CO2 Deficit in Temperate Forest Soils Receiving High Atmospheric N-Deposition

Fleischer, Siegfried

doi:10.1639/0044-7447(2003)032[0002:cditfs]2.0.co;2

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In an ongoing study, CO 2 concentrations in the mineral soil down to 60 cm were higher in the clean rain plot than in the control plot during the summer of 2003 (Lemke, personal communication), indicating that root-associated respiration increased in the clean rain plot. In agreement with our results, Fleischer (2002) reported increasing CO 2 concentrations for many forest soils with decreasing nitrogen deposition along the gradient from the edge into the forest. Opposite results were found, root biomass and soil respiration decreased when N fertilizer was applied to Red pine plantations (Haynes & Gower, 1995).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Clean rain promotes fine root growth and soil respiration in a Norway spruce forest

Lamersdorf

Borken

2004

Global Change Biology

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Soil acidification and N saturation are considered to affect the decomposition of soil organic matter as well as growth and mortality of fine roots in many forest soils. Here we report from a field experiment where ‘clean rain’ has been applied to the soil for about 10 years under a roofed plot of a 71‐year‐old Norway spruce plantation at Solling, Central Germany. Reduced amounts of protons (−78%), sulphate (−53%), ammonium (−86%), and nitrate (−49%) were sprayed on the soil surface of the clean rain plot between 1992 and 2001. In an adjacent roofed control plot, throughfall was collected and immediately re‐sprinkled below the roof construction without any chemical manipulation. One year before the clean rain treatment started, live and dead fine root masses (≤2 mm) were determined from undisturbed soil cores down to 40 cm mineral soil depth. Total live fine root mass was significantly lower in the clean rain plot than in the control plot. After the first sampling, the soil holes were refilled with quartz sand and repeatedly sampled in June 1992, June 1996, and October 2001. There were no differences in live and dead fine root masses between the plots in 1992 and 1996. In 2001, both live and dead fine root masses of the clean rain plot were about twice as high as in the control plot, indicating that fine root growth recovered in the mineral soil following 10 years of clean rain treatment. Moreover, the clean rain treatment significantly reduced the total N concentrations of live fine roots and 1‐year‐old needles. Our results suggest that the reduced N input promoted fine root growth to compensate N deficiency. Reduced Al concentration in soil solution may have contributed to the recovery of fine root growth, however, the toxicity of Al species is largely unknown. Mean annual soil respiration rate was 24% higher in the period from 2000 to 2001, indicating that the clean rain treatment increased respiration of roots and heterotrophic microorganisms within the rhizosphere. Laboratory incubation of samples from the organic horizon and the top mineral soil revealed no differences between the plots in the decay rate of soil organic matter. Our results suggest that strong reductions in atmospheric N deposition from about 30 to 10 kg N ha−1 yr−1 and decreasing acid stress can have beneficial effects on growth of fine roots in the mineral soil within a decade. We conclude that biological recovery under reduced atmospheric loads can affect the nutrient and carbon budget of spruce soils in the long run.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Clean rain promotes fine root growth and soil respiration in a Norway spruce forest

Lamersdorf

Borken

2004

Global Change Biology

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“…Our results (Fig. 1) indicate that additional NH 4 + ‐supply may further enforce the sink, also indicated from in situ CO 2 concentrations (Fleischer, 2003). Some of the high N‐deposition European sites have approached their maximum CO 2 ‐sequestration capacity.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 68%

“…From a geographically extensive study in areas with varying atmospheric N‐deposition, lowest soil CO 2 concentrations (and therefore lowest soil CO 2 emissions) were found in high N‐deposition areas, despite their higher production. These findings were the basis for the hypothesis that nitrogen cycling causes a within‐soil CO 2 ‐sink, allowing only part of CO 2 from soil respiration to leave the soil surface (Fleischer, 2003). This contradicts the previously accepted view that net ecosystem exchange of CO 2 is, by definition, solely the difference between gross photosynthesis and respiration (Baldocchi and Gu, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Nitrogen cycling drives a strong within-soil CO<sub>2</sub>-sink

Fleischer

Bouse

2008

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

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For about three decades, it has not been possible to completely balance global carbon emissions into known pools. A residual (or 'missing') sink remains. Here evidence is presented that part of soil respiration is allocated into an internal soil CO2-sink localized to the saprophytic subsystem (roots excluded). The process occurs in forest, agricultural and grassland soils and is favoured by high N-deposition. Chemoautotrophic nitrification has a key role, and the most efficient internal CO2-sequestration occurs concurrently with lowest soil nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, despite considerable N-loading. Not until drastic N-supply occurs, does the CO2-sink successively breakdown, and nitrate concentrations increase, leading to NO3--leaching. Within-soil CO2-uptake seems to be of the same magnitude as the missing carbon sink. It may be gradually enforced by the ongoing input of nitrogen to the biosphere

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“…Since the present ecosystems are normally far from N saturation, increased amounts of N lead to increased tree growth and hence increased litter production. However, unlike climate, where increased temperature may lead to increased output of C from the soil through increased decomposition, several studies have shown that increased N can hamper decomposition and the related outflow of C from the soil (Berg 2000;Fleischer 2003;Zak et al 2006). Carbon stocks in Swedish forest soils decrease from south to north (Callesen et al 2003;Berggren Kleja et al 2007;Olsson et al 2007), which is somewhat contradictory to the situation in other countries, where the largest pools of soil C are found at higher latitudes (cf.…”

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confidence: 99%

Modelling soil C sequestration in spruce forest ecosystems along a Swedish transect based on current conditions

2007

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The change of current pools of soil C in Norway spruce ecosystems in Sweden were studied using a process-based model (CoupModel). Simulations were conducted for four sites representing different regions covering most of the forested area in Sweden and representing annual mean temperatures from 0.78C to 7.18C. The development of both tree layer and field layer (understory) was simulated during a 100-year period using data on standing stock volumes from the Swedish Forest Inventory to calibrate tree growth using different assumptions regarding N supply to the plants. The model successfully described the general patterns of forest stand dynamics along the Swedish climatic transect, with decreasing tree growth rates and increasing field layer biomass from south to north. However, the current tree growth pattern for the northern parts of Sweden could not be explained without organic N uptake and/or enhanced mineralisation rates compared to the southern parts. Depending on the assumption made regarding N supply to the tree, different soil C sequestration rates were obtained. The approach to supply trees with both mineralised N and organic N, keeping the soil C:N ratio constant during the simulation period was found to be the most realistic alternative. With this approach the soils in the northern region of Sweden lost 5 g C m À2 year À1 , the soils in the central region lost 2 g C m À2 year À1 , and the soils in the two southern regions sequestered 9 and 23 g C m À2 year À1 , respectively. In addition to climatic effects, the feedback between C and N turnover plays an important role that needs to be more clearly understood to improve estimates of C sequestration in boreal forest ecosystems.

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CO2 Deficit in Temperate Forest Soils Receiving High Atmospheric N-Deposition

Cited by 4 publications

References 39 publications

Clean rain promotes fine root growth and soil respiration in a Norway spruce forest

Clean rain promotes fine root growth and soil respiration in a Norway spruce forest

Nitrogen cycling drives a strong within-soil CO<sub>2</sub>-sink

Modelling soil C sequestration in spruce forest ecosystems along a Swedish transect based on current conditions

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