Boeckx, Pascal

Huygens, Dries

Müller, Christoph

Staelens, Jeroen

Verheyen, Kris

English

Ghent University Academic Bibliography

 Poster abstract - NitroEurope IP Open Science Conference   Reactive Nitrogen and the European Greenhouse Gas Balance   Title: (max. 250 characters) Nitrogen dynamics in coniferous and deciduous forest soils determined using a N-15 tracing model  Authors: Jeroen Staelens, Dries Huygens, Pascal Boeckx, Christoph Müller, Kris Verheyen  Corresponding author contact email: jeroen.staelens@ugent.be  Select the topical area your poster addresses:    Flux measurements of reactive nitrogen, pools and processes  Impacts of changes in external drivers (global change, N deposition, management, land use  change etc.) on fluxes and exchange of N, C and GHG in terrestrial ecosystems   Plot scale modelling of processes controlling the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of trace  gases to predict effects of changes in climate, land use and land  management on gas exchange of   C and N compounds   Up-scaling from plot to regional scales – analysing interactions on different spatial scales   Assessment of present and future nitrogen and green house gas fluxes at large regional scales  in  response to human influence   Verification and uncertainty assessment of N and GHG management across disciplines  Abstract: (max. 2000 characters) Despite chronically enhanced nitrogen (N) input to forest ecosystems in Europe and NE America, considerable N retention by forests has been observed. Organic and mineral soil layers typically immobilize more N than the aboveground biomass, but it is unclear which factors determine N retention in forest soils, even though this knowledge is crucial for assessing the impact of changes in anthropogenic N emissions on N losses. Forest type and tree species potentially affect N retention and loss because of differences in N deposition, organic and mineral soil characteristics, soil microbial activity, and N uptake by plant roots. Therefore, N dynamics were examined in contrasting forest stands in a region exposed to enhanced atmospheric N deposition. The aim of this study was (i) to determine in situ N transformation rates in undisturbed mineral forest soils using N-15 isotope dilution and a N-15 tracing model, and (ii) to compare these rates between adjacent deciduous (pedunculate oak) and coniferous (Scots pine) forest stands with a similar stand history and soil type. Using five spatial replicates per stand, three N-15 treatments were applied in the field to six ‘virtual’ soil cores that were disturbed only at sampling. Each treatment solution contained ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite, with one of the N forms labelled with N-15 at 99% at. excess. Intact soil cores were sampled at six time intervals over a 12-day period, and analysed for the N and N-15 content in different mineral and organic pools. Although the optimization of the N-15 tracing model is still in progress, the first results indicate meaningful differences in N transformation rates between the two forest stands. As root activity in the sampled soil cores was possible throughout this field experiment, N uptake by plant roots can be taken into account in the tracing model. 

Nitrogen dynamics in coniferous and deciduous forest soils determined using a N-15 tracing model

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/1154718/file/1154722.pdf

Nitrogen dynamics in coniferous and deciduous forest soils determined using a N-15 tracing model

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