Mechanisms underlying the responses of microbial carbon and nitrogen use efficiencies to nitrogen addition are mediated by topography in a subtropical forest
(2023) In Science of the Total Environment 880.- Abstract
Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) are key parameters determining the fate of C and N in soils. Atmospheric N deposition has been found to heavily impact multiple soil C and N transformations, but we lack understanding of the responses of CUE and NUE to N deposition, and it remains uncertain whether responses may be mediated by topography. Here, a N addition experiment with three treatment levels (0, 50 and 100 kg N ha−1 yr−1) was conducted in the valley and on the slope of a subtropical karst forest. Nitrogen addition increased microbial CUE and NUE at both topographic positions, but the underlying mechanisms differed. In the valley, the increase in CUE was associated with an... (More)
Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) are key parameters determining the fate of C and N in soils. Atmospheric N deposition has been found to heavily impact multiple soil C and N transformations, but we lack understanding of the responses of CUE and NUE to N deposition, and it remains uncertain whether responses may be mediated by topography. Here, a N addition experiment with three treatment levels (0, 50 and 100 kg N ha−1 yr−1) was conducted in the valley and on the slope of a subtropical karst forest. Nitrogen addition increased microbial CUE and NUE at both topographic positions, but the underlying mechanisms differed. In the valley, the increase in CUE was associated with an increase in soil fungal richness:biomass and lower litter C:N, whereas on the slope, the response was linked with a reduced ratio of dissolved soil organic C (DOC) to available phosphorus (AVP) which reduced respiration, and increased root N:P stoichiometry. In the valley, the increase in NUE was explained by stimulated microbial N growth relative to gross N mineralization, which was associated with increased ratios of soil total dissolved N:AVP and fungal richness:biomass. In contrast, on the slope, the increase in NUE was attributed to reduced gross N mineralization, linked to increased DOC:AVP. Overall, our results highlight how topography-driven soil substrate availability and microbial properties can regulate microbial CUE and NUE.
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- author
- Yang, Xinyi ; Duan, Pengpeng ; Hicks, Lettice LU ; Wang, Kelin and Li, Dejun
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-07-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Karst forest, Microbial carbon use efficiency, Microbial nitrogen use efficiency, Nitrogen deposition, Topography
- in
- Science of the Total Environment
- volume
- 880
- article number
- 163236
- pages
- 12 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:37030359
- scopus:85151786667
- ISSN
- 0048-9697
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163236
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Funding Information: This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( U21A2007 , 42107381 and 32001175 ), the Guangxi Bagui Scholarship Program to Dejun Li, and the Special Research Assistant Fellowship of Chinese Academy of Sciences to Xinyi Yang. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
- id
- e56cb9bd-37e5-4d3a-9909-dc673720b5ff
- date added to LUP
- 2024-01-12 14:59:28
- date last changed
- 2024-04-13 08:27:09
@article{e56cb9bd-37e5-4d3a-9909-dc673720b5ff,
abstract = {{<p>Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) are key parameters determining the fate of C and N in soils. Atmospheric N deposition has been found to heavily impact multiple soil C and N transformations, but we lack understanding of the responses of CUE and NUE to N deposition, and it remains uncertain whether responses may be mediated by topography. Here, a N addition experiment with three treatment levels (0, 50 and 100 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>) was conducted in the valley and on the slope of a subtropical karst forest. Nitrogen addition increased microbial CUE and NUE at both topographic positions, but the underlying mechanisms differed. In the valley, the increase in CUE was associated with an increase in soil fungal richness:biomass and lower litter C:N, whereas on the slope, the response was linked with a reduced ratio of dissolved soil organic C (DOC) to available phosphorus (AVP) which reduced respiration, and increased root N:P stoichiometry. In the valley, the increase in NUE was explained by stimulated microbial N growth relative to gross N mineralization, which was associated with increased ratios of soil total dissolved N:AVP and fungal richness:biomass. In contrast, on the slope, the increase in NUE was attributed to reduced gross N mineralization, linked to increased DOC:AVP. Overall, our results highlight how topography-driven soil substrate availability and microbial properties can regulate microbial CUE and NUE.</p>}},
author = {{Yang, Xinyi and Duan, Pengpeng and Hicks, Lettice and Wang, Kelin and Li, Dejun}},
issn = {{0048-9697}},
keywords = {{Karst forest; Microbial carbon use efficiency; Microbial nitrogen use efficiency; Nitrogen deposition; Topography}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{07}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Science of the Total Environment}},
title = {{Mechanisms underlying the responses of microbial carbon and nitrogen use efficiencies to nitrogen addition are mediated by topography in a subtropical forest}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163236}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163236}},
volume = {{880}},
year = {{2023}},
}