kiese R, Wolf B, Butterbach-Bahl K. Characteristics of annual NH 3 emissions from a conventional vegetable field under various nitrogen management strategies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 342:118276. [PMID: 37276627 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
High N-fertilizer applications to conventional vegetable production systems are associated with substantial emissions of NH3, a key substance that triggers haze pollution and ecosystem eutrophication and thus, causing considerable damage to human and ecosystem health. While N fertilization effects on NH3 volatilization from cereal crops have been relatively well studied, little is known about the magnitude and yield-scaled emissions of NH3 from vegetable systems. Here we report on a 2-year field study investigating the effect of various types and rates of fertilizer application on NH3 emissions and crop yields for a pepper-lettuce-cabbage rotation system in southwest China. Our results show that both NH3 emissions and direct emission factors of applied N varied largely across seasons over the 2-year period, highlighting the importance of measurements spanning entire cropping years. Across all treatments varying from solely applying urea fertilizers to only using organic manures, annual NH3 emissions ranged from 0.64 to 92.4 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (or 0.07-6.84 g N kg-1 dry matter), equivalent to 0.05-5.99% of the applied N. At annual scale, NH3 emissions correlated positively with soil δ15N values, indicating that soil δ15N may be used as an indicator for NH3 losses. NH3 emissions from treatments fertilized partially or fully with manure were significantly lower compared with the urea fertilized treatment, while vegetable yields remained unaffected. Moreover, full substitution of urea by manure as compared to the partial substitution further reduced the yield-scaled annual NH3 emissions by 79.0-92.4%. Across all vegetable seasons, there is a significant negative relationship between yield-scaled NH3 emissions and crop N use efficiency. Overall, our results suggest that substituting urea by manure and reducing total N inputs by 30-50% allows to reduce NH3 emissions without jeopardizing yields. Such a change in management provides a feasible option to achieve environmental sustainability and food security in conventional vegetable systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, PR China; College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Zhisheng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, PR China; College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China.
| | - Yanqiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Guangxuan Yan
- Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, PR China
| | - Baldur Janz
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 82467, Germany
| | - Xiaogang Wang
- Sichuan Institute of Nuclear Geological Survey, Chengdu, 610061, PR China
| | - Yang Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, PR China; College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Xunhua Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, PR China; College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Minghua Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Ralf Kiese
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 82467, Germany
| | - Benjamin Wolf
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 82467, Germany
| | - Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, PR China; Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 82467, Germany; Pioneer Center Land-CRAFT, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mao J, Mao Q, Gundersen P, Gurmesa GA, Zhang W, Huang J, Wang S, Li A, Wang Y, Guo Y, Liu R, Mo J, Zheng M. Unexpected high retention of 15 N-labeled nitrogen in a tropical legume forest under long-term nitrogen enrichment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1529-1543. [PMID: 34800306 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The responses of forests to nitrogen (N) deposition largely depend on the fates of deposited N within the ecosystem. Nitrogen-fixing legume trees widely occur in terrestrial forests, but the fates of deposited N in legume-dominated forests remain unclear, which limit a global evaluation of N deposition impacts and feedbacks on carbon sequestration. Here, we performed the first ecosystem-scale 15 N labeling experiment in a typical legume-dominated forest as well as in a nearby non-legume forest to determine the fates of N deposition between two different forest types and to explore their underlying mechanisms. The 15 N was sprayed bimonthly for 1 year to the forest floor in control and N addition (50 kg N ha-1 year-1 for 10 years) plots in both forests. We unexpectedly found a strong capacity of the legume forest to retain deposited N, with 75 ± 5% labeled N recovered in plants and soils, which was higher than that in the non-legume forest (56 ± 4%). The higher 15 N recovery in legume forest was mainly driven by uptake by the legume trees, in which 15 N recovery was approximately 15% more than that in the nearby non-legume trees. This indicates higher N-demand by the legume than non-legume trees. Mineral soil was the major sink for deposited N, with 39 ± 4% and 34 ± 3% labeled N retained in the legume and non-legume forests, respectively. Moreover, N addition did not significantly change the 15 N recovery patterns of both forests. Overall, these findings indicate that legume-dominated forests act as a strong sink for deposited N regardless of high soil N availability under long-term atmospheric N deposition, which suggest a necessity to incorporate legume-dominated forests into N-cycling models of Earth systems to improve the understanding and prediction of terrestrial N budgets and the global N deposition effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinhua Mao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Qinggong Mao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Per Gundersen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Geshere A Gurmesa
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Senhao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Andi Li
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yufang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yabing Guo
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongzhen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangming Mo
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mianhai Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hyodo F, Takebayashi Y, Makabe A, Wardle DA, Koba K. Changes in stable nitrogen isotopes of plants, bulk soil and soil dissolved N during ecosystem retrogression in boreal forest. Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fujio Hyodo
- Research Core for Interdisciplinary Sciences Okayama University Tsushimanaka Okayama Japan
| | - Yu Takebayashi
- Faculty of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Akiko Makabe
- Faculty of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
- Institute for Extra‐Cutting‐Edge Science and Technology Avant‐Garde Research (X‐Star) Yokosuka Japan
| | | | - Keisuke Koba
- Faculty of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tokyo Japan
- Center for Ecological Research Kyoto University Otsu Shiga Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tatsumi C, Hyodo F, Taniguchi T, Shi W, Koba K, Fukushima K, Du S, Yamanaka N, Templer P, Tateno R. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Community in Roots and Nitrogen Uptake Patterns of Understory Trees Beneath Ectomycorrhizal and Non-ectomycorrhizal Overstory Trees. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:583585. [PMID: 33519844 PMCID: PMC7840530 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.583585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is an essential plant nutrient, and plants can take up N from several sources, including via mycorrhizal fungal associations. The N uptake patterns of understory plants may vary beneath different types of overstory trees, especially through the difference in their type of mycorrhizal association (arbuscular mycorrhizal, AM; or ectomycorrhizal, ECM), because soil mycorrhizal community and N availability differ beneath AM (non-ECM) and ECM overstory trees (e.g., relatively low nitrate content beneath ECM overstory trees). To test this hypothesis, we examined six co-existing AM-symbiotic understory tree species common beneath both AM-symbiotic black locust (non-ECM) and ECM-symbiotic oak trees of dryland forests in China. We measured AM fungal community composition of roots and natural abundance stable isotopic composition of N (δ15N) in plant leaves, roots, and soils. The root mycorrhizal community composition of understory trees did not significantly differ between beneath non-ECM and ECM overstory trees, although some OTUs more frequently appeared beneath non-ECM trees. Understory trees beneath non-ECM overstory trees had similar δ15N values in leaves and soil nitrate, suggesting that they took up most of their nitrogen as nitrate. Beneath ECM overstory trees, understory trees had consistently lower leaf than root δ15N, suggesting they depended on mycorrhizal fungi for N acquisition since mycorrhizal fungi transfer isotopically light N to host plants. Additionally, leaf N concentrations in the understory trees were lower beneath ECM than the non-ECM overstory trees. Our results show that, without large differences in root mycorrhizal community, the N uptake patterns of understory trees vary between beneath different overstory trees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chikae Tatsumi
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Fujio Hyodo
- Research Core for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | | | - Weiyu Shi
- School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Keisuke Koba
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Shiga, Japan
| | | | - Sheng Du
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Pamela Templer
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ryunosuke Tateno
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Timilsina A, Dong W, Luo J, Lindsey S, Wang Y, Hu C. Nitrogen isotopic signatures and fluxes of N 2O in response to land-use change on naturally occurring saline-alkaline soil. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21253. [PMID: 33277591 PMCID: PMC7718238 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78149-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The conversion of natural grassland to semi-natural or artificial ecosystems is a large-scale land-use change (LUC) commonly occurring to saline–alkaline land. Conversion of natural to artificial ecosystems, with addition of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) fertilizer, influences N availability in the soil that may result in higher N2O emission along with depletion of 15N, while converting from natural to semi-natural the influence may be small. So, this study assesses the impact of LUC on N2O emission and 15N in N2O emitted from naturally occurring saline–alkaline soil when changing from natural grassland (Phragmites australis) to semi-natural [Tamarix chinensis (Tamarix)] and to cropland (Gossypium spp.). The grassland and Tamarix ecosystems were not subject to any management practice, while the cropland received fertilizer and irrigation. Overall, median N2O flux was significantly different among the ecosystems with the highest from the cropland (25.3 N2O-N µg m−2 h−1), intermediate (8.2 N2O-N µg m−2 h−1) from the Tamarix and the lowest (4.0 N2O-N µg m−2 h−1) from the grassland ecosystem. The 15N isotopic signatures in N2O emitted from the soil were also significantly affected by the LUC with more depleted from cropland (− 25.3 ‰) and less depleted from grassland (− 0.18 ‰). Our results suggested that the conversion of native saline–alkaline grassland with low N to Tamarix or cropland is likely to result in increased soil N2O emission and also contributes significantly to the depletion of the 15N in atmospheric N2O, and the contribution of anthropogenic N addition was found more significant than any other processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arbindra Timilsina
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050021, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Wenxu Dong
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050021, China
| | - Jiafa Luo
- Land and Environment, AgResearch, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
| | - Stuart Lindsey
- Land and Environment, AgResearch, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
| | - Yuying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050021, China
| | - Chunsheng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050021, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Shinoda K, Yano M, Yoh M, Yoshida M, Makabe A, Yamagata Y, Houlton BZ, Koba K. Control of the Nitrogen Isotope Composition of the Fungal Biomass: Evidence of Microbial Nitrogen Use Efficiency. Microbes Environ 2019; 34:5-12. [PMID: 30555122 PMCID: PMC6440729 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me18082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in 15N/14N in the soil microbial biomass during nitrogen (N) mineralization have been hypothesized to influence 15N/14N in soil organic matter among ecosystem sites. However, a direct experimental test of this mechanism has not yet been performed. To evaluate the potential control of microbial N mineralization on the natural N isotope composition, we cultured fungi (Aspergillus oryzae) in five types of media of varying C:N ratios of 5, 10, 30, 50, and 100 for 4 d, and tracked changes in δ15N in the microbial biomass, NH4+, and dissolved organic N (DON: glycine) over the course of the experiment. High rates of NH4+ excretion from A. oryzae were accompanied by an increase in δ15N in the microbial biomass in low C:N media (i.e., C/N<30). In contrast, NH4+ was strongly retained in higher C/N treatments with only minor (i.e., <1 ‰) changes being detected in δ15N in the microbial biomass. Differences in δ15N in the microbial biomass were attributed to the loss of low-δ15N NH4+ in low, but not high C/N substrates. We also detected a negative linear correlation between microbial nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and Δ15N (δ15N-biomass-δ15N-glycine). These results suggest an isotope effect during NH4+ excretion in relatively N-repleted environments in which microbial NUE is low, which may explain the vertical patterns of organic matter δ15N in soil profiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Shinoda
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyo, 183–8509Japan
| | - Midori Yano
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyo, 183–8509Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto UniversityShiga, 520–2113Japan
| | - Muneoki Yoh
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyo, 183–8509Japan
| | - Makoto Yoshida
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyo, 183–8509Japan
| | - Akiko Makabe
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyo, 183–8509Japan
- Project Team for Development of New-generation Research Protocol for Submarine Resources, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and TechnologyKanagawa, 237–0061Japan
| | - Yohei Yamagata
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyo, 183–8509Japan
| | - Benjamin Z. Houlton
- Department of Land Air and Water Resources, University of CaliforniaDavis, California 95616USA
| | - Keisuke Koba
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and TechnologyTokyo, 183–8509Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto UniversityShiga, 520–2113Japan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liu XY, Xiao HW, Xiao HY, Song W, Sun XC, Zheng XD, Liu CQ, Koba K. Stable isotope analyses of precipitation nitrogen sources in Guiyang, southwestern China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 230:486-494. [PMID: 28688925 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To constrain sources of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is critical for effective reduction of reactive N emissions and better evaluation of N deposition effects. This study measured δ15N signatures of nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+) and total dissolved N (TDN) in precipitation at Guiyang, southwestern China and estimated contributions of dominant N sources using a Bayesian isotope mixing model. For NO3-, the contribution of non-fossil N oxides (NOx, mainly from biomass burning (24 ± 12%) and microbial N cycle (26 ± 5%)) equals that of fossil NOx, to which vehicle exhausts (31 ± 19%) contributed more than coal combustion (19 ± 9%). For NH4+, ammonia (NH3) from volatilization sources (mainly animal wastes (22 ± 12%) and fertilizers (22 ± 10%)) contributed less than NH3 from combustion sources (mainly biomass burning (17 ± 8%), vehicle exhausts (19 ± 11%) and coal combustions (19 ± 12%)). Dissolved organic N (DON) accounted for 41% in precipitation TDN deposition during the study period. Precipitation DON had higher δ15N values in cooler months (13.1‰) than in warmer months (-7.0‰), indicating the dominance of primary and secondary ON sources, respectively. These results newly underscored the importance of non-fossil NOx, fossil NH3 and organic N in precipitation N inputs of urban environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Yan Liu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China.
| | - Hong-Wei Xiao
- Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment (Ministry of Education), East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China; School of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Hua-Yun Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China.
| | - Wei Song
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xin-Chao Sun
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xu-Dong Zheng
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Cong-Qiang Liu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Keisuke Koba
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan; Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yu L, Zhu J, Mulder J, Dörsch P. Multiyear dual nitrate isotope signatures suggest that N-saturated subtropical forested catchments can act as robust N sinks. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:3662-3674. [PMID: 27124387 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In forests of the humid subtropics of China, chronically elevated nitrogen (N) deposition, predominantly as ammonium (NH4+ ), causes significant nitrate (NO3- ) leaching from well-drained acid forest soils on hill slopes (HS), whereas significant retention of NO3- occurs in near-stream environments (groundwater discharge zones, GDZ). To aid our understanding of N transformations on the catchment level, we studied spatial and temporal variabilities of concentration and natural abundance (δ15 N and δ18 O) of nitrate (NO3- ) in soil pore water along a hydrological continuum in the N-saturated Tieshanping (TSP) catchment, southwest China. Our data show that effective removal of atmogenic NH4+ and production of NO3- in soils on HS were associated with a significant decrease in δ15 N-NO3- , suggesting efficient nitrification despite low soil pH. The concentration of NO3- declined sharply along the hydrological flow path in the GDZ. This decline was associated with a significant increase in both δ15 N and δ18 O of residual NO3- , providing evidence that the GDZ acts as an N sink due to denitrification. The observed apparent 15 N enrichment factor (ε) of NO3- of about -5‰ in the GDZ is similar to values previously reported for efficient denitrification in riparian and groundwater systems. Episode studies in the summers of 2009, 2010 and 2013 revealed that the spatial pattern of δ15 N and δ18 O-NO3- in soil water was remarkably similar from year to year. The importance of denitrification as a major N sink was also seen at the catchment scale, as largest δ15 N-NO3- values in stream water were observed at lowest discharge, confirming the importance of the relatively small GDZ for N removal under base flow conditions. This study, explicitly recognizing hydrologically connected landscape elements, reveals an overlooked but robust N sink in N-saturated, subtropical forests with important implications for regional N budgets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Yu
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, N-1432, Aas, Norway
| | - Jing Zhu
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, N-1432, Aas, Norway
- Department of Environment and Resources, Guangxi Normal University, 541004, Guilin, China
| | - Jan Mulder
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, N-1432, Aas, Norway
| | - Peter Dörsch
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postbox 5003, N-1432, Aas, Norway.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Tu Y, Fang Y, Liu D, Pan Y. Modifications to the azide method for nitrate isotope analysis. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2016; 30:1213-1222. [PMID: 28328022 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The azide method for measuring the stable isotope ratios of nitrate (NO3- ) is easy to set up. However, the method requires spongy cadmium (Cd) or activated Cd powder which are not easy to prepare, and a toxic azide buffer is used. We aimed to use Cd powder directly to simplify preparation and to substantially reduce the azide dose. METHODS The reaction conditions were optimized in order to maximize the NO3- reduction yield. The original azide buffer was diluted by 10- to 10000-fold with or without addition of sodium acetate to reduce O-exchange between nitrite (NO2- ) and H2 O. The isotope ratios of the produced nitrous oxide (N2 O), used to examine the overall reaction performance, were measured using a purge and cryogenic trap system coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. RESULTS It was found that Cd powder could be directly used to reduce NO3- to NO2- . A 100-fold diluted azide buffer could be used to reduce NO2- to N2 O when only the δ15 N value was measured, and the diluted azide buffer with sodium acetate when both δ15 N and δ18 O values were measured. Using the modified method, the standard deviations of the δ15 N and δ18 O measurements of international NO3- standards were 0.1 to 1.0‰ and often better than 0.3‰ (3 replicates). CONCLUSIONS Compared with the original azide method, the techniques described here can reduce preparation time by using Cd powder without activation in the first reaction step and substantially (by >60-fold) reduce the dose of extremely toxic reagents containing azide by incorporating sodium acetate in the second reaction step. Our modified method is suitable for samples with small volume (5 mL), being different from previous methods in which 50 or 70 mL samples were used. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Tu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
- Qingyuan Forest CERN, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Yunting Fang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
- Qingyuan Forest CERN, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Dongwei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
- Qingyuan Forest CERN, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Yuepeng Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Mnich ME, Houlton BZ. Evidence for a uniformly small isotope effect of nitrogen leaching loss: results from disturbed ecosystems in seasonally dry climates. Oecologia 2015; 181:323-33. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3433-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
11
|
Convergence of soil nitrogen isotopes across global climate gradients. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8280. [PMID: 25655192 PMCID: PMC4319163 DOI: 10.1038/srep08280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying global patterns of terrestrial nitrogen (N) cycling is central to predicting future patterns of primary productivity, carbon sequestration, nutrient fluxes to aquatic systems, and climate forcing. With limited direct measures of soil N cycling at the global scale, syntheses of the 15N:14N ratio of soil organic matter across climate gradients provide key insights into understanding global patterns of N cycling. In synthesizing data from over 6000 soil samples, we show strong global relationships among soil N isotopes, mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), and the concentrations of organic carbon and clay in soil. In both hot ecosystems and dry ecosystems, soil organic matter was more enriched in 15N than in corresponding cold ecosystems or wet ecosystems. Below a MAT of 9.8°C, soil δ15N was invariant with MAT. At the global scale, soil organic C concentrations also declined with increasing MAT and decreasing MAP. After standardizing for variation among mineral soils in soil C and clay concentrations, soil δ15N showed no consistent trends across global climate and latitudinal gradients. Our analyses could place new constraints on interpretations of patterns of ecosystem N cycling and global budgets of gaseous N loss.
Collapse
|
12
|
Liu D, Fang Y, Tu Y, Pan Y. Chemical Method for Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of Ammonium at Natural Abundance. Anal Chem 2014; 86:3787-92. [DOI: 10.1021/ac403756u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dongwei Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110164, China
- College
of Sources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yunting Fang
- State
Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110164, China
| | - Ying Tu
- State
Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110164, China
| | - Yuepeng Pan
- State
Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric
Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Huber E, Bell TL, Adams MA. Combustion influences on natural abundance nitrogen isotope ratio in soil and plants following a wildfire in a sub-alpine ecosystem. Oecologia 2013; 173:1063-74. [PMID: 23649752 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2665-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This before-and-after-impact study uses the natural abundance N isotope ratio (δ(15)N) to investigate the effects of a wildfire on sub-alpine ecosystem properties and processes. We measured the (15)N signatures of soil, charred organic material, ash and foliage in three sub-alpine plant communities (grassland, heathland and woodland) in south-eastern Australia. Surface bulk soil was temporarily enriched in (15)N immediately after wildfire compared to charred organic material and ash in all plant communities. We associated the enrichment of bulk soil with fractionation of N during combustion and volatilization of N, a process that also explains the sequential enrichment of (15)N of unburnt leaves > ash > charred organic material in relation to duration and intensity of heating. The rapid decline in (15)N of bulk soil to pre-fire values indicates that depleted ash, containing considerable amounts of total N, was readily incorporated into the soil. Foliar δ(15)N also increased with values peaking 1 year post-fire. Foliar enrichment was foremost coupled with the release of enriched NH4(+) into the soil owing to isotopic discrimination during volatilization of soluble N and combustion of organic material. The mode of post-fire regeneration influenced foliar (15)N enrichment in two species indicating use of different sources of N following fire. The use of natural abundance of (15)N in soil, ash and foliage as a means of tracing transformation of N during wildfire has established the importance of combustion products as an important, albeit temporary source of inorganic N for plants regenerating after wildfire.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edith Huber
- Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne, Water Street, Creswick, VIC, 3363, Australia,
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bai E, Boutton TW, Liu F, Wu XB, Archer SR. 15N isoscapes in a subtropical savanna parkland: spatial-temporal perspectives. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es12-00187.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|
15
|
Fang Y, Koba K, Yoh M, Makabe A, Liu X. Patterns of foliar δ15N and their control in Eastern Asian forests. Ecol Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-012-0934-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|