Short-term nitrogen fertilization decreased root and microbial respiration in a young Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2015.0113

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims As the primary pathway for CO₂ emission from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere, soil respiration is estimated to be 80 Pg C·a^-1 to 100 Pg C·a^-1, equivalent to 10 fold of fossil fuel emissions. As an important management practice in plantation forests, fertilization does not only increase primary production but also affects soil respiration. To investigate how nitrogen (N) fertilization affects total soil, root and microbial respiration, a N fertilization experiment was conducted in a five-year-old Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation in Huitong, Hunan Province, located in the subtropical region. MethodsOne year after fertilization, soil respiration was monitored monthly by LI-8100 from July 2013 to June 2014. Soil temperature and water content (0-5 cm soil depth) were also measured simultaneously. Available soil nutrients, fine root biomass and microbial communities were analyzed in June 2013. Important findings Total soil, root and microbial respiration rates were 22.7%, 19.6%, and 23.5% lower in the fertilized plots than in the unfertilized plots, respectively. The temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of soil respiration ranged from 1.81 to 2.04, and the Q₁₀ value of microbial respiration decreased from 2.04 in the unfertilized plots to 1.84 in the fertilized plots. However, neither the Q₁₀ value nor the patterns of total soil respiration were affected by N fertilization. In the two-factor model, soil temperature and moisture accounted for 69.9%-79.7% of the seasonal variations in soil respiration. These results suggest that N fertilization reduces the response of soil organic carbon decomposition to temperature change and may contribute to the increase of soil carbon storage under global warming in subtropical plantations.

Key words: Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation, soil carbon emission, heterotrophic respiration, nitrogen fertilization, temperature sensitivity

WANG Qing-Kui,LI Yan-Peng,ZHANG Fang-Yue,HE Tong-Xin. Short-term nitrogen fertilization decreased root and microbial respiration in a young Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation[J]. Chin J Plan Ecolo, 2015, 39(12): 1166-1175.

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https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2015/V39/I12/1166

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References 44

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	全碳 Total C (g·kg^-1)	全氮 Total N (g·kg^-1)	全磷 Total P (g·kg^-1)	pH	容重 Bulk density (g·cm^-3)	树高 Tree height (m)	胸径 Diameter at breast height (cm)
对照 Control	17.2	1.43	0.339	4.50	1.28	5.71	8.27
施氮 N fertilization	18.6	1.55	0.334	4.33	1.22	6.01	8.64

	全碳 Total C (g·kg^-1)	全氮 Total N (g·kg^-1)	全磷 Total P (g·kg^-1)	pH	容重 Bulk density (g·cm^-3)	树高 Tree height (m)	胸径 Diameter at breast height (cm)
对照 Control	17.2	1.43	0.339	4.50	1.28	5.71	8.27
施氮 N fertilization	18.6	1.55	0.334	4.33	1.22	6.01	8.64

	矿质氮 Mineral N (mg·kg^-1)	有效磷 Available P (mg·kg^-1)	pH	细根生物量 Fine root biomass (g·m^-2)	细根碳氮含量 C and N content in fine root (g·kg^-1)
	矿质氮 Mineral N (mg·kg^-1)	有效磷 Available P (mg·kg^-1)	pH	细根生物量 Fine root biomass (g·m^-2)	碳 C	氮 N	C:N
对照 Control	4.94	4.93	4.39	151.1	439.5	6.28	69.9
施氮 N fertilization	13.16	6.49	4.11	102.6	436.2	8.80	49.6
p	<0.001	>0.05	<0.01	<0.05	>0.05	<0.01	<0.01

	矿质氮 Mineral N (mg·kg^-1)	有效磷 Available P (mg·kg^-1)	pH	细根生物量 Fine root biomass (g·m^-2)	细根碳氮含量 C and N content in fine root (g·kg^-1)
	矿质氮 Mineral N (mg·kg^-1)	有效磷 Available P (mg·kg^-1)	pH	细根生物量 Fine root biomass (g·m^-2)	碳 C	氮 N	C:N
对照 Control	4.94	4.93	4.39	151.1	439.5	6.28	69.9
施氮 N fertilization	13.16	6.49	4.11	102.6	436.2	8.80	49.6
p	<0.001	>0.05	<0.01	<0.05	>0.05	<0.01	<0.01

	微生物生物量碳 MBC (mg·kg^-1)	细菌 Bacteria (nmol·g^-1)	真菌 Fungi (nmol·g^-1)	细菌:真菌 Bacteria:fungi	放线菌 Actinomyces (nmol·g^-1)	革兰氏阳性细菌 Gram-positive bacteria (nmol·g^-1)
对照 Control	234	26.25	10.61	2.47	3.99	12.09
施氮 N fertilization	155	19.94	6.76	2.95	3.55	8.90
p	<0.001	<0.05	<0.05	>0.05	>0.05	<0.05